When to Wireframe and When Not To
Nowadays, it is becoming almost compulsory to provide a wireframe to your client. But at its early age, a wireframe was presented with to clients to place things in perspective, not merely because you had to. Here we'll look at what you should consider prior to starting a wireframe.
The relevance of a wireframe
Whether they're grey boxes sketched quickly or detailed drawings with real content, online wireframe tool were imposed as a compulsory step to every project. They supply guidance for designer... this is exactly why they're called wireframe.
Some regard wire frame apps as mere blueprints for the page layouts... this really is, at the least, an understatement. Despite their drafty look, wireframes are accompanied by most designers and developers all over the development process.
When wireframe
Despite their real relevance, wireframes are not always the right way to tackle design. For sites or apps that focus strongly on design like image brand, a wireframe are not very useful while they lack of images and content. However, in certain other contexts, wireframes brings valuable insights prior to starting a style, like for:
- forms
- general layouts
- news sites
- once you lack of content
Generally, wireframes are approved by clients while they lack visual context like non-content graphic elements and that's what clients are eagerly waiting for. In such cases, sketchy-looking wireframes gives recommended of the last app.
When never to wireframe
However, a wireframe can't communicate important design components. Grey boxes and lorem ipsum content can't convey how design's contrast influence content, the visual impact of brand design or the visual weight of graphics elements and the visual path developed by colours, contrasts and components.
But because the objective of a wireframe is really much intricate with design, it's sometimes best to begin with the design. Sometimes, the client mightn't fully grasp the point of a wireframe, or just doesn't acknowledge the objectives you've set... and bad starts are never a great sign for a project. In these cases, it's thus far better first agree upon a definite direction for the style and then start wireframing specific layouts.
When the time comes to create the last design, what seemed logical at first might not fit the last output. Changes often need to be made as textures and images can influence relationships between elements.
"Substance is the form" and vice-versa
And as time goes by, the further design moves from functional requirements, the less effective becomes the wireframe. Inversely, a wireframe may also look dull and little appealing to a consumer when the specific design is really very efficient and impacting.
The argument saying that wireframes put enough materials in order that designers and developers can begin, often forgets that information hierarchy also depends on typo and textural elements. Moreover, if the wireframe was done by an IA and not a designer, the last design mightn't follow the same path. And if the client already agreed and signed a wireframe, this may mean trouble.
Wireframes for information or promotion purposes lose their effectiveness, especially when it comes to questions of branding and images. You need the full design to measure the successful quality of the output.
At the beginning of each and every project, the requirement to wireframe and as to the extend must be thoroughly assessed to be able to best serve the client's needs and objectives.