If you are involved in the web for business, many of you may be using mockups.
A mockup is a “sample” that embodies the initial design of a product when creating and developing a website or application. It is used to create shapes and grasp designs so that it is easy to visualize the actual finished product. Recently, many free tools have been released, making it easy for anyone to create one.
In this article, we will explain the overview of mockups, the benefits of creating mockups, precautions and points when creating mockups, and free tools. If you are planning to create a website or be involved in its renewal, please try using mockups.
What is a mockup?
First, I will explain the meaning and overview of mockups.
A mockup is a model that embodies the initial design of a product.
Mock-up means “actual model” in Japanese, and refers to a model that embodies the initial design of a product in places such as website creation and application development.
Design and composition are extremely important when creating a website or application. As you get closer to completion, you may find that you end up with a different result than you expected and need to start over. This is not only an issue for individuals, but also when working collaboratively with clients and internal teams. This is because if the design or composition differs from expectations, it may cause inconvenience to many people. In order to avoid such risks, it is important to create a mockup to share an image of the finished product and proceed with the project based on that.
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of free mockup creation tools available, making them easier to use. Although it depends on the tool, it is very convenient because multiple people can collaborate on the web and share the latest version with everyone.
Difference between mockup, wireframe and prototype
The terms
wireframe
, mockup, and prototype are often heard in web design and app development, but each serves a different purpose. A brief explanation follows.
A mockup
is a wireframe with design elements added to it to make it look more like the finished product. Contains design elements such as colors and fonts that embody the final look and feel of your project.
A wireframe
is a sketch that determines the overall structure and layout of your project. A simple diagram shows the basic arrangement of elements and functions without considering design or color. There is no problem with handwriting it, or you can simply create the structure using an online creation tool.
Prototype means “trial product” and is a wireframe or mockup with added behavior or functionality. For example, in the case of a website, we create it so that you can actually experience the actions and screen transitions when you click a button.
5 benefits of creating mockups
Mockups are useful for embodying initial designs when creating and developing websites and applications. We will explain in detail the five benefits you can get by using mockups.
It is easy to imagine the finished product
Creating a mockup gives you a more concrete idea of the finished product. Since you can visually check the font size, placement of photos and images, position of various buttons, color, etc., you can easily check consistency with the design you have in mind.
This makes it difficult for you to end up with a difference from what you had in mind, such as the photos you posted don’t match your image as much as you expected, or the colors are different from what you had in mind. By using mockups, it will be easier to edit as desired from the prototype stage.
Easy to submit corrections and issues
Creating a mockup makes it easier to envision the finished product, making it easier to discover necessary corrections and issues early on.
For example, if you want to create a user-friendly website, you can see how the site is structured from the user’s perspective. With mockups, you can easily check whether users can browse your site smoothly.
Easy to share and evaluate
Mockups serve as a model of the finished product, making it a great way to work with your team and customers to check for problems.
If you are working with a customer to create a website, or if you are developing an application within your company, it is important to use mockups to share problems and evaluate them as a whole.
Can perform usability testing
Mockups also allow you to perform usability testing with external collaborators.
Usability testing, also known as user testing, is the process of having real users use a website or app and gathering ratings and feedback. Discover new issues and utilize them for website creation and app development. You can check the actual usability and convenience from the user’s perspective, and develop it into something even better.
By having users perform checks and receiving their opinions and feedback, you can check in advance whether users are using the service without stress and whether they are taking the desired actions, creating a better customer experience. This will allow you to easily make improvements to improve your performance.
Reduces the risk of revisions after completion
By creating a mockup in advance, you can reduce the risk of changes or modifications due to image discrepancies. You want to avoid making corrections or major changes near completion as much as possible. By creating and sharing mockups, you can reduce project costs by minimizing changes and modifications due to lack of communication with customers and internal teams.
Minimize unplanned changes and ensure smooth project progress through mockups.
Three things to keep in mind when using mockups
Mockups have many benefits, but there are some important points to keep in mind in order to use them effectively. Let’s look at the following three points.
Start with wireframes and sketches
When developing a website or application, it is important to first create a plan using wireframes and sketches, rather than creating a mockup right away.
A wireframe is a simple diagram that shows what should be placed where, what functions should be installed, etc., without basically thinking about design or color. We recommend that you create a rough structure and then gradually build it up, taking steps to build it into a practical form. By doing so, you will be able to move forward with minimal deviations from your original plans and wishes.
Remember to create an objective perspective
When creating a mockup, it is important to keep an objective perspective. When a company creates a website or develops an application, it creates and develops it for customers to use. Therefore, it is very important to check whether the design is comfortable to use from the user’s perspective even at the stage of prototyping, which is the stage before the final product.
Check from a user’s perspective, such as whether the colors match the image of your company or service and whether the layout is comfortable for customers to use.
Thoroughly share information among related parties
In the process of creating a mockup, it is also very important to share information and coordinate among the parties involved. Share your progress and check every detail to avoid discrepancies or misunderstandings.
As the project progresses, consider and confirm specific concepts in detail to ensure consistency in the final image. If you are nearing completion and end up having to change everything because the image is drastically different, you may end up wasting your time and money. To avoid having to make major changes at the final stage of a project, and to save time and money, be sure to check in mid-stage.
Design production when using mockups
Mockups are essential in the process of creating a website or building an app. Some people may think that it is easy to make because it is a sample without any functional parts, but in reality it may take extra effort and time if you do not follow the steps to create it. Therefore, we will explain the steps to create a design when using mockups.
Created from wireframes and sketches
First, make a plan using wireframes and sketches. Create a rough composition and gradually evolve it into more detailed shapes to build a working design.
In sketching, draw the layout of your site freehand, and in wireframes, think about the basic structure of your site. As you design your site, consider what is most important to your visitors, what information you want to convey, and what actions you want them to take. We keep the purpose of the project in mind and build a design that aligns with that purpose.
Creating a mockup
Once the wireframes are complete, we move on to creating mockups.
We check how the colors look and how easy the layout is to see, and come up with a user-friendly design. In particular, the appearance of colors may differ from the image depending on the darkness or lightness, so careful consideration is necessary.
It is important to identify issues from the user’s perspective and refine them. Additionally, when working with clients and internal teams, we share information and create a common image. Information sharing is essential to project success. This is because you can get the product exactly as you envisioned, and you can reduce the risk of making changes or corrections after completion.
Creating a prototype
Produce a prototype based on the finalized design. While we have focused primarily on design, prototypes include elements that mimic real-world behavior. This is a functional sample that shows what happens when you click a button, where it transitions, etc.
At this stage, focus on the user’s perspective, verify whether the design allows the user to perform the desired actions smoothly, and make improvements as necessary. Even after completion, it is important to monitor data such as the number of conversions and accesses and make adjustments to reach your goals.
Points to note when creating mockups
Simply creating a mockup will not be effective enough. In order to create an effective mockup, keep the following points in mind.
Determine the required number of screens to avoid omissions
When creating a website or app, if you need a mechanism to transition to various screens, you can prevent omissions by determining the number of transition destination screens in advance. We determine the number of screens required at the wireframe stage and are careful not to omit anything when creating mockups. If a leak is discovered later and requires additional work, it can lead to wasted time and money. Make sure to frequently share information with clients and internal teams, and check from time to time to make sure nothing is left out.
Create a layout that focuses on the first view
Adopt a layout that focuses on the first view (the first thing the user sees). First view is the part that users see the moment they visit your website, and it determines the overall impression of the website. The moment users see the first view, they decide whether to visit the website or not. If you can’t make a good impression on the first view, there is a high chance that people will leave your website. When designing your first view, consider the following:
Make sure to design effective leads that encourage user action.
When creating mockups, remember to keep the user’s perspective in mind, and try to design effective leads that encourage user action. You can effectively encourage users to take action by arranging buttons that make it easy to see what to do at a glance, or by structuring the page in a way that makes users want to read other pages.
Especially on your website, make the conversion buttons that encourage inquiries and purchases the most recognizable. These buttons play an important role in prompting users to take specific actions. It will be even more effective if you include a CTA (Call To Action) that encourages the user to take action. Even words such as “limited quantity” or “consult first” may make it easier to take action.
It is important not to “just create” mockups, but to create them with a purpose in line with the final goal of your company.
Analyze user movements using analysis tools etc.
Even if you create a design using a mockup, there is little point in creating it if the users do not take the expected action or the drop-off rate is high. Even after completion, it is extremely important to use analysis tools to analyze user movements.
Based on the analysis results, you can change the design to make it easier to take action, improve the button layout, etc., and create a better customer experience for users. To analyze web pages, we recommend using access analysis tools such as Google Analytics and heat map tools.
Take advantage of mockup creation tools
Creating mockups used to require the skills to use design tools, but now anyone can easily create mockups online. From here, we will explain the mockup creation tool in detail.
You can easily create it yourself
The great advantage of mockup creation tools is that anyone can easily use them for free. You can create sample designs such as website and application layouts and color schemes without any special skills or knowledge. There are also tools that allow multiple people to collaborate in real time online and share the latest version while keeping a history of changes. This will facilitate flexible coordination and cooperation.
Points to consider when using mockup creation tools
Mockup creation tools are extremely useful, but with so many different types, it can be difficult to know which one is best. When choosing the best one for your company, consider the following three points.
functionality
Tool functionality is very important. In addition to the rich design features and variety of templates, consider collaboration, change history management, and security features.
In particular, working in teams requires collaboration capabilities. This is because if information sharing is not smooth, there may be a misunderstanding between the parties involved. Choose a tool with the best features to match your company’s situation and the nature of your project.
UI (user interface)
In order to increase creation efficiency, it is also important to have a good UI. UI (user interface) refers to the point of contact (interface) that connects users with products and services, and includes appearance and usability.
Many of the mockup creation tools originate from overseas, and many of them only have English notation and do not support Japanese. Some members may find it inconvenient to use only English. In that case, it is safe to choose a tool that supports Japanese.
We recommend that you use the free version or trial version to check the usability of the UI, as it is often difficult to understand the usability of the UI until you try it. If you can use the free version without any problems, you can use it as is, or if you want it to be easy to use and have a variety of functions, you may want to consider a paid tool.
Fee
Be sure to check the price of the tool before using it. Although an increasing number of tools are available for free, paid tools often offer a wider variety of designs and features. Consider your budget and decide whether to use paid tools.
Also, ask the members of your company who will actually be working on the tool what kind of functions they need, and use this as a reference when choosing the most suitable tool.
Please refer to the page below for detailed information about Figma, a tool that is useful for creating mockups, wireframes, and prototypes.
summary
In this article, we have explained the overview of mockups, the benefits of creating them, precautions, and points.
Although creating a mockup is often thought to be time-consuming, it is useful in a variety of situations, such as confirming whether the design is suitable for the concept and ensuring biosynthesis with the image.
Mockups allow you to visually check the overall design and are effective for sharing information with clients and your team. By using mockups, you can improve the quality of your project without wasting time and money. Please make effective use of mockups.