Catalog
method#Product#Delivery#Software Engineering

Wireframing

A compact method for early structuring of user interfaces, focusing on layout, information hierarchy and interaction flow without visual design detail.

Wireframing is a low-fidelity design method for structuring user interfaces and flows early in the product lifecycle.
Established
Medium

Classification

  • Medium
  • Organizational
  • Design
  • Intermediate

Technical context

Design tools (e.g. Figma, Sketch)Confluence / note systems for documentationPrototyping tools for testing

Principles & goals

Focus on function before visualsRapid iteration and feedback loopsClear separation of content, structure and presentation
Discovery
Domain, Team

Use cases & scenarios

Compromises

  • Confusion with final design causing misunderstandings
  • Premature fixation may restrict innovation
  • Insufficient user involvement leads to wrong assumptions
  • Start with low fidelity and increase only when needed.
  • Add clear annotations for interactions and edge cases.
  • Use early user tests for validation.

I/O & resources

  • Product vision or goals
  • User / task analyses
  • Stakeholder and business requirements
  • Low-fidelity wireframes or sketches
  • Aligned interaction flows
  • Basis for prototyping and estimations

Description

Wireframing is a low-fidelity design method for structuring user interfaces and flows early in the product lifecycle. It helps teams visualise layout, hierarchy and interactions without visual design detail, enabling rapid iteration, stakeholder feedback and alignment on functionality before development resources are committed. It is widely used across product, UX and development teams to reduce risk and clarify requirements.

✔

  • Fast validation of concepts
  • Reduced risk before investing in UI design
  • Improved stakeholder and team alignment

✖

  • Limited relevance for visual branding issues
  • Not suitable to represent dynamic states in detail
  • Requires complementary testing for usability finesse

  • Time to first alignment

    Time from requirement to an aligned wireframe; measures efficiency.

  • Number of iterative versions before development

    Indicates degree of iteration and preparation before implementation.

  • Reduction of clarification requests in development

    Measures how well wireframes clarify requirements and reduce technical ambiguities.

Homepage prototype

Team creates wireframes for the homepage to discuss information hierarchy.

Checkout flow simplification

Wireframes helped identify and remove unnecessary steps.

Admin panel restructuring

Low-fidelity wireframes enabled quick alignment between product and backend.

1

Define goals and user tasks.

2

Roughly sketch core screens and navigation.

3

Conduct stakeholder review and prioritise.

4

Iterate based on tests and feedback.

5

Handover to UI design and development with clear notes.

⚠️ Technical debt & bottlenecks

  • Incomplete documentation leads to implementation divergences.
  • Unresolved technical assumptions require rework later.
  • Missing component naming hinders reuse.
Unclear requirementsLack of user involvementOverly detailed early specification
  • Wireframe replaces usability testing entirely.
  • Wireframes assumed feasible without technical review.
  • Making design decisions based solely on personal preferences.
  • Stakeholders interpret wireframes as finished layout.
  • Premature commitment to one solution without exploration.
  • Little or no user input during iterations.
Basic UX and information architecture knowledgeCommunication skills for stakeholder workshopsAbility to rapidly visualise ideas
Early validation of user flowsClear definition of interaction pointsMinimization of unnecessary complexity
  • • Time constraints for iterations
  • • Availability of stakeholders
  • • Tool or platform limitations