How To Create Mobile App Wireframes (7 Easy Steps)

What Are Mobile App Wireframes

An app wireframe is a blueprint or structure that shows the basic structure or flow of the app. Moreover, this also shows the life cycle of the application and how the mobile application wireframe is designed in the beginning. Not only that, it easily navigates while highlighting key screens and core objectives as well, before starting the development. What more can you ask for when initially you are given the structure of the whole application flow and help users know what they should be expecting from the product without getting distracted by the colors, fonts, logos, and images? You can take an example of a house as a blueprint with the essential components or elements such as rooms, doors, wiring, and more, but do not consider furniture and other essentials in it.

Now that you are aware of wireframes, let's move on to the precautions that you must follow, so that you make streamlined wireframes that help in designing the vision and goals of an app clearly.

Steps Involved In The Wireframing Process Of A Mobile App

Here are the steps involved that answers your question on how to make wireframes? Read on to make sure you don’t face any complexity:

Step #01: Learn The Users’ Top Priorities

To ensure what your users are looking for in the app, you must research the whole market. It is essential to take user interviews and small Q&As so you know what matters the most to your audience.

When it comes to mobile design, people often choose to go for the short and simple, which generally ranks high with the majority.

Example:

If you are building a workout class booking app, then you don't have to guess what users want. You can simply have a quick chat with your customers or real people that reveals something important that could be part of the app wireframe.

Step #02: Map a Lean, Mobile-Friendly User Flow

Since making a wireframe can become a complex job because it offers juggling screen limits, therefore, adding extra features in the app can be a bad idea. Outlining a step-by-step flow can help you work on the important or nice-to-have features in the app that would not clutter the small screen.

Example:

In simple words, fewer steps mean less load on the screen when every pixel counts. For example, take the example of the login screen that is password protected. Make a landing page with two options for signing up for new users and logging in for the existing user, next connect each screen with the consecutive one.

Sign Up:

You must add a screen that requires all the basic information of the users, including full name, email, password, and more. In the next screen, the provided information needs to be verified. Once it is verified, there comes the welcome screen.

Log in (for existing users):

The screen appears when users select the option “Log in,” followed by a continual screen that requires a username and password. Users can also save passwords to prevent adding login information for frequent logins.

If you are making a wireframe an app, the minimal sequence or flow could be:

Home → Filter/Refine → Class Details → Checkout → Confirmation

Once the user is logged in, they land on the homepage, where they are provided with several options for the offerings. If the user selects “Filter/Refine” options, then it goes to the next screen, where they are offered exercises or classes that they want to enroll in. Forwarded by that, by making a selection from those options, users will be prompted to select the class timing they want to take the class at. And make their order confirmation in the next screen while checking out.

Step #03: Sketch Without Worrying About Perfection

This is not the end of the wireframe design for your mobile app, but it's just the beginning. In this stage, you, as a designer, just place everything on the small screen that is essential to captivate users. Release the sketch (whether on paper, whiteboard, or in the back of the receipt). This will help you explore the layout options and involve users as early as possible to get their feedback without wasting your time polishing your work.

As an exceptional designer, you must focus on clarity rather than the designs and aesthetics of the app.

• Where does the main CTA live?
• Is it reachable with a thumb?
• Is the most important info visible without scrolling?

When the screen is small and limited, the button placement on the screen is important because every action should be in front of the user's eyes and obvious. For the very first interaction with the app, speed is everything. Show your expertise as well; don’t just hang on to the requirements.

Step #04: Move To Low-Fidelity Wireframes That Match Mobile Standards

Once the flow is confirmed and users are satisfied with the design, it's time to bring it to life. Like many users, if you have trouble with this step you can contact us, as we will help you quickly to sketch out basic navigation, tap zones, spacing, and much more. Also, ensure your wireframe for the app is your design safety net that catches layout issues early, fixes them efficiently, and keeps your game strong.

iOS vs. Android: If you are choosing the iOS platform, then you must consider the standard tab bar or iOS design that is “swipe from left” to go back. Also, if you are making an app wireframe for Android, then go for bottom navigation or a hamburger menu that might feel more natural.

Hand Positioning: Many phones of the modern era are quite tall, so placing the primary options would affect the user. Like “book now” near the bottom aids that reaches users thumb effortlessly and particularly in one-handed use.

Start your wireframe by creating it to match the standard smartphone dimensions, like an iPhone or Google Pixel, to stay within the real-world digital boundaries. You can make it happen by picking the templates, UI controls, and the ability to import your images and icons.

Step #05: Start Plugging in Real Copy and Data

Placeholders in the layout can make or break the whole user experience. In mobile apps “too many words” that are awkwardly placed can affect the number of users going through the wireframe.

Example:

Going back to the example of the class-booking app, while booking a class for yoga, one field containing the placeholder “Power Yoga: 4:00 AM – 4:45 AM” will be fine according to the layout of your app, but “Advanced HIIT: 45-Min, High-Intensity Training for Experienced Athletes” can break the layout.

Step #06: Optimize for Various Phone Sizes and Orientations

To design for a specific and popular mobile device, a quick check on smaller and older screens must be made. Moreover, if you are planning to support both the portrait and landscape modes, ensure your wireframe adjusts seamlessly. Most of the time, restacking of the columns is important, as well as hiding of the secondary column behind the panel that is collapsed. For example, an MVP that looks great on the iPhone screen might collapse on the smaller Android device.

Step #07: Test, Iterate, and Listen to Feedback

It is important to test and get feedback on what you have designed; therefore, to get honest feedback and review, show the clickable wireframe to your team members as well as small groups of users and stakeholders. This process can be done casually via a Zoom meeting or Slack. Thereby, if any change is required, rapid iterations matter a lot.

Also, ensure the terminologies that the main menu options contain are clearly understood by the users and don’t confuse them. If so, then you are still on the wireframe stage, and changes are easy to do. Not only that, even a big layout change can take place, but it should only cost a few minutes and not days to record.

Importance Of Mobile App Wireframing

Mobile wireframes offer a clear and efficient picture of how end-users will interact with the app. The wireframes ensure it works efficiently in solving problems for customers and lay the groundwork for a project to be successful.

It is the initial stage of the development process that identifies future steps. Here are some of the reasons that proves the importance of creating mobile app wireframe.

1. Visual Blueprint of the App

Wireframes act as a visual blueprint that clearly conveys the vision and goals of the app to project all the members involved which are; the development team, investors and stakeholders. This clarity helps secure funding and ensures that everyone involved is on the same page as that makes a clear picture of the applications goals and visions.

By giving details about the different screen functions and app features, wireframes make it easier to understand the structure, hierarchy and flow. It is important because it brings your vision to life by transforming abstract ideas into an organized plan for development.

2. Faster Iterations

Wireframe designs enable the development team to work iteratively and makes user testing easier while making the large and complex development process more manageable by breaking it into smaller tasks. In the early stages, these mobile phone wireframes make it easier for developers to make quick adjustments, which are mostly based on user or client feedback, and help speed up the refinement of app features and functions.

3. Facilitates Collaboration

App wireframes facilitate easy collaboration between different teams which includes content creation, UX/UI design, testing and more just by providing a solid foundation for future design steps. A well-designed wireframe makes the creation of visuals much easier while clear communication ensures that all team members contribute effectively while resulting in a well-thought-out app design.

4. Saves Time and Money

Making an app wireframe saves significant development costs and time also the efforts that are put in while the development of the app. By identifying flaws of an app and pain points of the users as early as possible in the design process makes it much easier and less costly to fix issues on paper than once developed. A clear wireframe also improves understanding between the team and helps streamline the app timeline.

5. Prevents Mistakes

Mobile application wireframes help avoid mistakes by providing a clear picture of the app’s content and functionalities which minimizes the risk of miscommunication between the team and with the clients as well. With everything clearly outlined in wireframes, everybody that is involved in the development easily understands the project requirements and addresses potential issues early in this process.

With the help of this ultimate guideline, now you know wireframing is important and why top app development companies like Appingine follow this extra step before starting the development so that they can provide the scalable and streamlined application from which the users or the clients can get the most out of.

Final Thoughts

Creation of a mobile app wireframe at the top mobile app development company, is an essential step that lays the foundation for a successful and user-friendly application. Wireframes serve as a clear blueprint and structure that brings all the members involved while developing an app on one page. By entertaining collaborative approaches among diverse teams as well as stakeholders, it enables faster iterations and deliverables by simplifying complex development processes.

Moreover, by identifying flaws, errors, and changes in the requirements along with the user pain points in the early stage, wireframing not only saves valuable time and costs but also helps prevent extra efforts that are put in while developing the app and miscommunication between the team.

Ultimately, investing effort into thoughtful wireframing ensures streamlined and efficient functionality and a well-designed app. In other words, this stage that is followed before designing the app sets the stage for a smooth development of an app and a product that truly meets the user's and clients' needs and requirements. If you also want to get your app wireframed in Austin, Dallas, Seattle, or wherever in the US, we are here.