Un wireframe es un documento de diseño capaz de esquematizar una interfaz web y servir como herramienta de comunicación en un equipo de trabajo.
Algunas definiciones más de este concepto:
A wireframe is a visual illustration of one Web page. It is meant to show all of the items that are included on a particular page, without defining the look and feel (or graphic design). It’s simply meant to illustrate the features, content and links that need to appear on a page so that your design team can mock up a visual interface and your programmers understand the page features and how they are supposed to work. [Usability.gov]
– A static wireframe or page schematic is a single drawing of an individual page template that shows the information components, especially the navigation, that will appear on a page, in a rough form, so that navigation components can be documented and assessed. The drawing may suggest a basic visual layout, but doesn’t commit to any specific appearance.
– A dynamic wireframe is a set of cross-linked pages acting as a functional prototype of the final website without the graphical components and often with only sketchy text content (e.g. «Product description goes here.»). It is often accompanied by a tree diagram or flowchart of the website. The wireframe does not address visual design or page layout. [usabilityfirst.com]
A wireframe is a grayscale block diagram that illustrates the overall navigation and the blocks of elements such as content, functionality, etc. that will go on the screen. It does not contain pictures and doesn’t necessarily need to link to anything. It just demonstrates what elements a web page or application screen will contain and roughly where they might go—although the location can change. It does not include visual design [Julie Stanford. Boxes and Arrows]
Wireframes serve a different role: they depict how an individual page should look from an architectural perspective. Wireframes stand at the intersection of the site´s information achitecture and its visual and information design. [Peter Morville. Information Architecture]
Algunas lecturas de interés sobre wireframes:
–Stop showing your wireframes (18/01/10)
Joshua Ledwell, User Experience Manager en HP.
–What’s Wrong with Wireframes? (13/01/10)
Christina Wodtke, arquitecto de información, fundadora y presidenta de IA Institute.
–10 Completely Free Wireframe and Mockup Applications (11/01/10)
Speckyboy Design.
–The Importance Of Wireframes In Web Design And 9 Tools To Create Wireframes (15/07/09)
Onextrapixel.