Using Wireframes to Streamline the Development Process
Website wireframes are blue prints that define a web page’s content and functionality. They do not convey design - e.g. colors, graphics or fonts. Wireframes organize and simplify the elements and content within a website and are an essential tool in the development process.
Wireframes act as a prototype to show the placement of page features, such as header, footer, content, sidebars and navigation. They also specify the placement of elements within these content areas such as user help, the logo, menus and search facilities.
Creating wireframes gives the client, designer and developer an opportunity to take a critical look at the structure of the website and allows them to make revisions easily and early in the process. Remember, you know your business, marketing plan and target audience best.
Using detailed wireframes will frequently flush out new requirements and questions that nobody has thought about yet. This documentation also provides a valuable paper trail of functional and design decisions that are made. This paper trail helps to solidify the functionality between client and designer, and provides a clear line of communication between the client representative and the internal stakeholders at their company.
Wireframes provide the following key benefits:
- Shows the client an early, detailed view of the site functionality.
- Inspires the designer, resulting in a more fluid creative process and cohesive design.
- Provides the developer a clear picture of the elements that they will need to code.
- Confirms the call to action on each page.
- Adapts to show the layout for every section of the website.
- Adjusts easily for client revisions and input.
Sign-off on a set of detailed wireframes can save a lot of time and money. Avoid changes later on by forcing client and stakeholders to actually think about the site’s functionality at a page detail level. Otherwise, developers end up making expensive, endless changes and tweaks to the code. A little patience and contemplation up front, will produce an effective website, with a whole lot of savings.