Hi,
Perhaps wireframes make more sense if you think of them as blueprints, or perhaps a sketch in the design process. I often use pencil sketches complete with color void of content when laying out a new site. I also use this approach with colored div's with just a text description of intended content, following the advice of Russ Weakley, when laying out a css design.
W
On Friday, August 6, 2004, at 11:14 AM, Beau Lebens wrote:
Nancy,
Wireframe more often is used to refer to outlined page designs. I.e. a very
rough idea of what a page design will look like, normally just black outline
boxes, no colour, no real text, no nothing :)
They are a way to start visualising the design of a page and how all the
elements will fit together, but are by no means a final design.
HTH
Beau
// -----Original Message-----
// From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
// [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Nancy Johnson
// Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 3:37 AM
// To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
// Subject: RE: [WSG] Are wireframes necessary when using web standards?
//
//
// Showing my ignorance:
//
// Don't wireframes show flow only? Like the map view in
// Dreamweaver? Or is it an actual possible design one creates
// often in Photoshop, though this article indicated Freehand.
//
// Nancy
//
// -----Original Message-----
// From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
// [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Andy Budd
// Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 5:19 AM
// To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
// Subject: Re: [WSG] Are wireframes necessary when using web standards?
//
// Ian Fenn wrote:
//
// > My client wanted something to show internal stakeholders
// so I started
// > doing a few wireframes but suddenly wondered, "Why am I
// doing this?
// > Why don't I just build the website using web standards?"
// >
// > A day later I finished a working prototype of the website
// in question.
//
// > The client is happy but another producer has been quite
// vocal with his
//
// > opinion that the prototype was built too early.
// >
// > From my perspective, a prototype has more value than
// wireframes. Web
// > standards make development much more rapid, so we can
// respond quickly
// > to any other needs thrown up before going into production.
// >
// > What do you think?
//
// Here's my take.
//
// I think wireframes are a great first step in developing a
// site with a
// complex user flow. I'll often literally just sketch them on
// paper. They
// take no time at all and are very easy to change. Because they are
// rough, people don't get too attached to them as well, which
// is a bonus.
//
// If I'm creating slightly more polished wireframes I'll do them in
// Freehand. I've all the widgets and templates created, so I
// can knock a
// batch of wireframes up very quickly. I can annotate them myself with
// instructions or print them out and have people scribble on them with
// suggestions. All very useful.
//
// I can then hand them over to the client and they can sign
// each one off.
// This forces the client to understand and take responsibility
// for each
// wireframe and the signed off wireframes become part of our project
// spec.
//
// HTML prototypes can be extremely useful as they give you and
// the client
// a real understanding of the user flow. It's fine looking through a
// batch of wireframes, but nothing gives you the feel of a
// website like,
// er, a website.
//
// However I think you have to be a particularly gifted developer to be
// able to knock up a half descent HTML template in anything
// near the time
// it takes to create one in Freehand (or the graphics package of your
// choice).
//
// Also for the HTML template to be as flexible as it's paper
// equivalent
// you really do need some mechanism for adding
// notes/instructions (like a
// div that you can toggle on and off) and allowing the client
// to comment
// and sign them off. Obviously as they are HTML there is no
// way you can
// really include them in your spec.
//
// The other big issue is that people get very protective of
// their 'code'.
// I could see it being very tempting not to change something on a
// wireframe because it's a 'hassle' rather than for any strategic
// reasons. also their is the temptation to try and cut corners
// and turn
// your prototype into the real thing. Never a good idea in my
// book, as,
// by definition, a prototype is a rough, rushed version of what you
// actually want to build.
//
// My position them would be to always wireframe and to build
// prototypes
// when you have the time/budget.
//
// Andy Budd
//
// http://www.message.uk.com/
//
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****************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/
Proud presenters of Web Essentials 04 http://we04.com/ Web standards, accessibility, inspiration, knowledge To be held in Sydney, September 30 and October 1, 2004
See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help ******************************************************
****************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/
Proud presenters of Web Essentials 04 http://we04.com/ Web standards, accessibility, inspiration, knowledge To be held in Sydney, September 30 and October 1, 2004
See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help ******************************************************
