If you're involved in a website project, the term 'wireframe' will almost certainly come up. Understanding this concept is vital because it's a key step in building a successful, high-performing website.
This guide explains exactly what a wireframe is and the role it plays in the design process.
What is a website wireframe?
Think of a wireframe as a blueprint for a website.
Before building a house, an architect draws a detailed blueprint showing the layout of rooms, doors, and windows. A wireframe does the same thing for a web page. It’s a simple, black-and-white diagram that maps out the structure of the page and the general flow for a visitor.
It answers key questions like:
- Where will the logo and navigation menu go?
- How will the website copy be structured on the page?
- Where will important buttons (like "Buy Now" or "Schedule a Call") be placed?
Wireframes intentionally leave out visual design elements like colours, fonts, or images. By removing these distractions, everyone involved can focus on getting the page's layout and content flow right before moving into the full design and development phase.
What a wireframe looks like
Wireframes can range from a quick, "low-fidelity" sketch to a more detailed, "high-fidelity" digital diagram. A detailed wireframe is often more useful as it gives a clearer understanding of how the website copy might look on the final page.
To give you an idea, here’s a comparison showing a rough sketch versus a more structured wireframe similar to what you might see in a project.
Instead of reviewing website copy in a plain text document, the wireframe provides a much better context of the basic layout and the experience a visitor will have.
A real-world wireframe example
Now that you understand the concept, it's helpful to see it in practice.
It isn’t practical to show a full, scrolling webpage in a single image, so below is a layout of the most important strategic sections of a typical homepage wireframe. This is often how a wireframe is presented, as it allows everyone to focus on the key components that drive a visitor to act.
Notice how it clearly maps out where the headlines, text, images, and buttons will go, providing a clear plan for the final webpage.
Why use a wireframe? The benefits for your project
Taking the time to create a wireframe is a valuable step that saves time and money down the track. The main benefits are:
- It brings the strategy to life: A wireframe turns the website copy from a document into a visual story. You can see how the message guides a potential customer through the page.
- It makes giving feedback simple: It's very easy to make changes at this stage. Moving a section or changing a button is a quick fix in a wireframe. Making that same change after the site has been coded is much more time-consuming.
- It gets everyone on the same page: The wireframe acts as a shared plan for the site's structure. By approving the blueprint, you can be confident that the final website will match the layout you're expecting.
How wireframes fit into a strategic website process
A great website doesn't start with code or colour. It starts with a clear message. Wireframing is a critical checkpoint that connects your message to the final design.
A proven, strategy-first process often looks like this:
- Clarify the message: The process starts by defining a clear and simple message, often using a framework like StoryBrand to focus on customer problems and solutions.
- Write the website copy: Based on that message, the website copy is written to engage and convert customers.
- Design the wireframes: Using a tool like Figma, designers create the wireframes. This step allows the business owner to see how the copy translates into a page layout before development begins.
- Develop the website: Once the wireframes are approved, the team builds the fully designed website on a modern platform like Webflow.
- Go-live: The final website is launched.
Your role in the wireframe stage
Your input at this point is straightforward but important. When you review a wireframe, you should ask:
- Does this layout make sense?
- Is the flow logical for a first-time visitor?
- Is the most important information easy to find?
Your feedback helps the project move forward with a solid plan, paving the way for a website that is not only visually appealing but also intuitive and effective.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published several years ago and has been completely updated in July 2025 to reflect the latest industry-standard tools and best practices in the web design process.
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