📱

Creating Responsive Website Wireframes

Jun 4, 2025

Wireframing for Responsive Websites

Introduction

  • Empathize with users and define problems.
  • Ideate on solutions and bring ideas to life through wireframes.
  • Focus on responsive website design, making sure layouts adjust based on device and screen size.

Basics of Wireframing

  • Responsive Websites: Different layouts for different devices (desktop vs mobile).
  • Common Website Layouts:
    • Single Column Layouts: Logical order, often used on mobile.
    • Multi-column Layouts: Multiple columns, used on desktops with focal points.
    • Box Layouts: Organize content in various sized boxes, used in e-commerce.
    • Featured Image Layouts: Focus on one large image or video.
    • Asymmetrical Layouts: Imbalanced design to emphasize certain aspects.
    • Grid of Cards: Series of uniform cards for content-heavy sites.
    • Tiered Layer Cake Layout: Stacked layers with different numbers of columns.

Designing Wireframes

  • Paper Wireframes: Start with sketches on paper for quick iterations.

    • Represent text with lines, images with squares and Xs.
    • Explore multiple wireframes for the same screen.
    • Example: Library website homepage with navigation, hero image, book covers.
  • Digital Wireframes: Transition to tools like Adobe XD.

    • Start with layer cake structure for desktop homepages.
    • Use features like repeat grid for efficient duplication.
    • Create digital wireframes for different screen sizes, emphasizing responsive design.

Responsive Design

  • Responsive Web Design: Adjusts layout based on device to improve usability.

    • Importance: Enhances user experience, drives mobile traffic, saves time/money.
    • Example: Vietnamese recipe site with different layouts on desktop vs mobile.
  • Components in Responsive Design:

    • Hamburger Menus: Icon-based navigation for mobile.
    • Cards: Organized content, easy scanning.
    • Carousels: Scrollable image feeds to fit more content above the fold.

Accessibility and Refinement

  • Accessibility Features:

    • Headings: Improve navigation for screen readers.
    • Landmarks: Map regions for assistive tech.
    • Initial Focus: Attract attention to primary tasks.
  • Gestalt Principles in Wireframes:

    • Similarity: Similar looking elements perceived to have the same function.
    • Proximity: Elements close together seem related.
    • Common Region: Elements within a border are grouped together.

Conclusion

  • Explore different layouts and design principles.
  • Create wireframes for all important pages at various screen sizes.
  • Apply accessibility features and gestalt principles for effective design.
  • Transition from paper to digital wireframes ensuring a good user experience across devices.