A prototype of a website is basically a site demo demonstrates how the actual website will feel, look, and operate. Not many business owners pay attention to the creation of the website prototype. This is indeed the most critical aspect of the website development process. It lays the foundation of the website.
Why is the website prototyping needed?
Prototypes are seen to be great ways to plan, experiment and try out new design ideas. They are the most important tools for discussion that is used by clients and web designers. A website prototype helps in making critical design changes prior to the development of the full website. It is an important tool designed for usability testing.
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Features of a prototyping tool
There are several software applications available in the market that will undertake the task related to prototyping, wire framing, interaction design, visual design, previewing, and distributing. It does it by bringing the much-needed tools at one place that is required to experience design in one single solution.
What is the prototype procedure?
Some of the web designers wish to begin the prototyping process with the help of Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop. This helps in the creation of an entire range of full colored page layouts. It is an affordable and faster point to begin.
A few thumbnail and wire frame ideas can be made in just a couple of minutes. Rough sketches serve as an ideal visual aid at the time of discussing the web design project with clients.
The next level is to digitize the website design as a wire frame demonstration. There are some tools that are specifically created for wire frame-based website designs. It can even use common graphics programs like OmniGraffle, and apps like iMockups.
The next step of this process is to form an interactive form of prototype. It can be a web-based framework like Foundation or Bootstrap. You can find various types of prototyping tools that can assist you in adding animations to your created prototype.
Usability testing
A website prototype with workable links, animations and transitions is seen to be an ideal tool to perform usability testing. Here the target audience of the website can try the website design. Without any usability testing, you will find that after one or two months of website going live, users do not appreciate inferior quality UX design.
What would be price of prototyping?
The major drawback of website prototyping is that it requires time prior to the actual development of the website. This can increase the price of the website design project.
Prototype development has to be included in the website pricing quotation, with a workable demonstration of the site that is made available to the client at the time of the website development. Anticipating issues at the website prototyping level is comparatively affordable than performing large modifications once a website is live.
Conclusion
Prototyping is an essential need before the final layout of the website design is made. A lot of experimentation and trial and error is performed at this phase that helps you come with the actual design.
