August 9, 2017

It’s All Black And White…

I was once presenting a set of wireframes to a client, and had walked them through a couple of pages when I paused to ask for comments. The first reply was “It’s a bit black and white.” I was mystified, as I had been polishing the layout for days… it was at that moment I realised where I was going wrong.

So much emphasis had been placed on the presentation of a polished wireframe, it had been misunderstood that what we were presenting was the finished design of the website.We were presenting wireframes in the wrong way, and it was clear their purpose was misunderstood. This made me look at the fundamentals of what a wireframe needs to achieve.

Wireframes are the key tool for planning out an experience where users are able to accomplish their goals with as little friction as possible.

Jeff Dance, Fresh Consulting

Why Wireframe?

In short, a wireframe provides us with a blueprint layout that illustrates the structure of key webpages. It is a critical part of the interaction design process. A wireframe allows you to rapidly validate and test thinking with stakeholders and users.

Wireframes are used to plot user journeys, illustrate planned interactions and discuss strategies based on any objectives set out at the conception of a project. Wireframes provide the project team with valuable insights early on in a project lifecycle, and the ability to learn and make decisions to align goals with stakeholder’s objectives and user feedback.

Styles Of Wireframes

It’s important that the terminology associated to wireframes is correctly understood to help prevent misunderstandings and misconceptions. How a wireframe manifests can vary from sketches to fully interactive page layouts which demonstrate functionality. Below I have explained some details behind what to expect from each fidelity wireframe.

Low Fidelity Wireframes

Low fidelity wireframes contain enough detail to provide a contextual overview of the elements that build a structure of a page. They can be sketches or something more formal that is annotated for presentation. They can also be used to outline any functionality, content flow requirements and interactions that need discussing to help define the scope for key features.

Medium Fidelity Wireframes

A medium fidelity wireframe begins to analyse a project’s core characteristics. They contain proto-content into a page to set expectations around content requirements. These wireframes can be used to explore micro-copy that will aid the tone of voice of a project. They can also add some basic interactions to explore user journeys and open up discussions around the shape of your solution with both stakeholders and users.

Below is an example of a medium fidelity wireframe with annotations.

Interactive Wireframes

Once a structure is set, an interactive wireframe is built. Exploring interactions between elements has huge benefits for a project and allows you to play the role of the user. For example,  you can evolve the wireframe into a functional tool, where any usability issues can be addressed.

The ability to demonstrate interactivity will also open up broader discussions around functionality and enables a clearer understanding of how a component or page will come together. This allows for  more accurate estimates for front and back end development.

Interactive wireframes also help to share conclusions with stakeholders and users, allowing you to build further insight, and assess how a user will behave and react to your solution.

How Ridgeway Use Wireframes

We initially use sketches to flesh out early stage thinking for a project. This is a session that takes place between the UX Team and the Development Team.

The UX Team discuss ideas based on the outcomes and objectives set out during the discovery workshops with a client. The sketches  provide the Development Team with a structure to begin creating a functional specification.

The UX Team use the sketches to explore the structure and interactions across devices to generate a set of interactive wireframes.

At this point we use Axure to build layouts that provide us with a view of all the templates, components and widgets a page will require. These are created at a level of fidelity that will allow us to share, discuss and ultimately test with stakeholders and the project team.

Wireframes form a fundamental cog in a project’s lifecycle. We reference them at all stages of our projects as the best reflection of the functional discussions between the project teams and project stakeholders.

Making The Most From Wireframing

Wireframes are so much more than just a black and white design, and it is crucial that their purpose is explained to avoid confusion as it can be a costly exercise.

A wireframe needs to be flexible and easy to update based on ideas that are uncovered during discussions with the wider project team.

Labouring over the details in a wireframe can only cause issues, wireframes are not meant to be visually appealing, they need to be functional. Wireframes are used to clearly demonstrate where the page content and functionality are positioned for users, and to give designers and developers the core information they need to move a project forward.

A good wireframe is a collaborative tool that encourages project teams and stakeholders to constructively discuss and focus on engagement in line with objectives and goals.

If you want to find out more about Ridgeway’s approach to digital projects, why not get in touch