A wireframe is a basic, skeletal blueprint of a website, app, or digital product, showing the layout, structure, and placement of elements like text, images, and buttons, but without detailed visual design (colors, fonts). It acts as a roadmap for user experience (UX) and functionality, helping teams align on structure and flow early in the design process, focusing on "what" goes "where" before diving into "how it looks".
Wireframes are crucial in the design process because they allow designers and stakeholders to focus on structure, content hierarchy, and user flow without being distracted by visual elements. They help identify usability issues early, facilitate collaboration between team members, and provide a clear foundation for developers to build upon.
There are three main types of wireframes: low-fidelity, mid-fidelity, and high-fidelity. Low-fidelity wireframes are simple sketches that outline basic layout and functionality. Mid-fidelity wireframes add more detail, such as specific content placement and interaction elements. High-fidelity wireframes are more polished and closely resemble the final product, often including actual images and text.