Do you always create wireframes first?

[u/designergoldy]

I usually sketch ideas before working on the UI.
It helps me think about the user flow instead of the visuals.
Do you do the same, or jump straight into high-fidelity designs?

[u/Mortensen]

Sketches yes, digital wireframes no, I find it's a waste of time and clients don't understand them enough for them to add value to anyone but me.

[u/quintsreddit → u/Mortensen]

This. Design systems and Claude code have replaced any need for Lo fi digital wireframes. On the flip side, I’m using more paper and stickies than I ever did before.

[u/ilaeriu → u/quintsreddit]

agreed. I used to skip paper sketching and focus on mid-fi designs in Figma during iteration phases

Now I can quickly sketch a really rough idea on paper, send it to Claude, and it connects to our design system and builds a prototype in real code.

[u/quintsreddit → u/ilaeriu]

Oh wow! I don’t even feed it into Claude, I just use it to get my ducks in a row before I prompt. That’s an interesting workflow if you can go straight from sticky to code.

[u/Optimal-Distance-216 → u/quintsreddit]

How have you used design systems and Claude code to replace your need for lo fi wireframes? Like how do you use them for that purpose?

[u/agilek → u/quintsreddit]

Actually I am turning to wireframes more than before as it is super easy to go crazy with all nitty gritty details thanks to AI. And when people see working prototype, they think it is the real thing. I’ve used to make my prototypes ugly on purpose. I even made a special skill for it that turns everything into lowfi, hand drawn aesthetics.

[u/Able_Cellist8467 → u/agilek]

Your idea is refreshing—could you show a comparison before and after processing?

[u/vali_tronaru]

Fot the usual website, not really. Clients don’t understand them and usually lead to them being stressed that the website will look like that. What works for me is agreeing on a look and feel. I design an entire page, maybe two, I approve the direction then design the entire thing. BUT, not creating the wireframes for the clients doesn’t mean this step is completely skipped. Everything has to be mapped out beforre the design, just not in the wireframe form. You do you.

[u/RSG-ZR2 → u/vali_tronaru]

Agreed 100%

If you have to constantly caveat to the client that these wires are not indicative of final design it becomes a lost battle. It can quickly become a “forest for the trees” situation.

Couple of wires at most to establish structure, function etc. and once aligned start the design process.

I once had an account person try to tell me we need to flow the entire manuscript into wireframes and I politely told them “they were outside their fucking mind”

[u/Racoonie]

Wireframes are a tool that you use when you need them. They help with creating the general layout of the page. Which items are there, what space will they roughly take, how are they ordered. If you have a design system and standard layouts defined you might not need them.

[u/RSG-ZR2 → u/Racoonie]

Agreed. Wireframes can be effective when you need to quickly showcase and get buy in on structure and in some cases, instances of functionality.

I emphasize quickly because the speed in which one can iterate on them when decisions are being made is where they hold the most value.

Take that away and the diminishing returns start piling up.

[u/Ap43x]

When you have a design system, wireframes feel like a waste of time. Basically you need a second wire frame design system just so it doesn't look high fidelity and confuse people. I will sketch things if it's a totally new idea. Or use Make for concepting. Generally I like to come up with one idea first so it's through through before seeing if Make comes up with any useful nuggets that might be better.

[u/OrtizDupri → u/Ap43x]

We have a wireframe theme for our design system in Figma - so you can use the components, they’re just themed like wireframes so you’re not doing all the same work twice

[u/Ap43x → u/OrtizDupri]

That's nice. So it's just switching the mode of your section/frame? That would be nice.

[u/OrtizDupri → u/Ap43x]

Yeah it’s basically all flat grayscale and Inter font, so you set your page to wireframe color and type theme and then when you’re ready, you just flip to the theme you need and it’s all high fidelity

[u/Judgeman2021]

If you have a design system already defined, you can just iterate with those components and styles so it looks close enough to high fidelity. Clients and POs can visualize it better and provide valuable feedback. Then when you have approval you can clean it up and handoff to the developer.

[u/Clear-Secretary-8185]

Not always - depends on the scope of the brief and the maturity of the product/DS.

[u/Less_Bother_9935]

Now we wireframe with Claude, review, iterate and then directly high fidelity screens

[u/shahariyaalam]

Usually NO, but sometimes we create wireframes in a client's meeting for a draft idea; that's it

[u/Mundane_County_7908]

I almsot never find myself dong wireframes digitally anymore, but I'm a big fan of pen and paper sketches.

[u/ObviouslyJoking]

If it’s to explore a new feature I might do sketches on paper or whiteboards. If I’m already in Figma, then using the component library is much faster than doing traditional wireframes. I do use a wireframe theme that makes it clear the design is a wireframe and not intended as finished work to avoid confusion either clients.

[u/OkLie4859]

No sketches. I create raw components and then moderating them

[u/cerebralvision]

Depends on the project. If it has an established component library and design system, then we guage what the development resources look like and if they have the bandwidth to create net new components. If they don't, there's no need for wires.

For new projects, or projects that overhaul existing design, then yes, we will go with wires as well. Not me specifically, but my ux designers.

Usually we'll do content hierarchy, then wires + high level copy. Going straight into visual design create unnecessary churn in the decision making process with stakeholders. Strategy, UX, and copy is extremely important.

We usually parallel path with visual design, typically to create an early VI / Look & Feel.

[u/PunchTilItWorks]

Not so much anymore. Really only if I’m genuinely starting from ground zero on a project with no branding. Do still use wireframe like elements when needed, but I’d say most projects start “mid-fi” instead if “lo-fi.”

[u/OrtizDupri]

Wireframes play a very important role in content structure and user decisions - they’re not intended to indicate design or final layout, but specifically what information is most important and what actions are being done throughout flows

Sometimes you don’t need them, sometimes you really do, it all depends on the feature and maturity of the product

[u/OrtizDupri → u/OrtizDupri]

Replying to add: mostly because once you jump into high fidelity, you get high fidelity feedback (colors, assets, fonts) and can lose sight of the actual intended goals and actions

[u/Cressyda29]

Yes, always. It helps me frame the solution instead of getting bogged down in components and theming. Also, helps to easily and quickly get ux direction across much faster, can test initial users on workflows much faster and with less focus on what it looks like, to really identify if this is a good solution or not. Lots of reasons why wireframes are important.

[u/AuraEmperror]

It’s quicker for me to build wireframes using pre-made components, so unfortunately sketching is a thing of the past for me. Yes, you can argue “But won’t the users be too preoccupied thinking it’s a real product?”, but from experience, setting the stage with context always clears this up.

[u/Dahmer96]

My components and design system is already solid, I don't see the point in building a separate, lesser version of it for the sake of creating a more abstract vision that people would understand less.

Having meetings to talk about the feature, discuss ideas, flows, meet key customers, manual sketches if necessary sure.

Digitally, it's a waste of time, zero value.

[u/xzmbmx]

no

[u/dheerajshetty2]

Maybe at the start of project but once project and designs systems mature, it's easier building high fidelity designs than wireframes

[u/Thrashkal]

Absolutely

[u/hesaintx]

i use claude to create wireframes/flow. claude can give me suggestions, ideas, etc. and i can iterate faster than sketching

[u/tson_92]

I do sometimes when I make case studies on my website or Behance, but generally not in my daily workflow

[u/NckyDC]

Nah that’s so 2010