Sketch, wireframe, mockup whatever, it’s all the same!
Me : “Mmh no, it’s not”
Sketches allow you to quickly extract ideas and put them down on paper.
The wireframe is the next step (but it’s not mandatory)
Although there’s still the notion of ideation, you start to : structure the elements, align them and use true proportions, but all in black and white. No colors yet.
The Mockup is an evolution of the wireframe that includes the colors and branding of the final product.
It’s very useful when your audience needs to project themselves before validating the mission.
Finally, the prototype is a replica of the mockup + interactions.
We used it in order to test interactivity: filters, drill-down, navigation.
We generally use 1 low-fidelity method and 1 high-fidelity method.
No idea what your dashboard or analysis will look like?
=> The sketch is a mandatory step
The audience isn’t convinced? They really need to see the product in its final form before deciding?
=> We’re talking about mockup
Your dashboard will be used by several personas for different purposes (navigation, filters, etc.).
=> Prototype
It’s not necessary to go through all 4 in my opinion.
