Online Marketing Amsterdam

Wireframes and prototyping take you from idea to interactive insight

About wireframes & prototyping

Wireframes and prototypes are the visual blueprint of your digital environment. They make ideas tangible, provide structure and help validate choices early on. Wireframes serve as the basic structure and blueprint of a website or application, laying the foundation for the further design and development process.

Whether you’re developing a website, app or portal, this phase makes abstract plans concrete. Wireframes help visualize ideas and are an essential step in developing digital products. By using wireframes and prototypes smartly, you save time, money and frustration in later phases.

What are wireframes and prototypes? A schematic explained

Wireframes are schematic representations of the structure of a page or screen. They show the structure, layout and content hierarchy, and clearly depict the various components of a page, such as buttons, text boxes and image placement. This is done without the distraction of color, fonts or style elements. Creating a wireframe is an important process for visualizing and structuring the user interface and user experience. Prototypes are interactive versions of wireframes or designs that allow users to click through a flow – perfect for testing usability and creating internal buy-in.

Wireframes and prototypes are an essential part of any UX design journey. They help improve user flows, test behavior and gain insight into how the final experience feels. When designing wireframes, diagrams can be a useful tool to clarify the structure and relationships between components. At OMA, we use wireframes and prototyping as a bridge between strategy, design and engineering.

What to expect

Low- and high-fidelity wireframes (from sketch to detail level)
Interactive prototypes in Figma or similar tools
Understanding content structure and user flow
Easy sharing of wireframes and gathering feedback through shared platforms
Collaborate as a designer with other team members on wireframes
Involve all stakeholders so that everyone is part of the review process
Feedback rounds with stakeholders or users
Documentation for development and UI design

Example applications of visual elements:

Validation of a new website structure
Interaction design for complex digital tools
Quickly gain insight into an app concept
Accelerate internal decision-making with clickable demos
User testing without having to build
Testing mobile-first or responsive designs
Preventing major modifications later in the design process

Our working method

Define purpose and scope – What do we want to provide insight or test?
Designing Wireframes – Focusing on structure and ease of use is essential when designing wireframes. Choosing intuitive tools streamlines the design process and keeps ease of use high, even for beginners. From rough draft to elaborate screens.
Build prototype – Add interaction for realistic rendering. In this step, you can easily add new elements, such as pages or product screens, to the prototype to promote collaboration and reuse.
Testing & feedback – Stakeholders or users provide input.
Optimization & transfer – After validation, ready for visual design or development. Based on the wireframes, you can then have the application developed.

What are wireframes and why are they important to the user experience?

Wireframes are the foundation of any digital design. A good plan is essential when starting a wireframe because it ensures a structured approach and makes the work more efficient. They provide clarity on the structure of pages and screens without visual distractions. This helps teams make decisions based on functionality rather than aesthetics.

Wireframes and prototypes are specifically developed and designed to support the design process. Prototypes go one step further: they mimic interaction and enable realistic testing. The different parts of the process are closely aligned, ensuring a smooth transition from wireframe to prototype. After the wireframes are completed, the next phase follows, in which the actual development and construction of the application takes place. Wireframes thereby form the basis for the design and web design, ensuring that the visual presentation matches the previously determined structure and functionality. By taking this phase seriously, you avoid costly changes in development and improve the user experience from the start.

Best tools for wireframes

Choosing the right tool for creating wireframes is an important step in any design process. The best tools not only offer the ability to create wireframes quickly and efficiently, but also support the entire process from schematic representation to visual design and interactive prototypes. Popular options such as Sketch, Adobe XD and Figma are known for their user-friendly interface and extensive functionality. These tools allow you to easily work out different versions of a layout, add graphic elements and even collaborate with other designers in real-time.

Figma, for example, is ideal for teams that want to work together on wireframes and incorporate immediate feedback. Adobe XD offers powerful capabilities for creating wireframes as well as working on interactive prototypes, while Sketch is especially popular among Mac users because of its intuitive operation and wide range of templates. When choosing the best tools, it is important to consider the needs of your project: do you mainly need quick sketches, or do you want to go straight to an elaborate visual design? Choosing the right tool will ensure that the creation of wireframes goes smoothly and the end result matches the needs of the team and the client.

Wireframes as a communication tool

Wireframes are indispensable as a communication tool within the design and development process of digital products. They give all those involved – from designers to developers to customers – a clear picture of the layout and different parts of a web page or application. Including wireframes early in the project makes it easier to collaborate on a good wireframe that forms the basis for the final design.

Wireframes help make the functionality of the product understandable, without the distraction of graphics or use of color. This makes it easier to stay focused on the structure and user experience. Designers and developers can thus make important choices together about the layout and operation of the product, minimizing later modifications. In addition, wireframes provide an excellent basis for gathering feedback from customers and stakeholders. Incorporating their input directly into the wireframe creates a product that better meets users’ needs and expectations.

Using wireframes as a communication tool ensures that the entire team is on the same page and that the design process is structured and efficient. In this way, you lay the foundation for a successful final product early on, with all parts logically connected and the user experience at the core.

Frequently asked questions about wireframes & prototyping

How much do wireframes and a prototype cost?

For a compact website or campaign page, we start at around €2,750. More complex flows or applications require customisation.

What is the difference between wireframes and a prototype?

Wireframes are static; a prototype contains interaction. Both are visual models, but the prototype approximates the experience of the final product. Wireframes are particularly useful for clarifying ideas and concepts at an early stage.

What tools do you use?

We primarily work in Figma, but can also work with Sketch, Adobe XD or Axure – depending on what the team needs. Wireframes can also be easily created with pen and paper for quick sketches.

Can I test this with users?

Yes! Interactive prototypes are an excellent way to test whether the flow is logical and where improvements are needed. We can assist with this if desired.

Reviews

Jona Bronkhorst

OMA is scherp en resultaatgericht. Ze combineren strategie, technologie en creativiteit op een no-nonsense manier, waardoor merken écht impact maken. Als freelance creatief heb ik meerdere keren met hen gewerkt aan naamontwikkeling, design, themacampagnes en employer branding. Soepel in de samenwerking en fijne club. Aanrader!

Kenzo

Wij hebben via Online Marketing Amsterdam (oma) een grote Campagne opgezet met het oog op de personeelstekorten in de Beton en Bouwsector.
Michael en Jasper denken mee en bedienen hun klanten optimaal. Door hun creativiteit en bevlogenheid starten we binnenkort met een van de grootste online campagnes op het gebied van personeelsvoorziening. Nieuw en met de allernieuwste marketing technieken.

Noelle Carr-Ellison

I am working with OMA for a multi restaurant business. These guys have really made a difference to us! I recommend wholeheartedly!

SIRIUS VISION Film Productions

Wij werken inmiddels al enkele jaren samen met Michael van Online Marketing Amsterdam en die samenwerking bevalt uitstekend. OMA is een partij die echt luistert naar wat je nodig hebt, met slimme, creatieve oplossingen komt en altijd snel en flexibel inspeelt op onze vragen.

Wat we bijzonder waarderen, is het meedenken op strategisch niveau gecombineerd met een hands-on mentaliteit. Geen standaardoplossingen, maar aanpakken die passen bij de doelstellingen en doelgroep. Dankzij hun expertise in online marketing weten ze altijd een stap extra te zetten.

Kortom: een betrouwbare partner die snapt wat er nodig is om online resultaat te behalen én dat ook waarmaakt.