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Designing Beyond Static: The Art of Interactive Prototyping

2nd October 2023

Sometimes merely using words or static visuals to describe something is insufficient. Making a wireframe is the next stage once a concept for your company’s mobile app or website has taken shape. To guarantee that consumers have a flawless browsing experience, it nevertheless occasionally occurs on paper or via a dedicated tool. Interactive mockups known as prototypes are used to test the aesthetic and user experience of websites and mobile applications.

Designers and developers can demonstrate how they want something to look and function via interactive prototypes. They may test the interactions they want to use, which will aid developers in knowing what to design. Like a how-to manual for getting everything just right!

What is Interactive Prototyping?

For both websites and mobile apps, an interactive prototype provides insights about user interaction at several levels. By allowing users to evaluate design usability and feasibility before to the start of the development phase, these prototypes help eliminate unforeseen problems that may arise during project execution. It acts as a sneak peek or presentation of the final look, navigation, drop-downs, and filtering capabilities of a digital product. Because of its robustness, users may thoroughly examine the system’s features, functionality, and usability in a single package. It is similar to taking a “test-drive” before buying “the car” (i.e., creating a digital product).

What are some benefits of interactive prototypes?

  • A clickable prototype, for example, will show users and stakeholders exactly how the website or app will look and function (buttons, etc.). Interactive prototypes give users and stakeholders a good insight into the design of the application. In turn, this encourages stakeholders and users to share a common vision.
  • Early-stage project prototyping reveals design roadblocks, allowing for the identification of necessary features and maybe cost-saving opportunities. Effectively addressing problems when they arise is clearly preferable to continuing down a problematic developmental course.
  • This procedure can be streamlined, user feedback can be gathered earlier in the development process, and development times are cut.
  • Prototypes can be a powerful tool for demonstrating forward progress and communicating the next distinct step in the development of the programme. The crew becomes enthusiastic about the project’s future as a result.
  • Instead of just describing how something should look, prototypes help explain how something actually works. For instance, developers can utilise the prototype to see how a certain button or feature should operate if they want to know how it should work.

Some Popular Prototyping Tools

Figma

There are currently a lot of different options to choose from, despite the fact that it has long been a preferred pick for UX/UI design teams. Figma is used by almost four million people. It is excellent for project management, building website pages, making app prototypes, and brainstorming and mind maps. To see if it works for your needs, you can start with the free version.

InVision

Instead than being a single tool, InVision is more a collection of tools. Three tools and collaborative places are included in one membership. The first is Freehand, which is used for collaborative wireframing in real time. After that, you proceed to Studio to design screens and create interactive prototypes. Studio features a function that allows you to turn comment suggestions into tasks that can be completed. When everything is finished, use Inspect to collaborate with developers and give off designs.

WebFlow

This is an excellent tool for collaborating between designers and developers. After finishing your project on Webflow, you can download the HTML, CSS, and Javascript code (without really having to code anything). It will resemble something a developer would create exactly! Give your developer this code so you won’t have to worry about the front-end details any more.

Sketch

Sketch provides a sizeable selection of prototyping tools. You may bring your ideas to life in ways that enhance the projects you’re working on by using tools like scrolling artboards, fixed elements, and overlays.

Miro

According to user feedback, Miro’s prototyping tool streamlines the prototyping process, making it efficient, flexible, and collaborative. Additionally handily, Miro provides wireframe and prototype templates. Over 60 million people presently use Miro, so there must be some value there. Check it out for yourself without a doubt!

Our team of designers, developers, and marketers at WeAgile, a digital agency based in the UK, has extensive experience in app development, website development, and digital marketing. Reach out to us right away and let’s start to work on your brand-new, exciting digital project or campaign!

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