Just curious really,

 

Does anyone actually plan their site structure and layout with wireframes before actually getting down to design.

 

I usually just jump straight in with the design.

Same, I think of an idea and just do it as I go

Just curious really,

 

Does anyone actually plan their site structure and layout with wireframes before actually getting down to design.

 

I usually just jump straight in with the design.

I've been "wireframing" for nearly 12 years now, and only ever once done a graphical mockup first (never again!). For me this does a lot of things:

 

1. Enables rapid prototyping - for most sites I can have the basic HTML/CSS framework in place in 1-2 hours

2. Enables me to develop around real content (text/images/video etc) so layout and presentation can be tweaked on the fly

3. Enables instant cross browse testing

4. Enables instant accessibility testing, eg resizing text up and down

5. Enables rapid tweaking, updating

 

I've never understood why designers use methods from the print industry to design web sites. The web is not print so to my mind you work in the natural medium - for print that's an image editor, for the web that's HTML/CSS.

Edited November 10, 201015 yr by BlueDreamer

I've been "wireframing" for nearly 12 years now, and only ever once done a graphical mockup first (never again!). For me this does a lot of things:

 

1. Enables rapid prototyping - for most sites I can have the basic HTML/CSS framework in place in 1-2 hours

2. Enables me to develop around real content (text/images/video etc) so layout and presentation can be tweaked on the fly

3. Enables instant cross browse testing

4. Enables instant accessibility testing, eg resizing text up and down

5. Enables rapid tweaking, updating

 

I've never understood why designers use methods from the print industry to design web sites. The web is not print so to my mind you work in the natural medium - for print that's an image editor, for the web that's HTML/CSS.

Hi BlueDreamer, on

 

Your method of wireframing sounds great. What package do you use for that. I once tried wireframing in PaintShop Pro 2 and it was quite bothersome. It would be good to know another method.

 

Thanks Kath

Just a simple HTML editor

Perhaps you are thinking of grid layouts (Google Grid layout) which are more suitable for those professional sites that are a series of blocks for news items, etc; but not so suitable for "designer" sites which need to be more fluid and dynamic.

 

Examples of grid layouts:- http://960.gs/