Balsamiq defines a Wireframe as is a simple sketch of a user interface. This was my first task of my UX Project in Figma with Daniel Walter Scott in my UX Design course.
My key takeaways from this experience were the following:
- Keep the layout simple.
- Do not use custom branding.
- Do not use attractive colors or fonts.
Why? Because using custom branding, colors, and fonts can distract from the main purpose of the Wireframe. That is, to look at the layout, to start to see how a user could move through the screens, to think about what’s there and what’s missing.
Your stakeholders (your users, clients, and those who are invested in the project) will lose sight of this greater picture if they are distracted with the “wrong” images, colors, and font.
While I didn’t know this at the time, this is really what’s called a “Mid-Fi” Wireframe, or a Mid-Fidelity. A Lo-Fi Wireframe might be as simple as a pen and paper sketch of my Wireframe above with doodles, simple shapes, and squiggles for text.
To get an introduction to Wireframes, check out the New to Wireframing? video at Balsamiq.com