Prototypes vs Wireframes in UX Projects

Prototypes vs Wireframes in UX Projects

Prototypes

What is Prototypes?

“it's a reenactment of the end result. It resembles an intelligent mockup that can have any level of devotion. The principle motivation behind building models is to test whether the progression of the item is smooth and reliable"

Wireframes

What is Wireframing?

“Wireframing is a way to deal with plan a site organization at the fundamental level. A wireframe is commonly used to fan out substance and helpfulness on a page which considers customer needs and customer adventures. Wireframes are used consistently in the headway cooperation to set up the fundamental development of a page before visual arrangement and substance is added.”

Prototypes and wireframes are two of the most frequently produced UX deliverables. However, there's some confusion about the meaning of these terms and the audience that's best suited for each.

So let's be clear: a wireframe is a simplified representation  of your site or app. Wireframes can be hand drawn or electronic, but in either case, they consist of lines and text. Structural elements that represent priority are a focus of wireframes, but visual design and colorare not represented. 

Prototypes are a little bit more flexible. They might contain content or images, and they may be static or responsive. Prototypes can be made from paper or digital tools, like axure or Adobe XD.

With this clarification in mind note that all wireframes are prototypes, they're just low fidelity prototypes without a lot of detail. But not all prototypes are wireframes.

A high fidelity prototype could look exactlylike a screenshot of that screen but it just wouldn't work the same way the finished software would. Prototypes can serve multiple use cases,such as visualizing an idea, assessing technical feasibility, serving as a blueprint for developers, or testing the effectiveness of a design.

When it comes to presenting these deliverables to members of your team or external stakeholders, it's important to consider the goal of the prototype. 

If you're early in the project and still brainstorming and prioritizing ideas, low fidelity prototypes can be effective and fast to develop.

Alternatively, if you're a bit further in the process and you're trying to communicate the design to others, a medium fidelity prototype will be better received by the audience. If you're using your prototypes for usability testing, it's important to determine what your focus is.

 If you want to learn more about how your users interact and feel about the contentor visuals on your site, then you'll need a higher fidelity prototype to get the information you need.

On the other hand, if you just want quick feedback about a design direction, even a paper sketch can be the subject of a usability test. Whether you're working on a new product, a redesign, a set of new features, remember that prototypes are valuable throughout  the entire design process.