Every great idea starts from a sketch. Your digital product should as well. With lo-fi wireframes, you get an overview of the goal – to develop the best solution possible.
Lo-fi wireframes are sketches of digital products that show how they're laid out and work without fancy details or pictures. Instead, they use basic shapes to represent items. These sketches help plan the basic setup and verify the assumed user flows, functionalities, main text, and ideas for the content placement.
When looking for information about lo-fi wireframes, you've probably bumped into their cousin - hi-fi wireframes. Although they are pretty close relatives, they are essentially different in how product designers use them.
| Lo-fi Wireframes | Hi-fi Wireframes |
|---|---|
Low detail, focused on basic structure and layout. |
High detail, include colours, typography, and precise spacing. |
To outline the basic framework and functionality of the project. |
To give a more accurate representation of the final design. |
Simple shapes and placeholders for elements. |
Actual images, icons, and detailed UI elements. |
Quick to produce, allowing for fast iterations. |
Takes more time to create due to the level of detail. |
Used in the early stages of the design process. |
Used in later stages, often for stakeholder presentations or usability testing. |
Feedback is about content and structure. |
Feedback often revolves around visual appeal and interactions. |
Words are a simple way to share ideas, but they can lead to misunderstandings. Lo-fi wireframes help clarify these ideas early on, ensuring everyone understands the design. This saves effort and time, especially when changes are needed later. They're key in the design process.
But that’s not everything.
Check out what else these wireframes bring to the table.
Streamlined communication
You can see verbal ideas transformed into clear visual plans with lo-fi wireframes. This clear visual translation helps ensure everyone understands the project the same way, cutting down on confusion and making decisions faster.
Enhanced project collaboration
Lo-fi wireframes align stakeholders’ vision for the project what makes collaboration more cohesive. This approach lowers the chance of expensive changes in later development stages. It makes sure your project moves forward smoothly and quickly.
Flexibility in design iteration
Explore various design options effortlessly! Lo-fi wireframes allow for quickly iterating, enabling effective stakeholder consultations. This makes refining project requirements and achieving a design that meets all expectations easier.
Cost-effective design adjustments
You can save a lot because lo-fi wireframes are simple and quick to make and verify, letting you find and fix problems early. This early fixing helps avoid the extra costs and delays that come with making changes later in the development.
Accelerated project timeline
What’s more, you can expect a faster turnaround on your projects. The ability to quickly make and change wireframes allows the project to move fast from the initial idea to detailed design. This keeps the project on time and within budget.
Our experts use a simple approach for lo-fi wireframes, guided by top industry methods. These steps, from setting goals to user testing, ensure your project's vision becomes a clear, practical design. We based our approach on the following pillars:
First, we need to find out what you want to achieve. This clarity will guide the direction and focus of the wireframe.
Next, it’s time to collect all necessary information - including the target audience, user needs, and functionality requirements. This step ensures your wireframe addresses all essential aspects of the project.
Before sketching, it's time to map out the user flow, detailing what steps your users need to take to get to their goal within your product. Understanding this flow helps ensure that the wireframe effectively supports the user journey.
To explore different layouts and structures, we start with rough sketches (on paper or simple digital tools). These initial samples allow for quick experimentation and iteration.
In this step, our experts use a wireframing tool to translate your sketches into a digital format. At this stage, we focus on layout, user flow, and key elements - without detailed design features.
Now it’s time for the feedback session during which we evaluate the wireframe with your team. After that, we use your input to refine and adjust the wireframe, ensuring it meets your project goals.
If possible, we conduct user testing with the lo-fi wireframe to gather insights into usability and user experience. This highlights areas for improvement before moving to higher-fidelity designs.
Finally, it's time to incorporate all feedback and finalise the wireframe. This version will clearly communicate the project's structure, navigation, and core functionalities, setting a solid foundation for the next design phases.
[ Methods & Tools ]
Whether you need a high-converting launch site, or a groundbreaking digital experience to take things to the next level, our creative product design team has the skill and passion to deliver.
Information Architecture
Visual Design
Icons
Screens Inventory
Lo-fi Wireframes
UX Copy & Microcopy
Microinteractions
Design Systems
Hi-fi Wireframes
Illustrations
Motion Design
Project Handover
[ Clients ]
“We’ll keep them hiring for every project in the future.”
Kornel Kulisiewicz
Business development director, PWC
“Our customer acquisition cost went down by about 50%. Our sales skyrocketed.”
David Winter
Co-FOUNDER, MUSCAT
“We were surprised how quickly they delivered everything we asked for.”
Bernard Golko
Chief Digital officer, onnibus
[ Process ]
[ work with us ]
Michał Proniewicz
Head of Design
Prefer e-mail? [email protected]
Prefer e-mail? [email protected]
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