Productivity is the name of the game or any development project. Efficiency means creating a quality end product in a timely manner to maximize your profit, your team’s reputation, and your client’s satisfaction. Using a wireframe tool helps clean up the development process and create a productive work environment. Here’s why.
Wireframing Creates A Solid Framework For Your Project
Any effective process begins with a roadmap that details the basic foundations of the process. Wireframing gives your team a “skeleton” to build on, ensuring that everyone is on the same page concerning the details of the project.
When your team has a foundation to work on, productivity goes up. There are no problems with team members scrambling to acquire details and project requirements, or an idea of what the final project should look like.
Many wireframe tools allow for easy collaboration by saving projects on a dedicated cloud server. That way, you can save time on sending lengthy chain emails or passing around flash drives. All of the project’s information is located on a single server, which everyone can easily access.
Wireframing Addresses Design Issues Early On
Nothing is more counterproductive than going back and attempting to fix an issue after the project has been completed. Wireframing makes errors more easily identifiable early on in the design process, and thus much more time efficient to address.
The wireframe tool will allow your team to focus on the architecture and organization of your development project before the aesthetics of it. Aesthetics should be a priority in your design process, but not before the basics are addressed.
Be sure that your website or app navigates well in the wireframe. Take a second look at how ideas are organized and where key elements (such as a navigation bar) are located.
Client Needs Are Met And Updated In Real Time
The end goal for your development project is to create a quality product that your client will be absolutely satisfied with. By using wireframe tools, you can keep your client updated on the design of the project, and apply their changes in real time.
A client’s suggested changes can sometimes arrive and inopportune times (like at the end of a website’s development, when the client decides the entire layout is unacceptable). The wireframing process allows you to gather client feedback early on, finalizing the design and architecture before any graphics or final touches are added.
Team Members Are In Sync
Getting a room full of developers on the same page can be a daunting task, but wireframing can help ease the process. The wireframe will allow each team member to collaborate and share the project via cloud storage.
Keeping your team in sync throughout the development process can ensure that deadlines and quality requirements are met. Remember that communication is key in any team project. Share your ideas and changes in the wireframe, and let the team know of any client requests or edits.
Interactive Design Process
A wireframe tool can make the design process interactive, which is great for visualizing the final design. You can arrange elements and edit in real time while receiving feedback from project managers and clients.
Through interactive design, you can minimize costly or time-consuming mistakes and streamline the design process for maximum efficiency. The profitability of a project depends on the time scale of the project and the productivity of your team. The interactive design addresses both of these and provides an effective solution.
It A Wireframe Really Necessary?
Any building project starts with a basic blueprint. A map that reflects the final product and how the outcome will be achieved. When you start your development project with a sketch and a wireframe, you’re setting the course for success.
Without a plan in place, resources cannot be allocated properly and team members do not interact efficiently. When asking whether a wireframe is truly necessary for your project, keep a few questions in mind:
- Do my team members struggle to synchronize during development projects?
- Does my team’s design process often include errors that need to be addressed later on?
- Is the client an active part of the design process?
- Do my design processes often veer off course or end up in distraction?
- Is my design process cost-efficient and effective at meeting deadlines?
A wireframe can help address each of these issues and provide your team with a sustainable resource that can be used again and again.
Choose The Right Tool
Using the right wireframe tool can make a big difference in the success of your wireframing. Most tools contain the basics; cloud storage and sharing, an interactive interface, and the ability to integrate with other design software.
The wireframe tool you choose for your development project should at least contain these elements. When you decide on a tool, you should also consider the following:
- Your level of comfort or understanding of wireframe software. You may need a simpler program if you’ve never used a wireframe before.
- Your team’s level of comfort and the amount of collaboration your project will require.
- Your budget
- The objectives of the project and what sister software you’ll be using to complete the project.
Take your time and research different tools to ensure you’re choosing the best one to suit the team’s needs and budget. Once you’ve chosen a tool, be sure everyone is up to date and familiar with the interface, and then you can start designing.
