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Wireframe Fidelity - Part 2: High Fidelity Wireframes & Other Kinds of Wireframes

Posted On : Feb-07-2011 | seen (370) times | Article Word Count : 711 |

In part two of this blog we shall have a closer look at high fidelity wireframes as well as other kinds of wireframes. Wireframes are more and more important in developing today's software and web applications.
In part two of this blog we shall have a closer look at high fidelity wireframes as well as other kinds of wireframes. Wireframe are more and more important in developing today's software and web applications.

What are high fidelity wireframes?

High-fidelity wireframes share many of the same advantages with low-fidelity wireframes. A distinction between the two is that a high-fidelity wireframe is very close in design to the true representation of the final user interface design and at this stage your interface prototype might even pass for the final product. This can be the case because high fidelity wireframes usually have slick and polished design features and can be in sync with a client's brand even going as far as simulating an application's work flow. Despite pixel-perfect good looks a high fidelity wireframe remains but a prototype, however crisp it may look and feel. High fidelity wireframes, however, require a lot of time investment to create which can be costly.

What are the benefits of high fidelity wireframes?

High fidelity wireframes are usually used in addition to and after low fidelity wireframes have been used to resolve the most impactful and fundamental usability or interface design problems of an application. Being eye-catching, high fidelity wireframes can be used to impress some clients who have to sign off on a concept quickly. A high fidelity wireframe in this case would intuitively be faster for users to understand just by simply glancing at them, leaving less room for misinterpretation. This is advantageous when designing complex user interfaces with lots of interactivity. In terms of your development team, high-fidelity wireframes allow you to collectively bring an interface to life. This helps in keeping a project's budget manageable which in turn further satisfies clients.

What are medium fidelity wireframes?

It is worth noting that when it comes to fidelity some people make the distinction of adding a third category, referred to as medium-fidelity wireframes, which sits somewhere in between of high and low fidelity wireframes. It has less detail than a high fidelity wireframe and more so than a low-fidelity wireframe. Medium fidelity wireframes are useful especially in larger projects when interface design fundamentals have been worked out, but more optically detailed representations are needed for pitches, presentations or other purposes.

What are annotated wireframes?

Annotated wireframes are used to describe functional elements of an interface's design. Small descriptive paragraphs are added to elements on the prototype for the benefit of development teams and thereby circumventing the need for verbal explanations just to make it understandable. Annotated wireframes, if done correctly, can substitute for a large part of traditional text-based specifications, with the advantage that they contain visual representations and are easier to understand for non-technical stakeholders in the development process.

What are collaborative wireframes?

Collaborative wireframes refers to the nature of a wireframe. Namely, that as a wireframe is created it is made available on a cloud for multiple project stakeholders to edit, add suggestions etc... This fosters collaborative team spirit and input among a project's stakeholders and can dramatically improve the quality of interface designs and concepts as different views, backgrounds and experiences can efficiently be brought together to avoid critical mistakes.

What are clickable wireframes?

Clickable wireframes are wireframes that blend the dynamic interactivity of hyperlinks with static visualizations of interfaces. This allows one to link multiple pages and 'surf' wireframes as if they were a website or software application. Clickable wireframe tools, such as pidoco°, use drag and drop functionality and dynamic menus to create WYSIWYG interface prototypes that are effective in conveying and testing ideas in realtime.

What are mockups?

Mockups are a variant of wireframes that emphasize the look of an interface but do not imitate or duplicate its functionality. A prototype on the other hand would duplicate at least some functionality, even though it might not look like the final interface. These are useful in instances where an interface's look needs to be conveyed.

GUI design software, also commonly referred to as wireframe software, such as pidoco° enable one to create low to medium fidelity wireframes that are clickable, collaborative and can be annotated.

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Wireframe Fidelity - Part 2: High Fidelity Wireframes & Other Kinds of Wireframes_51752.aspx

Author Resource :
Pidoco.com – Interface Design, Wireframe Software, Wireframe Tools, Interface Design Software, Clickable Wireframes and GUI Prototyping Tool. A GUI Design Interface Software for Clickable wireframes! Wireframe creating and GUI prototyping tool.

Keywords : interface design, interface design software, wireframe software, GUI Prototyping Tool, wireframe tool, software prototyping, ,

Category : Computers : Software

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