Low-fidelity

Low-fidelity refers to the intentional absence of detail in a design. Low-fidelity design deliverables, such as sketches and wireframes, contain few design elements and are often a rough draft of what the final product could look like, with emphasis on what content will be used and where it will be used.

A design is considered low-fidelity when it contains little to no decorative elements and user interactivity. Low-fidelity wireframes are useful for gathering feedback on basic structural elements, such as information architecture on a site or hierarchy of elements within a page, without the potential distraction of visual design factors like colors and typefaces.

Low-fidelity wireframes help answer questions like:

• In what order should the content blocks on the page appear?
• Does the hierarchy of page elements differ between desktop and mobile?
• Should a series of products be displayed as a grid or a list?
• What is the most important message users should take away from this page?
• Will this page be heavier on text or images, or balanced between both?
• What are the main calls-to-action (CTAs) or links on this page?