Mention the use of HTML for wireframing or prototyping, and some information architects and interaction designers frantically look for the nearest exit. In some circles, HTML has acquired the reputation of being a time-consuming, difficult undertaking best left to developers. I’m here to convince you that this is very far from the truth. In fact, using HTML as the basis for your wireframing and prototyping can be a quick and rewarding experience with fabulous benefits, including easier user testing, improved client communication, and faster, more effective use of design time. As a matter of fact, at Sliced Bread Design, Dreamweaver is the ONLY tool we use for our wireframes, and we love it. For those of you who may stop right now because you don’t know how to do HTML, let’s first discuss why you would want to use it. Then, read the HTML Wireframing Primer to find out how to do it yourself.
What people are using now
Henri Olson of guuui.com recently conducted a survey of 52 people to understand their use of web prototyping tools. He found that only 28.3 percent of interaction designers surveyed use HTML tools such as Dreamweaver or FrontPage for prototyping. The rest use visual and diagramming tools such as Visio, Illustrator, PowerPoint, or paper. While I am happily surprised by the quarter of designers using HTML tools, I am still left wondering why more people don’t take advantage of the benefits of HTML. In fact, the survey found that over 67 percent of HTML prototypers agree with the sentence: “I’m perfectly happy with the prototyping tool I’m using.” And, in a question that measures how well their current prototyping tool lives up to their functionality requirements, prototypers agreed that HTML tools came out with the highest overall score. This compares to only 8 percent of diagramming tool (i.e. Visio) users and 50 percent of graphic design tool (i.e. Illustrator, Photoshop) users who are perfectly happy with their tool. So the question is, if HTML is so great for design, why aren’t more people using it?
Definitions
There are many different definitions of wireframes, prototypes, and visual design, so let’s start by defining how these terms will be used in this article. A wireframe is a grayscale block diagram that illustrates the overall navigation and the blocks of elements such as content, functionality, etc. that will go on the screen. It does not contain pictures and doesn’t necessarily need to link to anything. It just demonstrates what elements a web page or application screen will contain and roughly where they might go—although the location can change. It does not include visual design. An HTML wireframe is created in HTML using a program such as Dreamweaver. A flat wireframe is created using a program such as Visio, Illustrator, or Photoshop and does not have interactive components, but is a flat image of the elements on the screen.
What I call an interactive HTML prototype goes a step further by linking navigation on an HTML wireframe to other wireframes representing subsequent screens, filling in content as needed, and adding mock functionality such as drop-down menus and fields that don’t tie into any backend. Note that this sort of prototype is somewhere between high- and low-fidelity as defined by Chris Farnum in his recent Boxes and Arrows article. This prototype does not represent any visual design other than simple layout. It does not require enlisting the help of a developer because the interaction designer does all of the work in a program such as Dreamweaver.
The screen shot below shows one page of this sort of prototype. Notice that it shows that the design will have primary navigation with four categories (Dashboard, Database Setup, etc…), secondary navigation that integrates the steps of a wizard with navigation (an idea we were testing), a form to fill out in the middle that a user can try out, and navigation at the bottom that might be buttons or links when the design is complete.
Why avoid HTML?
I’ve heard many reasons why designers don’t want to use HTML for wireframing and prototyping. The most common reason they are reluctant to use HTML is because they are already comfortable with tools such as Illustrator and Visio. I’ve heard people say, “Making HTML really work is difficult” or “I don’t know JavaScript.” To combat these concerns about ease of use, the accompanying HTML Prototyping Primer article teaches you how to create quick, functional, flexible wireframes without any real programming by using Dreamweaver. But the flexibility and functionality of Dreamweaver is not the main reason to switch to HTML. Let’s go on a short tour of the benefits of HTML wireframing and prototyping that will convince you to make the switch.
Increased user testing
The most important interaction design benefit of HTML is the way it lends itself to ongoing user testing. Because of their interactivity, HTML wireframes are regularly used to user test design ideas on the fly with people in the office, friends, or anyone who happens to stop by. When there is no one around to show, we post designs to the web and instant message a friend to try them out – we always get some quick, useful feedback. For example, Sliced Bread Design recently worked with a company called Elevon on a new version of their enterprise budgeting software. From the beginning, the client had many different ideas for the flow of the set-up wizard. Some parts of the set up had to be done in a specific order, while other tasks could be done at the user’s convenience. We approached these different aspects of the functionality by creating a list of tasks involved in the set up, and disabling the tasks that could not yet be started (see Figure 2 below).
When everyone is satisfied with a wireframe, like the one above, we can then link all the screens together into a wireframe prototype and conduct more formal usability testing without having to do additional set up work. Of course, for formal usability testing we still have to create a script for the tasks that we need to test. Your prototype might need more or less modification to fully cover those areas you need to test. However, we’ve found that our wireframe prototypes convert to user test material with minimal effort because the framework for every page is already in place and is very flexible. Above all, our reliance on HTML wireframing lets us promise all of our clients that the final design will ALWAYS be user tested, even if only via guerrilla user testing – especially important if the budget is tight.
Creating visible client value from the start
Another big benefit of HTML is visible value for the client at the beginning of the project. Some of our clients are confused about the difference between interaction and visual design. By focusing on creating something interactive at the beginning of the project in the form of an HTML wireframe, we can demonstrate that the focus of our work will be on how people use the product as opposed to how it looks. And, as we are busy showing off our knowledge of interactivity, we are also demonstrating our awareness of technical constraints. Even if your wireframe is based on the simplest HTML out there (ours always are) and only takes 10 minutes to create, the fact that you have ventured out of the realm of graphics software demonstrates your concern with creating something that is implementable, not just a blue-sky concept.
Improved client communication
When it’s time to show the work to the client and demonstrate its value, the next benefit of HTML becomes improved client communication. Sometimes it may be difficult for a client to understand the brilliance of the user experience that is being proposed because they cannot experience it for themselves. Miscommunication can result from misunderstood verbal descriptions of how users will interact with a flat prototype. We experienced this on a project where client team members were located on multiple continents and had varying English skills. By demonstrating the functionality instead of describing it, we were able to greatly reduce miscommunication that initially resulted from teleconferences and documents in rough English. Furthermore, team members in different time zones could review designs that we posted on their own time without additional explanation. By allowing our client to experience the interaction, we knew that they understood exactly what we were talking about and had agreed with the direction we were heading early on in the process.
Communication through demonstration is especially important when the project does not have a pre-defined functional specification, i.e., a definitive list of the functionality and/or content areas that the product must have. For example, on the Elevon project, we were hired at the beginning of the project to help replace old desktop client server software with a shiny new web application. At this stage, there was no specification, so our work played an integral part in helping define the product’s functionality. By creating interactive wireframes that represented the functionality under discussion, we were able to quickly reach agreement on what worked best for the end users. Furthermore, everyone could click through the wireframe prototype to make sure that all the pieces were in there, and any functionality that had been casually discussed wasn’t getting lost. The Elevon team also used the prototype to reach internal consensus and demonstrate the project’s progress to management.
Disqualifying poor ideas
Another client communication benefit becomes apparent when your client suggests some interaction scheme that they are sure will work, and you are sure won’t. If a gentle suggestion to steer the client in the other direction doesn’t work, we’ve found that creating an HTML wireframe to demonstrate the problems of the proposed interaction is much more convincing than further discussion. Often experiencing an idea is very different from describing it. And, since the idea is now prototyped, it can easily be user tested if you need more ammunition to disqualify it.
Simplified implementation
If I haven’t yet convinced you of the benefits of HTML prototyping, perhaps this point will: return on investment (ROI). These days, everyone is chatting about the hot topic of ROI. By emphasizing your use of HTML to the client, you can also make legitimate claims about decreased development costs through more consistent implementation and quicker specification. We use our HTML prototypes directly in our specification to communicate to developers exactly how the final product needs to work. More complex functionality, not in the prototype, is explained via bullet points under the screen itself. Although the prototype lacks the final graphic design, it demonstrates the functionality and the flow, leaving little room for developer confusion, which in turn saves time during the development cycle. Furthermore, your client saves money because your time isn’t spent explaining every detail in a text heavy specification.
Upsell to marketing
And finally, the last client benefit is actually a potential follow-up project for you. Since you saved the client money in specification, you can now spend it by selling them a robust version of the prototype. Well-crafted HTML prototypes can easily be turned into marketing prototypes once the visual design is complete. Many projects that we’ve worked on take a long time to implement, but inevitably the marketing team always needs something to show next month at the big conference. Voila! With an existing prototype, it is easy to apply the final visuals for your client to show their customers before the final project is complete. Everybody wins.
HTML is for more than just the Web
Hopefully, now that I’ve sold you on HTML prototyping, the important thing to note is that HTML wireframing and prototyping is for more than just web projects. In the past, we have used HTML prototyping for both desktop and cell phone applications. For example, through the use of screen shots and some carefully placed web layers, we were able to create an interactive prototype of a Windows file management system. On another project, we prototyped in WAP (roughly HTML for cell phones) using a Dreamweaver plug-in. By creating a mobile phone interface to user test, we were able to capture interaction problems before we presented the ideas to the client. Once you get hooked on HTML wireframing and prototyping, you really can’t go back.
OK, I’m ready. What do I do next?
Read the HTML Prototyping Primer for concrete instructions that will make you more comfortable with Dreamweaver. Although it might be hard to abandon what you are used to and get turned on to HTML, hopefully, I have emphasized that in today’s tight economy, the benefits are well worth it.
- Results from a survey of web prototyping tools usage
- What an IA Should Know About Prototypes for User Testing by Chris Farnum
- Definitions used in this article:
Wireframe: a grayscale block diagram that illustrates the overall navigation and blocks of elements
HTML wireframe: wireframe created in HTML using a program such as Dreamweaver
Flat wireframe: wireframe created in graphics program such as Illustrator, diagramming programs such as Visio, or on paper
HTML prototype: HTML wireframes with actual content and interaction components filled in that are linked together to form a rough interaction