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I really disagree with thinking about the interactions that late into the process. I think that, today, interactions are at the core of an application instead o

I really disagree with thinking about the interactions that late into the process. I think that, today, interactions are at the core of an application instead of just being eye-candy. Putting your wireframes in a prototyping tool allows you to quickly test and figure out if the interactions that will drive your flow are good or not. You really don't want to know this only when you're done choosing your fonts/colors and aligning everything. With the "wireframe prototype" you get a good idea of the structure and the main interactions. The mockups can give you the look of the app. The final high quality prototype is also not always super useful, and should be used, imho, as a communication tool with the clients if they need it.

woofyman 10y ago
To me, a wireframe specs out the UX and shows all possible user interactions. A mockup is a static representation of a wire frame with design added. A prototype is a working representation of a wire frame with the design added. Though the functionality may be simulated or mocked.
- aklemm 10y ago
  These are good definitions.
- Retric 10y ago
  IMO, prototype may have very different look and feel vs. the mockup. An Excel spreadsheet might be a reasonable prototype for core functionality. Demo is where you combine look and feel with core functionality. It can still be very hacky under the hood and use pre-rendered output etc. Granted, this assume complex functionality. If your reusing a common pattern like website with checkout then it's a non issue.
ThomPete 10y ago
That really depends on what kind of product/service you are talking about. Some categories exist in such abundance that one way to stand out is the create superior interaction. But it's not always necessary to be successful.
protonfish 10y ago
As much as moving the fashionable styling from the beginning of the development process to the middle is an improvement, it still should probably be at the end. My preferred lifecycle is: sketch -> wireframe -> prototype -> stylish paint job

woofyman 10y ago

To me, a wireframe specs out the UX and shows all possible user interactions. A mockup is a static representation of a wire frame with design added. A prototype is a working representation of a wire frame with the design added. Though the functionality may be simulated or mocked.

aklemm 10y ago
These are good definitions.
Retric 10y ago
IMO, prototype may have very different look and feel vs. the mockup. An Excel spreadsheet might be a reasonable prototype for core functionality. Demo is where you combine look and feel with core functionality. It can still be very hacky under the hood and use pre-rendered output etc. Granted, this assume complex functionality. If your reusing a common pattern like website with checkout then it's a non issue.

ThomPete 10y ago

That really depends on what kind of product/service you are talking about. Some categories exist in such abundance that one way to stand out is the create superior interaction. But it's not always necessary to be successful.

protonfish 10y ago

As much as moving the fashionable styling from the beginning of the development process to the middle is an improvement, it still should probably be at the end. My preferred lifecycle is: sketch -> wireframe -> prototype -> stylish paint job