Most UI/usability/information designers/architects create various types of wireframes when we design. This article discusses the different types of wireframes and their pros and cons.
The article also shows good examples of diffferent types of wireframes and the final website design.
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About Theo Mandel, Ph.D.
Theo Mandel, PhD, is an international expert in product user experience, usability strategy, user research, design, development, and usability testing. Dr. Mandel designs user-, technology- and business-based products, websites and software that meet client objectives and goals and enhance company brands, are successful and provide the appropriate user experience for customers.
This is a good article in that it’s well written and a topic that some still find to be controversial. I’m quite surprised on the one hand. A wireframe is an “internal” tool not an external one. It’s akin to an architect using blueprints in her work as a tool but a model of the building typically is more effective in communicating that information to others (i.e the rest of us!) who cannot visualize as well from a blueprint. Wireframes really are a poor visualization tool in so many ways though. A wireframe often makes all elements appear to be the same “weight” and that may be effective in a very early stage (v1) of brainstorming but otherwise, it IS the visual design that is literally going to make the difference between if element A is seen and interacted with vs. element B – so why not focus on the visual design from the beginning – as soon as the basic page requirements are decided upon?