How To Create Wireframes in High Quality
By now, you should already be aware that there are different fidelity types when we’re talking about wireframes. What you’ve learnt previously is that lo-fidelity versions are not made to resemble the final product, but they can help to plan the user interface controls and layout. Hi-fi wireframes, on the other hand, allow you and your team to look into the final product at greater depth because they will display the user interface with details preeminently. The image below demonstrates how close a hi-fi wireframe is to the final product. With that said, now’s definitely a good time to raise the awareness on how to create wireframes and some of the capabilities and qualities of hi-fi wireframing:
The UXPin hi-fi wireframe on the left and the finished product on the right.You Don’t Need a Zillion Years to know how to Create Wireframes!
There is a misconception that hi-fi wireframes take too long to create. Well, it can, but you do not have to if you are using an interface library. Hold on, what’s an interface library?
It is simply a comprehensive library of interface controls that you can utilize with your preferred wireframing software (such as UXPin, Keynote or Omnigraffle).
With this type of library, you’ll be able to drag and drop the needed elements onto your design canvas. In fact, you’re actually saving more time when you do this as you don’t have to hand-draw wireframes. Simply put, it’s efficient, fast and produces a wireframe that has greater details in the same amount of time or less!
Want to Explain both Function and Form? Use Hi-Fi Wireframes!
It is true that many lo-fi wireframes are able to communicate function well. However, they are not too apt at communicating the form of your wireframe. This observation becomes increasingly evident in the case of mobile apps that have standardized interface components with a consistent feel and look.
Hi-fi wireframes can perform well in both aspects because they tend to resemble the standard interface components that users are familiar with. Your clients will be able to distinguish between elements due to the gradient detail, such as text fields and buttons. As you can see, both function and form are imperative to the overall user experience and reducing something like the form will impact how clients view your wireframes.
Recommended reading 4 Things No one Told Me About High – Fidelity Wireframes
Now that you’ve gained a clearer insight on what hi-fi wireframes can do for you and your clients, let’s proceed to learn how to create them with UXPin editor!
How To Create Wireframes – Upload and Style It Right
One of the best ways to upload an image into your UXPin editor is to take advantage of its drag and drop feature. Simply drag the file onto the canvas and you’re ready to go in seconds! From this point on, you can proceed to crop or style as you like. For starters, the styling options that can be tweaked include the following:
- Sharpness
- Exposure
- Vibrancy
- Saturation
- Contrast
- Brightness
How To Create Wireframes – Crop to Show Only What’s Necessary
Cropping, on the other hand, can be performed by selecting the crop tool on the right hand panel. Before selecting the area of the image that you want to retain, ensure that you’ve dragged the image to the top left corner of the editor. Once the image is in position, select the area you want to keep with the crop tool.
The editor will fill in the dimension fields for you and you just need to press the crop button to proceed. A Saving Image progress bar should appear at the top of the image, and the area that wasn’t selected will be automatically deleted. If you aren’t happy with the results of your first try, simply repeat the steps above. Or click undo arrow! Pretty straightforward really.
How To Create Wireframes – Don’t Neglect the Text Editor
That default lorem ipsum text has got to go if you want your clients to focus on the core message of your design. Although this requires you to put in extra effort, it is essential for any designer to work on the typography and copy to please the end-user.
The typography editor also allows you to edit font parameters in several seconds. You can change the font size, color and even choose from a wide selection of Google Fonts! See diagram below. Simply put, the possibilities of how you can edit your text are virtually limitless.
Want Your Wireframe to Come to Life?
To achieve this effect, you must add interactions. This is an enhancement that allows you to stimulate how your design responds to various user interactions. For instance, hovering the mouse cursor over an element or tapping and clicking on an element.
You don’t need any specific coding skills to add interactions or prepare a wireframe in UXPin. With a comprehensive toolset to work with, you’ll be able to link to external websites or other page within your wireframe with ease.
Invigorate Your Wireframes by Adding Gradients and Colors
When you think that your wireframe is almost complete, take a good look at it again. Oftentimes, you may suddenly feel that it needs a change of color or something similar. You can make quick fixes to the UI element by utilizing the UXPin Color Picker.
Apart from picking colors precisely with RBG input, HEX input and alpha slider, transparency, slider, you can also use the Color Schemes tab to facilitate quick color matching. It’s that easy! Oh and don’t forget about the Favorites Tab which saves your own custom color library.
UXPin also allows you to create gradients for UI elements such as buttons. Simply click the element, select Color: under the Style section, choose the necessary colors for the gradient effect and then select the type (linear or radial). When you’re done, simply click on the canvas again to close the Gradient Editor for that particular element.
All in all, if you are planning to transform your wireframe to a high-fidelity one, the above are some of the key tools to look out for in your UXPin editor. Go ahead and try them out and see what your creative mind can come up with. Don’t forget to have fun and happy designing!
