Before developing the front-end design for any mobile app, you should create a wireframe. It’s the skeleton of the app’s interface and contains a blueprint of the design elements, features, pages, and animations. Wireframes are the backbone of any software, web, or app development and design project. Without it, the front-end developer will never understand what kind of interface they should create and what features they should add to improve functionality and user experience.
However, wireframing is not the first process of an app designing project. First, you’ll have to perform some research and be clear about what kind of app you want. Then, you can create a conceptual sketch of the interface. Once you have determined the features and specifications of your app, it’s time to make a wireframe. Lastly, the UI/UX designer will create a prototype design, and if the product designer approves it, the interface mockup will be sent to the programming team.
In this post, experts at our Android and iOS app development agency will talk about how wireframing mobile app works:
How Does Wireframing Work?
This is how you can create a wireframe for a mobile app:
1. Set Up a Mobile Frame
These days, smartphones come in different shapes. So, there’s a difference in the aspect ratios of their screens. Of course, as a product designer, you would want your app to fit perfectly on all kinds of screens. So, select a frame before creating the blueprint of your app’s interface. For example, if you’re developing an iOS app, you will select the frames of iPhone X, iPhone 13, and iPhone SE. Selecting a frame beforehand can also prevent you from fitting too many design elements on the screen.
2. Determine Layout Using Boxes
Initially, you should create the layout and structure of your app’s UI. Instead of focusing on the content, you should think of ways to present it in an attention-grabbing manner. Plan your app’s layout by considering how you want the user to process the information. It’s also important to focus on the order of content you’re presenting. For example, you will decide where you want to add the CTA button to ensure maximum clicks.
3. Use Design Patterns
As a product designer, you must invest in a modern, attractive, and simplistic UI/UX design. When you implement familiar design elements, users relate to previous experiences with the product. Android and iOS native design patterns allow them to form a familiar user experience. Design patterns also act as content blocks, and you can use them to counter various functionality issues. For example, many apps put main navigation options on the bottom of the display because this is where your thumb naturally lands and is easier to touch.
4. Plan and Write Copy
Considering you have been focusing on your app’s layout and design elements, you might’ve added Lorem Ipsum text to represent content. Well, it’s time to write the actual copy. First, replace the dummy text in your design with the actual text. At this point, you should determine the purpose of every content block of your app. Also, many visual elements are based on the copy. After adding content, you will have a clearer perspective of your app’s design and will be able to exclude or include various UI elements. Finally, ensure the content and information flow are in the right order.
5. Scale Your Content Properly
You have to consider the font size and type of your content to ensure the best possible readability. Moreover, you should scale it according to various screen sizes. For example, if your app’s content looks fine on an iPhone 5, it doesn’t mean it’ll look great on an iPhone XS Max screen because it’s significantly larger. The aspect ratio is also different. You should adjust and scale your content while forming the wireframe for various screen sizes and dimensions.
6. Connect Pages and Create a Flow
Now, here comes the most critical step of the entire wireframing process. Your app will probably have multiple pages; to connect them, you should create a UX flow. For example, if you’re building a food delivery app, clicking on a restaurant will redirect the user to its menu. This system makes it easier for internal teams to understand how the user will interact with the app. It also helps you assess the functionality of your app.
While creating UX flow, many designers often get confused and cannot connect pages correctly. So, we would recommend you assign every page a reference number. This will make life a lot easier for you. Moreover, it can help you easily explain your wireframe to your team members, stakeholders, or clients.
7. Assess Your Design Decisions
After creating a wireframe, you might think your design is easily usable, interactive, and modern. However, your team members might not agree with you. Before forwarding the wireframe to the development team, building consensus is important. Also, to test your design, you don’t have to create a mockup. You can perform simple testing on your wireframe’s UX flow as well. The purpose of this assessment is to see whether all pages are connected perfectly and whether the prompts are working fine or not.
Common Wireframing Mistakes Amateurs Make
Following are three common reasons why you should never hire an inexperienced designer to create a wireframe for your app:
· Overcomplicating the Design
The design of your wireframe should be modern and simplistic. You should add all features and gestures without complicating the layout. Otherwise, it’ll be difficult for the developer to follow the design patterns and create an easily usable app.
· Prioritizing Style of Features
Functionality is the most crucial aspect of every app. No matter how good your app’s design and style might look, it’s useless if it doesn’t provide the features you claim. Hence, you should always prioritize functionality over style.
· Not Getting Feedback
Even the most experienced designers and developers require feedback. Without it, they can’t create a functional and well-designed app. This is why an app development team should have a Q/A engineer to test features and design elements.
Is Hiring a Wireframing Expert Cheap?
No, most wireframing experts don’t offer their services for affordable prices. They know it’s the foundation of your app development project. Hence, they will charge you an expensive amount. Also, hiring wireframing experts, UI/UX designers, and app developers will increase the cost of your entire project by a massive margin.
Verdict
The wireframe is the skeleton of your app, and if it’s not well-structured and connected, it won’t create an impact on your target audience. However, to create a wireframe and develop responsive and interactive apps, you’ll have to hire multiple experts who specialize in UI/UX design and Iphone app development. But, paying their wages and providing employee benefits can hike your project cost. So, instead, you should opt for the best Android and iOS app development agency. We can create an advanced and feature-packed app for you for a highly affordable price.
Our team comprises some of the US’s best app developers and designers. We can help your business go digital and engage with your target audience in the best possible way. So place your order on our site today!
