Why is creating UX mockups so important for a project? To understand this, you need to thoroughly understand the user experience design system. It starts with an audit and research and ends with the implementation of a ready-made solution. One of the stages is the creation of the UX mockup mentioned earlier. What exactly is it and what role does it play in the whole process?
What is UX mockup?
A website mockup is often seen as a full-scale project or an underdeveloped version of a website or application. However, this is not true. After the research is completed, there is a stage of creating a template, making modifications and changes. Implementation is the last, crucial step that goes a long way. Its course and duration depends, of course, on the type of project the team is working on, its level of progress and the number of people involved.
The model, otherwise called a prototype, is a kind of a tool for the product improvement process. At the beginning, it is a simple template and a skeleton that is supposed to represent the elementary assumptions of the project. The initial mock-up does not present refined graphic elements — it is not aesthetics that play a key role here, but the most important functionalities of the solution — the flow of user behavior, information architecture and interactions.
The first UX mockups can be created even on a regular sheet. This is a great facilitation for UX specialists and the possibility of eliminating problems that would certainly be more difficult to solve at the final stage of activities. It would take more time, not to mention the cost.
Creating a UX mockup can quickly bring first results. It is also an excellent tool for working with the client. It enables ongoing verification of project assumptions and the involvement of the recipient at every stage. Thanks to this, it is possible elimination of communication disruptions and misunderstandingswhich at the end of the day are extremely problematic.
Types of UX mockups
There are two types of UX mockups:
Low-fi mockup
Lo-fi mockup (the. low fidelity) is a product with low resolution and detail. It is usually created in the initial design phase and is an image of the screen from a distance. These are basic, most important elements that serve as a reference point for the product team. Creating a lo-fi mockup, however, is not just about drawing a layout on paper.
To develop a preliminary outline - for this purpose, experience design programs are used, which speed up and facilitate the work on the construction of the skeleton of the site. This allows you to quickly present the project to the rest of the team and the client. There are many such tools available — it is important to choose the one that will improve communication between individual specialists and the recipient.
High-fi mockup
When the customer accepts the prototype — you can proceed to the next step, which is to improve the product. This involves, among other things, superimposing a graphic layer on the template and refining shapes, typography, colors or animations. It is a prototype hi-fi mockups (eng. høytelse), that is high-detail mockup. At this point, the team is working on aesthetic qualities. However, it should be borne in mind that this part has a huge impact on usability. Graphic help or your own preferences may not be enough. The participation of an interface designer who can demonstrate experience and knowledge in this field may be necessary. He will design a hi-fi mockup, taking into account all the most important factors.
Although the graphic designer certainly has an aesthetic sense and can adapt individual elements to each other — the UX/UI designer knows exactly what users of websites or programs need. Graphic design is only part of the iceberg when creating websites. Here it is necessary to demonstrate knowledge about the needs of users, understand all the processes that take place on the sites and have lead the client to finalize the action.
Why use UX mockups?
The use of UX mockups can bring many benefits. Which ones?
- quickly check the reaction of users to the product,
- saving money and working time of people that would be necessary to modify an untested product,
- saving the team's time, associated with accurate planning of the solution,
- Faster removal of possible errors,
- easier and more efficient estimation of costs and estimation of working time of, among others, programmers.
When do we create a UX mockup?
Creating UX mockups It is worth starting as soon as possible. The first element should be preliminary sketches on paper. Their goal is to create a prototype of the product, which will then be tested by users.
The mock-up in the interactive version, necessary for the preliminary tests, should be made only after the stage of business analysis of the projectas well as users. The latter includes the establishment of a goal, the study of target users, the creation of personas, as well as checking competing products in terms of functionality. The more elements you create before you start working on the mock-up, the more accurate it will be.
Tools useful for creating UX mockups
Flipchart
This tool allows you to create a vision, determine the main and side goals of the project. This is a very important element that allows a thorough understanding of the project and is intended to facilitate the team to reach consensus on the processes and the most important elements of the solution.
Program for creating diagrams
Before you start creating a mockup, you need to create a diagram of the path that the user will travel while using the product. The simplest programs can be used for this, such as Power Point, Miro or any other, paid or free, which allows you to sketch the next steps of action.
Program for creating information architecture
For this type of activity, use the tool from the previous point — it will help to create the initial structure of the site and the scheme of the user path. Thanks to this, it will be easier and faster in the next steps to create a target mock-up in a dedicated program.
Prototyping program
There are many different tools on the market, paid and free, which differ in functionality and complexity, for example, Figma, Axure RP, UXPin, Adobe XD. It is worth testing several and learning about their capabilities, and then choose the one that best meets the expectations of employees.
What should you keep in mind when creating a mockup?
When creating a UX mockup, it is worth having in the back of your head several aspects that can decide the success of the venture:
- display of values — specify what content and how many elements are needed to be placed on the screens,
- color scheme — the layout of the website should be color-consistent, so it is good to think about this issue. The more colors, the better. So, you should choose a closed color scale, which will facilitate the identification of individual elements,
- navigation — simple menu, footer, intuitive solutions — here you should look at the product through the eyes of the user and make it easier for him to navigate the site,
- spacing between elements Don't overdo it with the amount of graphics and content. Adequate space between elements improves readability.
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