Creating a Wireframe for Developers
One of the most important steps to take prior to software development is planning out the design of your application.
You have an idea and you are ready to bring on a developer. Nicely done. While you search for a ninja developer it’s a good idea to start creating a wireframe for developers so they can hit the ground running. Wireframing offers more than just making a developer’s job easier. Some things are just better expressed in pictures rather than words.
What’s a Wireframe?
A wireframe, also known as a page schematic or screen blueprint, is a visual guide that represents the skeletal framework of a website or mobile application. Think of it as detailed mockup. Developers use wireframes to get a more tangible grasp of the site’s functionality, while designers use them to push the user interface (UI) process. That was an extremely brief overview — but I’ll list some reasons why you should create one below!
Iterate Quickly
We previously covered minimum viable products and their benefits here. A wireframe, especially an interactive wireframe, can act as an initial MVP. Show off the designs of your wireframe to others and get feedback to make sure the design is intuitive and solves the initial problem.
Save Development Time
With a fully-fledged wireframe ready for the developer, there is no need to try to explain how each page/screen should look. This saves a considerable amount of time. Instead of guessing at what you are trying to build, they have images to go off.
Software to Use
When it comes to wireframing for the developer, Sketch is my absolute favorite resource. Sketch makes it a bit easier with ready to go templates and great online tutorials. However, you can feel free to use Photoshop or any design software of your choice. I won’t try and give an in depth tutorial on how to use any of the software mentioned since a quick google search will yield better results.
After designing each page, it is a good idea to turn those wireframes into an interactive prototype. My application of choice for this is Invision. You can import Sketch files or just plain images. It’s as simple as drag and point to link images together to make it seem as though buttons work. A bonus is that you can even use transitions to simulate features popping, sliding, dissolving, etc.
Although it takes some extra time and effort to link all your pages, this is crucial for your developer. Being able to see how the application flows gives the developer a better understanding of the user experience. The more the developer can put themselves in the shoes of the user, the better your end product will be.
Best Practices
A few things should stick in your mind when you’re creating your wireframes.
- Keep your pages consistent
- Use real content that you would like in the final product (images, wording, etc)
- Keep things simple
- [Most important] Share the designs to constantly to get feedback
Originally published at blog.venturestorm.com on January 5, 2017.
