A wireframe is a two-dimensional layout or structure of the app or website interface. It contains the content and functions of an app or website. But for today, we’re going to tell you how to create an iPhone wireframe to ensure a smooth user journey.
Gain four takeaways from this article:
- What is an iPhone Wireframe
- Benefits of Creating iPhone Wireframes
- 7 Steps to Creating an iPhone Wireframe
- iPhone Wireframe Example
What is an iPhone Wireframe?
In a nutshell, an iPhone wireframe is a visual structure of how a mobile application’s interface looks. It shows the various parts of all the app’s pages. Each page of the app corresponds to a specific wireframe, which offers:
- Layout content
- Hierarchy
- Page functionality
- App features
- The transition between the app pages
- Space distribution
- Number of app pages
In general, a wireframe shows how an app or website works. It acts as a visual guide for the app owner and app developer before creating the actual app design. That being said, it’s understood that iPhone wireframes mustn’t contain colors or graphics as this is only the app’s “skeleton.”
This means the wireframe won’t contain the app’s logos, graphic design, or fonts. It’s mostly in light or dark grey colors, with occasional blue and red colors that indicate warnings and suggestions.
An iPhone wireframe may contain search fields, key buttons and elements, menu bars, and more. And one must be able to tell how to navigate throughout the app’s pages via the different wireframes. The overall purpose of creating a wireframe first is to guide the app developer on how cohesive or complete the design is before integrating visuals and actual functions or buttons.
Benefits of Creating iPhone Wireframes
App developers have an initial anticipated process and expectations for app creation. However, it’s hard to put two and two together because users have different experiences and journeys when navigating through your app. And that’s why creating an iPhone wireframe is essential. Here’s why.
1. Gives a better understanding of your app
You can think of all the useful features for your app. But if you can’t visualize the app navigation, those features will be of no good. An iPhone wireframe will help you figure out how to increase user satisfaction. Creating wireframes means you can virtually or manually (if you’re sketching the wireframe) explore the pages, which is a massive step in the development procedure.
2. Lets you cater to users’ needs
Your mobile app must be enticing enough for users to download. One of the few elements of mobile app creation is user-friendliness. Users must be able to go through the app with ease and navigability. That said, visualizing the app through wireframes can make you comprehend how users may interact with your app. This way, come launching date, you’ll know users will enjoy the app as expected, eliminating minor errors and miscalculations.
3. Saves you time and money
Imagine proceeding to the app creation process with complete functions, menu buttons, and graphics. And in the middle of app navigation, you forget one crucial page or button. This means you’ll have to revise, re-code, or re-program the app whenever you find something erroneous. Creating iPhone wireframes before the actual app design saves time and money because you foresee early inaccuracies and optimize every page according to the user journey.
7 Steps to Creating an iPhone Wireframe
Here are the steps you can take to ensure your iPhone wireframe is up to par:
1. Identify user journey
Each user flow or journey might be different and non-linear. Users may go to various pages on your app before completing a task. Identify your target users and create diagrams on how they will maneuver through your app.
2. Determine basic app elements
You want to know how users interact with your app, and you can do this by determining fundamental app elements. Before you can jot down the elements, you need to sketch the user interaction flow. For instance, what page welcomes users, steps in completing the tasks, and how they choose to end the app usage. You need to be creative and flexible during this stage, so doing manual diagrams is advisable.
3. Develop a mobile frame
Building a mobile frame lets you see the wireframe screens that users navigate through. A mobile frame also lets you mimic a prototype approximately. In this case, we’re choosing an iPhone mobile device and interface.
4. Decide on hierarchy
Decide on your layout content. This doesn’t mean including the content itself, but the layout wherein hierarchy is prioritized. You must build content boxes in various sizes and order to do this. The bigger boxes should contain essential information down to the smaller boxes for the least necessary information.
5. Use familiar design patterns
An app or website interface provides familiar design patterns to users. Users know that the main menu is always at the top, followed by the heading, call to action, so on and so forth. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel, as this might confuse users. An iPhone wireframe should stick to familiar iOS interface patterns as well.
Moreover, you may also need to add or eliminate pages in between pages. So it’s best to put reference numbers on each app page.
6. Add an initial copy
The next step is to add most of the copy to your wireframes. Whether you’re creating the wireframe manually or digitally, adding the copy where it belongs lets you see if it’s suitable to the page or interface.
7. Test the wireframes
This only works if you’re creating digital iPhone wireframes. So you need to test how the pages interact with other pages by using a tool that lets you link some pages and make them clickable. Once you’re happy with how the pages interact, you can create a prototype.
