Wireframes & Prototypes

In our design process, wireframes and prototypes are tools we use, after the discovery phase, to define and test the user experience we are creating.

90% of users

Reported they stopped using an app after a bad experience.

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User Research

When it comes to having a content strategy it can be difficult to know where to start. Our process of learning and discovery leads to better guidance, content creation, and results.

Our pros will walk you each step of the way – guided by our north star – improving your digital presence.

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Flow Charts + User Stories

Including the right keywords and phrases on your website is vital to success in SEO, PPC and effective UX.

Do you know which keywords have the  highest search volume? How competitive they are? What is working for your competitors? Don’t craft a content strategy plan without this insight.

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Information Architecture

Where do your company’s listings rank in SERP (search engine results page)? How much organic traffic are your receiving each month?

We dive into your current rankings and then build a new way forward utilizing on-page, off-page and technical SEO improvements.

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Low Fidelity Wireframes​

Wireframes are a very important tool which allows us to focus on the structure and content of each page, without worrying about the visual appearance. We focus on the different sections of content and how that content is prioritized within each section. Creating a clear hierarchy to guide the user through the information on each page.

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High Fidelity Mockups

After we’ve finished the blueprints with a sitemap and wireframes, it’s time to bring it all to life. We infuse the brand, personality, visual elements into the website, or application design. We make the story stronger by making it visually appealing. Not only do we use the visual design to create something visually pleasing, but we use it to guide the reader’s eye with intention.

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Prototypes + Testing

We use prototypes to test assumptions about the experience that we’ve created. The goal is to provide a test experience as close to the real thing as possible. The prototype protects you from missing critical parts of your application before moving into development. Additionally, prototypes will give you an idea of what the end product will feel like.

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Our Process

Process Step 1

User Research

We spend time identifying the target users and understanding the pain we alleviate and the gains we are striving to achieve. We learn their behaviors, needs, and motivations to inform the experience we build.

Process Step

Ideation

Whether we collaborate internally or with our clients, we use a collaborative approach and established exercises to generate ideas quickly. We believe in an inclusive, “yes and…” kind of attitude.

Process Step 3

User Journey & Wireframing

It is essential to tell the right story to capture an audience. Our research is used to direct the navigation, content organization, and user journey. The wireframes should reflect your vision and validate your value proposition.

LVL3 Process Step 4

Prototype & Visualize

After wireframing, the team creates the design elements for the website or application. We bring together the brand, personality, and user journey, and visualize the interface in mockups. When the mockups are complete, they are made into a working prototype.

Wireframes & Prototypes FAQs

What is the difference between a wireframe and a mockup?

A wireframe is a blueprint for a website or a digital product. A wireframe focuses on content, structure, and layout, whereas a mockup focuses on the final visual of a website or application. A mockup uses a wireframe to inform where things should go and the hierarchy of components and copy. Think of the mockup as a final design of how a page or screen will look, and a wireframe is a blueprint that guides that design.

What are the benefits of wireframing?

The real benefit of wireframing is that it allows you to focus on the base of the product or website you’re working on, without the distraction of focusing on the final design. It acts as a blueprint for what you’re designing, especially the navigation, content, and structure. Telling the story is just as important as how a website or digital product looks. Wireframes are a starting point to get alignment with crucial stakeholders, without the team getting distracted with fonts, colors, or specific graphics.

What are the best tools for creating wireframes and prototypes?

There are many tools out there to either help you speed up your process or provide a fantastic user experience. The best tools for wireframing are design system kits that speed up your process for common user interface patterns. You can make a system that is custom to your needs, or you can buy one from design marketplaces. Our team uses Sketch combined with a custom pattern library that we feel best to solve common design problems. For prototyping, there are many tools out there. We love and use InVision for prototyping. The project team can share designs, clients can provide feedback, and screens are connected to give a close to real-life experience. In addition to Invision, other tools can do the job, and we enjoy a few like Framer, Figma, and Marvel.

What are the benefits of prototyping?

Prototypes allow you to test your ideas and create something as close to the real end-product as possible. It will enable you to share a useful experience with the team to verify alignment, test for usability issues, or even get first impressions from your target audience. The time spent at the beginning of a project building a prototype pays dividends throughout the product development process. It highlights potential problem areas with the user’s experience, provides details to the developers that make the application easier to build, aides in the QA process, and ultimately saves time and money. Making changes to a prototype is significantly cheaper and faster than making changes to a complete application.

Jessica

Ready to turn a good idea into something tangible?

Our teams break down big ideas into their simplest form. They work with you all the way from ideation through delivery and support you every step of the way.