A wireframe is a skeletal depiction of a site's layout. A prototype is an interactive wireframe. Skipping them and jumping straight to visual design is a big mistake.
Why you need them
1. Focus on structure. 2. Fast iteration. 3. Everyone can collaborate.
Fidelity levels
Low โ paper and simple lines. Mid โ Figma with real proportions. High โ close to final design.
Creation steps
1. Goals and flow. 2. List sections. 3. Sketching. 4. Iterate.
Wireframe tools
Paper and pencil. Balsamiq. Figma. Sketch. Adobe XD. Whimsical.
Prototype
Wireframes are static; prototypes are interactive.
Prototype levels
Click-through, Interactive, Coded.
Prototype tools
Figma, Principle, Framer, InVision, ProtoPie.
User testing
5-7 users find 85%+ of usability issues.
Iteration
3-5 rounds. Build โ test โ revise โ test.
Mistakes
Jumping to visuals too soon. Lorem ipsum. Desktop-only wireframes.
Sayt.uz
Paper wireframes โ Figma โ prototype โ testing with 5 staff โ iteration โ design.