Pavel Shulga
Protopics by right can be called the second stage site creation. The first is the very idea that there is a web resource to be. Often this important stage is passed, considering it an unnecessary step on the path to obtaining a finished result. But we strongly recommend not only not to ignore the need to prepare a prototype of the future site, but also to give it increased attention.
Content:
What is a website prototype
Site prototype is a layout, in which all is drawn structure of the future web resource, and also sketched design. The prototyping can be compared to creating a sketch by an artist before he begins to draw directly.
Prototype the same important for both the performer and the customer. Regardless of which one you belong to, be sure to ensure that it necessarily precedes the start of work on the creation of the site. This is the only way to avoid misunderstanding, which ultimately results in a serious conflict and demands for refinement. All this increases the time for obtaining a finished resource, financial costs and generally spoils the relationship between the customer and the contractor.
How strange it is, most often problems arise not with some complicated nuances, but with the simplest, in the opinion of one of the parties, things. What the customer can take for granted will not necessarily be such for the performer. Most likely he is not a specialist in the business direction of his client and has every right not to guess what is so accepted in this area. It is useless to try to decide who is right in this case, who is to blame. But in the end everyone will lose.
All this can be avoided if at the preliminary stage you spend very little time preparing the prototype and approve all the features of the future site in advance. As a result, the customer will make sure that he understands for sure and all his wishes are taken into account, and the contractor will be able to understand what and how it should end up.
The presence of a prototype makes life easier also by ensuring clarity in verifying the work performed. So, you can always point out the flaw in what was indicated earlier. Or, on the contrary, the artist has the opportunity to refer to the prototype if the customer suddenly decided that the site does not look as it intended. Everything is taken into account and recorded. As a result - no problems and conflicts.
As a bonus…
Using the prototype site you can get another serious advantage. Already at the preliminary stage you will learn about new interesting chips or, conversely, make sure that any element does not fit into the general concept of the resource. At the time of preparation of the prototype, adjustments will not cost you anything, while making changes to the finished site can take a lot of time and money.
Site Prototype Development Tools
Prototypes are different both in appearance and in functionality and capabilities. Let's figure out how to create it and find out if it is possible to draw a prototype site online, what you need to know for its drawing and which tools are more convenient to use in a particular case.
1. Marker board and paper sheet: fast, simple, cheap
Yes, even album sheet paper and 10-15 minutes of your time may be enough to solve a lot of serious problems in the future. If your arsenal has a marker board, then the process of creating a prototype site will be even more convenient.
A “paper” sketch or layout of a site on a board may well be the first step on the path to a full-fledged interactive prototype that will be developed on its basis by professionals. Often, at a preliminary personal meeting with customers, specialists use this particular solution to approve the first agreements as an example of a prototype site.
2. Professional design programs
The site design prototype can be created in any specialized design program, for example, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Visio, Sketch, etc. This is a great tool for sketching the future resource, which allows you to work out each element to the smallest details.
Despite all the advantages of this prototype method, you should not make hasty conclusions and run to install one of the software design tools. It a good solution for those professionals who are well versed in design. To draw a high-quality layout without sufficient theoretical and practical baggage in this case will definitely not work.
Programs to create design stand cheaply, which also makes them completely inappropriate in cases where you want to create a prototype site exclusively for yourself.
The minuses of this method can also be attributed lack of parallel work several specialists working on the project.
If you, as a customer, still agree to this option of developing a prototype site, keep in mind that the price of the artist’s services is likely to be quite high. After all, even the most insignificant changes in any of these programs will require a lot of time on the part of the designer.
3. Online Prototype Services: Affordable Interactivity
How to make a prototype site, while avoiding the shortcomings of the two previous methods? Take advantage of online service, designed specifically for these purposes. This is perhaps, the best option for the performer and the team working on creating the resource, and for the customer, who can at any time track the process of executing the order and inform in advance that not everything suits him.
Consider several popular services used to develop a prototype site design online.
- Figma.com
Convenient, easy for beginners service, which allows not only to independently create a layout of the future site from scratch, but also use numerous templates added by developers and other users. Both the web version and the application on the smartphone are available. There are many interesting design options that suitable for sites of various orientations.
A free version of Figma allows you to create a 3 project, and the change history will be stored for 30 days. It is possible to add two editors to the project. In addition, the number of viewers is not limited.
If you plan to develop your own site, pay attention to this service, perhaps it will fully realize your task in preparing a prototype site.
- Wireframe.cc
Convenient, simple service that even a very distant user from design can immediately master. There are no incomprehensible functions and techniques. Work is done using a regular computer mouse. Uncomplicated elements are used that are necessary when creating sites.
Service resembles the same magnetic board. The difference is only in greater convenience, lack of a marker and the ability to add other users who can make edits to the developed prototype page of the site. The cost of subscribing will depend on the number of participants involved in the process.
- Draftium.com
This is a real constructor that allows you to create a prototype of even a complex and large site.
For the extended paid version of the Draftium, developers have prepared more than 300 finished layouts, of which even the most sophisticated users are likely to choose the best for their resource. Those who wish to get a completely unique project can use separate blocks.
When creating a prototype for your resource, try to limit yourself to the free version of the Draftium, within which 50 template solutions are available, the ability to develop up to 3 projects and make an unlimited number of edits.
- Justinmind.com
This is an already more serious prototyping tool in terms of complexity and capabilities, which is often use professional designers and developers. This is a program that can be downloaded both on Windows and on MacOS.
Despite the apparent complexity, non-specialists can usually cope with the functionality of the service. For this, a lot of tips are provided here.
- Marvelapp.com
A multifunctional service for specialists in the field of design and design, which allows you to create even very complex prototypes with interactive elements. This product was originally created for professional design teams as the main tool for prototyping. With it you can create project of any focus and complexity, receiving completely unique projects for further development of sites at the exit.
There are several paid package offers that are easy to understand. In fact, they have one main difference - the number of participants in the design team. Otherwise, the difference is not significant.
There is also a free version, within which you can create no more than 1 project, while there is no opportunity to add users.
Conclusions
We hope that now you know for sure that without the presence of a “escise” it is impossible to begin work on creating a resource or at least short-sighted. You risk delaying the process, getting at the exit not at all what was planned, spending money and nerves.
The prototype is necessary not only for the contractor in order to understand as accurately as possible what the client expects to see, and to be able to indicate the previously approved layout in case of dissatisfaction. Customer prepareda rototype of each page of the future site will help:
- see how his resource will look and think through everything to the smallest detail in advance;
- monitor the process and the compliance of the project result;
- reduce time and financial costs.
Now you know how to choose a service to properly create a prototype site and deprive yourself of a lot of problems. To decide finally, try working with a free test version of each of them and find the most suitable solution for you. But even by stopping at the simplest and most understandable option - a project on paper, you can avoid many troubles and figure out what and what the future site will look like.
And you already had experience creating a prototype site and, if so, what method did you use?
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