Wireframing plays a significant role in the process of website and app designing. Wireframes define the information hierarchy of website design and the flow charts. It enables designers to layout the users’ preferences in processing information. For a mobile app development company, understanding the basics of wireframes in the web process is a crucial factor.
What is Wireframe?
Wireframes are website or software layouts that define the specific size, conversion areas, navigation and placement of page elements. These are working documents for the designers.
These are similar to structural blueprints, as in architecture, showing the basic layout and positioning of various interior and exterior aspects of buildings or structures. If you are planning to hire mobile app developer, you should look for some qualifications and expertise.
These layouts only focus on a site’s structure and are devoid of design elements, such as colour, UI/UX, font, logos, etc.
Wireframes, Prototypes and Mockups
Most often, terms such as wireframes, mockups and prototypes are misunderstood. Wireframes constitute underlying representations of web page components and its flow for a successful mobile app development company. Most wireframes include:
Display of the content or elements;
Structure of the page;
The hierarchy of elements in positioning, labelling and size, etc.
The functionality of the elements; and
Interaction of the elements amongst themselves.
Mockups are visual design elements of a website. Whereas, prototypes are semi-finished web page layouts of the mockup that give a high-fidelity preview of the actual under-construction site. It can be said that it is an interactive visual of a final product. It allows testing before the launch of a final product and also saves time and money on the code development process.
How are wireframes useful?
If you intend to use a website or software process easily, wireframes become handy in effectively sending one’s message across. Wireframes help bring about a good interface structure in designing software.
If you are planning to hire mobile developer and before the finalization of visual designs and codes, use wireframes as they save a lot of time. These are also helpful to ensure smooth operations in software and website.
Types of Wireframes
There are the following three types of wireframes, and the single factor distinguishing them is the details each contain:
Low-Fidelity: These are simple representations scribbled in the form of a sketch about a particular user interface
Mid-Fidelity: These are the most commonly used wireframes due to its accurate depiction of the layout.
High Fidelity: These are the layouts showing finer details such as depicting the colour, size and alignments of the user interface.
Reasons behind Wireframing
There are many reasons behind wireframing. A few are mentioned herein below for the understanding of a mobile app development company:
- It enables the designers to understand the entire flow of Mobile and Web App;
- The clarity of information that will be required for each page before designing;
- It provides the web and mobile designer with a clear focus on the content to be more equitable with website structure;
- Wireframe enable clarity of visual specifications to the designers;
- It’s interface also enables the involvement of clients in the planning process; &
- Wireframe, most importantly, reduces the scope of rework by providing necessary steps beforehand is thus economical and time-saving.
Wireframe Process
Determine the design layout process
Develop a wireframe
Get feedback
Revise and repeat
Mobile Wireframe and Web Wireframe
Contrary to the common belief, the mobile and websites both use wireframes, and the mobile wireframes are more in contention in the present context. These are some of the factors companies consider to hire mobile app developer. But, let us see how these are different in both:
Interaction
The desktop and mobile users’ interactions are different to the extent that many apps provide an option to download the content from the net in an offline mode. This offline mode needs to be taken care of in mobile app wireframe.
Behaviour
In mobile and desktop, there is a fundamental difference in the mode of navigation that a mobile app development company considers. In a desktop, a mouse is used, and in a mobile tapping, the screen is used for effective UI/UX design. Thus, mobile app wireframing requires more consideration for the users’ navigation ease.
Size
Another primary difference in desktop and mobile wireframing is the size of the screens, which explicitly need to be taken care of for specific user requirements and ease of navigation. The scope of navigation is restricted in a mobile as compared to the desktop.
Wireframing Tools
A selection needs to be made about the various wireframe tools available following one’s preferences and requirements of a particular project. A few of the wireframe tools are here to choose from:
Omnigraffle
It is useful in creating diagrams, process charts, quick page layouts and website mockups;
Visio
It enables visualization, exploration and communication of complex information;
Balsamiq
This vital tool enables quick and easy creation of rough mockups with predefined elements, UI/UX, site maps, etc., both, for the web and mobile apps;
iPlotz
This tool enables in quick sketching of website wireframes as also navigation between pages;
Jumpchart
The Online collaborative wireframe is made possible by this tool.
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Gliffy
This tool enables in creating website wireframes and sharing of web mockups.
Conclusion
One thing can be sure in wireframing by a mobile app development company, and that is that it is a deciding factor in the design workflow. Secondly, while wireframing for the desktop and mobile, care must be taken about the navigation requirements of users of each. Most importantly, the wireframing process includes the approval of the prospective client on the client’s specific needs and requirements. Wireframing allows the approval of the client, for a smooth designing and completion process, both for desktop and the mobile.
