Wireframe

The term wireframe is used in various areas of information technology.

Terminus

Translated, the English word means something like "wire frame". The expression originally meant a very simple tailor's dummy , so to speak a three-dimensional clothes hanger in sizes such as “M” or “XXL” and with the shape “male” or “very female”.

Computer graphics

Representation of three-dimensional objects used primarily in computer-aided design . Only body edges or auxiliary lines are drawn here ( wire frame model ).

Web development

Unlike a “ mock-up ” - a visual prototype - the term wireframe is used to represent a very early conceptual draft of a website or a software front-end . The design and function do not yet play a role. The focus is on the arrangement of elements and the user guidance ( UX , user experience).

There are two types of wireframe:

• On the one hand static wireframes: This is a schematic representation of a single page template. The basic elements of the page are recorded here. A conceptual layout should be recognizable. A perfect design is not necessary.
• There are also dynamic wireframes. These consist of several pages that are interactively linked as a functional prototype. This makes it possible to navigate from one side to the other. Dynamic wireframes are often supplemented by an enclosed navigation tree or a flow chart , both of which abstract the structure and make it easier to understand.

It is therefore sufficient to display only very rudimentary graphic components, since a wireframe - be it static or dynamic - is primarily about the conception and not the design.