Web design 101: Wireframes
Wireframes is a method which will help clients and designers to have a better overview of the goals and increase the insight of the project.
Wireframes and Information Architecture
Information architecture is an important element of any website and wireframes will help you produce a visualization of the overall project. This will also allow you to have an easier implementation of the project on a long run avoiding miss understandings on what is the overall goal.
Keep it simple
Wire frames are used to outline the initial concept of the website so for that reason they should be kept simple to better verify the functionality and main goal without much clutter, after all the point is to have a basic starting point.
However the most complex is the website the more elaborate wireframes should be but maintaining a simple outline.
A good resource to find all kinds of wireframes is a Tumblelog brought to you by Ivana Jurcic, Web Developer from Belgrade wireframes.tumblr.com. Go and have a look but come back…
Wireframing will save you time
Ok, you might be septic about this idea and adopt the point of view that will be an extra cost and time.
Yes, but in a long run you will correct or change less elements as you already have a solid starting point based on the wireframes produced , therefore the overall time frame of you project will be reduced and if any new features pop out you will have a straight view on were to incorporate them.
Share It
You should share your wireframes with coleagues, business partners or anyone with a relevant opinion to the overall project.
This will allow everyone in that project to better understand the concept, functionality and path, bringing all the ideas to the table at an earlier stage. Furthermore the tasks will most likely be better prepared since everyone is in the same page.
Conclusion
I am sure that there is much more related to wireframing, however this is the main concepts i use for projects in which i am involved.
I hope this article will convince you that wireframes are important and you should ponder if they will bring you any extra productivity or help you to achieve a better final product.
Useful links
- Wireframes.tumblr.com by Ivana Jurcic
- Wire Frame Your Site By Matt Beach
- Excellent Wireframing Resources by Cameron Chapman
- Cooking up wireframes with Balsamiq by Andoy Montiel