Comments on: Reader Question: Design Terminology

By: Javier Julio

Javier Julio — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:04:36 +0000

Yeah wireframe is a big one. Where I work we are a ColdFusion house so wireframing an application is a big part of any project. I do the UI, even though I’m a CF developer as well. I’d like to start trying this interface driven architecture though. Building the wireframe in HTML so the user can click around and get a feel for it rather than use something like Visio.

By: Susanna

Susanna — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 23:44:27 +0000

The main one I can think of that you missed is “wireframe.” To me, that’s a crucial part of the design process. It lets the client see how the UI will work without all the distraction of colors, fonts, and graphics; and lets the designer make changes on the fly.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 18:28:43 +0000

Susanna:
Thanks for that, are those the terms that you use then, or are there some that I missed?

By: Susanna

Susanna — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 17:42:46 +0000

I’m the only UI/design person where I work, so I try to network with other designers to keep current. I’d define those terms as follows:
Design – final, approved interface
Design candidate – agreed-upon design selected from among other options, may still be changed before it becomes final
Mock-up – a sample design to show an example of how a design might look, usually more than one of these are presented to the client to select from
Concept – scribbles, ideas, bits and pieces the designer uses to select a direction for the design; could even just be a one-sentence description of design idea