As a project manager, clients often try to skip through the wireframe stage in order to get to the more interesting and fun aspects of building a site such as branding and design.
However its importance is invaluable to a project being completed not only on time and on budget; but also so that the site has longevity in terms of meeting the objectives of the organisation.What is a wireframe?
A website wireframe is a simplistic schematic of the page and provides a visual guide of the layout.
A wireframe does not include design elements such as colours, typography and images but it allows you to indicate key areas on a page.
Some typical key areas are; call to actions, site navigation and priority content. Creating a wireframe helps to focus a client’s mind on the most important elements of a page.
Why bother with a wireframe?
When starting a new website project, the temptation for clients can be to start the design and do everything else at a later date.
Starting a new design without having gone through the important wireframe stage of a project, will only cause more problems and pain later for a client.
If something doesn’t work on a wireframe, then there is a good chance that it won’t work when you come to design it.
Much like designing a new car or building a house, you need to have blueprints or a prototype to work towards in order to complete a project successfully.
There is little value in building a car that has the exact look, interior, and paintwork that you want if it doesn’t actually run – therefore functionality is key for a successful website.
This is where the wireframes work so well, it indicates elements and call to actions that need to be more prominent and highlights potential flaws in a website.
Although by some it might be seen as a long, time inefficient, and laborious process, by completing this process properly, the design stage will be much more efficient and productive.
By identifying these issues early in the web build process, you are less likely to make mistakes later on in the project which will mean you will also incur fewer costs to rectify them.
Responsive wireframes
With almost all new websites being created to work on mobiles, tablets, and desktops; the wireframing stage is even more important than it ever was before.
Creating three versions of the same wireframe allows us to identify how the page layout will react on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
It will also allow us to add and remove elements that work on desktop but not on mobile, which is vital as users do not navigate in the same way on mobile as they do on desktop.
Summary
The wireframe stage is a fundamental part of any website build. By working closely with your project manager to complete this stage properly, you can ensure that the job is done correctly the first time.
If you would like to find out more information about what we could do for your business here at Intergage, then please contact us.
