Prototypes and mockups can vary from every coarse-grained, fuzzy layouts of the general page requirements done on paper (low-fidelity), to fine-grained, highly elaborate, and polished digital versions of the web site (high-fidelity).
This range provides the designer with levels of refinement useful for testing and exploring varying details of a given design. For instance, early paper mockups may be used to gather feedback on the basic functionality or visual layout in a quick and efficient way.
In contrast, fine-grained prototyping methods may be used to gather detailed information on the processes involved in traversing several pages, or a subset of tasks.
The general rule, then, is that low-fidelity mockups are useful for discovering larger problems and are more suited for the early stages of design, whereas high-fidelity mockups are more useful for refining the details of the design and are thus more effective in the later stages.
It’s usually good to invest in several low-fidelity mockups early on, and use a high-fidelity mockup or prototype in the latter stages. However, don’t be afraid to mix both types at different times, as they reveal different types of problems.
Mockups
Mockups are primarily single-page, static representations of the design space. They are used to refine the visual design and facilitate communication among the design team (i.e., designers, users, and clients).
Mockups focus on the look and feel of the design while attempting to tackle the more complex page layout problems that might be encountered in a web page. In addition, mockups can be used for user testing.
Simple user testing can reveal whether users understand the basic page structure or whether they find icons or button labels straightforward and intuitive.
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