The benefits of wireframes (aka wahoo for wireframes!)

I know what you are thinking, but you can’t keep me from trying to make them sound as exciting to you as they are to me.  Wireframes are not very pretty to look at.  In fact, they are quite intentionally bland and unrefined; otherwise one might mistake them for the actual look and feel of a site.  Still, they are very important.

Here are a few reasons why….

Time-saver. Some may see it unnecessary to demonstrate a black and white version of a site before a full color comp and think “well, we are on a very strict deadline, so we should just go ahead and skip wireframes and move on to design.” Not a good idea.  While wireframes may add another step to design, you can save a great deal of time in the long run because you can address problems early and not wait to resolve problems during full color phase, which takes a lot more time.

In reality, no matter how amazing a comp is the client is going to request revisions. Asking your graphic designers to do multiple revisions in full comp phase will take far more time than wireframes.

Wireframes aid client focus. Rather than allowing the client to get too bogged down by color, text type or other graphical elements, it is best to first focus and approve the structure and layout of a website first. This way, wireframes will help free your graphic designers to do what they do best…make the interface look awesome and engaging through their amazing designs.

Internally collaborative while maintaining our role of what we do best. Graphic designers need time to get their creative juices flowing with a focus on aesthetics, without the additional responsibility of developing the architecture of a website.  Wireframes allow the information architect to do what they do best in organizing and providing sometimes very complex, layouts and content.  When done correctly, this process can allow for a more collaborative process where everyone can use their skill sets appropriately and work together refining the details.

Predict the user experience from the get-go.

Wireframes help everyone start thinking about where important components of a site should live and establish a hierarchy of information based on target audience and client goals.  By adhering to information architecture principles (aka a user centered design, site usability, etc) and creating coherent, logical grouping and layout of an interface will produce a more simplified and smooth user experience.

In a nutshell, wireframes can help us ask important questions early in the design process, avoid time-consuming iterations and aid in the process of creating a logical, solid house for online content to live.  Ultimately, wireframes are a good step in the process to ensure an optimal interface is built to meet both client expectations and user needs.