Wireframe

So, you may be wondering, what is wireframe design? Thankfully, this answer is simple, at least on a basic level. Wireframing involves developing a website structure. In other words, wireframing involves laying out content and needed functions in a way that accounts for user needs. Wireframing is often used at the beginning of the development process to show the basic structure before design comes into things.

How to Create Wireframes for Mobile Apps

Wireframing can be done in many ways. You can sketch things out by hand on a piece of paper to start. You can also use various tools that make it easy to morph and change things as needed. A lot of people start with the first and then move to the latter. Wireframing can be done with any vector illustration tool, such as Illustrator, Fireworks, OmniGraffle or others.

Building Blocks in Wireframe

The first step to wireframe app design is considering your audience. You want to consider who will be likely to visit your page and what they’ll be doing. This can give you a start toward deciding how to organize content to make those goals easy for customers. Other things to consider at the beginning of the process include where to place your logo, what a user should see first when opening the app, what your call to action is, and what will a user expect to find in various spots on the page.

All the Details

After you have considered the above questions and built the blocks of your app, there come even more questions. These should be easier with the above work completed, but may still require some serious consideration. You’ll want to consider spacing and layout of the page, along with a hierarchy of information. Think about what is more important and what’s below that and so on. You’ll also want to consider where and how large images will be, along with things specific to your project.

Important Aspects to Remember

There are a few things to keep in mind throughout the mobile app wireframe process. Each is important and needs to be considered, likely many times, as the wireframe is fleshed out.

• Avoiding overload of information – if you give your user too many links, more text than is reasonable, or a ton of images, it can make navigating your app more difficult. Give your users what they need without adding a bunch of unnecessary elements that don’t help them do what they came to do.
• Keep your purpose clear – the wireframing process should answer questions about what the app is for, what the user may do there, and how it satisfies those needs. Be certain your wireframe layout handles answering user questions without worrying overly much about aesthetics.
• Confidence of users is paramount – by using navigation that is straightforward, users become more confident in your brand. By having a confusing layout or a lot of unneeded information, the opposite can become true. Use standard processes in natural places, and people will associate your brand with positivity and comfort.

Your final wireframe should be a visual guide to your site and how it will be navigated when complete. The design of graphic elements, colors, and fonts can come later, after you’ve established how the essential elements will fit the page. Stick with that, and you’ll be sure to succeed.