Designing a wireframe is one of the most essential steps in building a successful website or mobile application. Whether you’re a UX designer, product manager, or founder, a wireframe lays the groundwork for intuitive, functional, and user-centered design. But before you begin, you need to understand the structure, tools, and techniques involved.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to design a wireframe, explore the best wireframe tools, show you website wireframe examples, and help you choose the ideal wireframe design tool based on your project needs.
What Is a Wireframe?
A wireframe is a simple, visual representation of a digital interface that outlines the layout of a webpage or mobile app. It’s typically low on detail and focuses more on structure, hierarchy, and functionality than on final visuals.
You can think of it as the blueprint of your digital product, where buttons, menus, content areas, and navigation are placed—before applying color, images, or styling.
Why You Should Design a Wireframe First
Before jumping into development or high-fidelity design, you should always design a wireframe. Here’s why:
- Clarify the User Journey: Wireframes help visualize user flows and pain points.
- Save Time and Money: You can test ideas and iterate early in the process.
- Team Alignment: Everyone from developers to stakeholders understands the intended layout.
- Client Feedback: You can easily present low fidelity wireframes to gather feedback.
Best Wireframe Tools in 2025
To design a wireframe efficiently, you’ll need the right wireframe tools. Here are some of the most popular and beginner-friendly options:
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1. Figma
- Cloud-based, collaborative interface design tool.
- Drag-and-drop components to quickly build your website wireframe.
- Excellent for low fidelity wireframes and prototyping.
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2. Balsamiq
- Specialized in low fidelity wireframes with hand-drawn aesthetics.
- Great for team discussions and early-stage design.
- Excellent wireframe design tool for non-designers.
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3. Adobe XD
- Advanced prototyping and design capabilities.
- Integrates well with Creative Cloud tools.
- Best used for moving from wireframe to high-fidelity designs and app mockup tool workflows.
These wireframe tools support both desktop and mobile project formats and allow real-time collaboration, versioning, and user feedback.
How to Design a Wireframe: Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Define the Objective
Start by identifying:
- Who is your user?
- What action should the user take?
- What content is essential?
Knowing your goal will guide the layout and structure of your website wireframe or app wireframe.
Step 2: Choose a Wireframe Design Tool
Select a wireframe design tool based on your complexity, collaboration needs, and budget. If you’re just starting, Figma or Balsamiq is perfect. If you’re building a mobile app, you may want an app mockup tool that transitions well into prototyping.
Use the same wireframe design tool throughout your project to maintain consistency.
Step 3: Sketch a Low Fidelity Wireframe
Before you start working digitally, consider sketching low fidelity wireframes on paper or a whiteboard.
- Focus on layout, spacing, and flow.
- Don’t worry about styling or color.
- Label each element: header, CTA, navigation, content area.
Then replicate this structure in your website wireframe builder or tool of choice.
Step 4: Build the Digital Wireframe
Using a website wireframe builder, replicate your layout:
- Use boxes, placeholders, and grayscale colors.
- Create multiple screens if designing an app (e.g., login, dashboard, profile).
- For web projects, consider standard layouts (navbar, hero image, footer).
By now, you’ve started to design a wireframe digitally and can add more screens or link user flows using built-in prototyping features.
Step 5: Share and Collect Feedback
Share your wireframe with:
- Developers for technical feasibility.
- Stakeholders for business needs.
- End-users for usability.
This is where website wireframe examples become helpful—you can benchmark your layout against existing industry standards.
Also, export your wireframe using your app mockup tool to create shareable links or PDFs.
Website Wireframe Examples (2025)
Here are three website wireframe examples to help you design more intuitively:
1. E-Commerce Homepage
- Header with logo, search bar, and cart.
- Hero image with CTA.
- Product categories grid.
- Footer with links.
2. SaaS Landing Page
- Value proposition header.
- Benefit section with icons.
- Testimonial block.
- Pricing table and CTA.
3. Blog Layout
- Title and featured image area.
- Sidebar with recent posts.
- Comment section at the bottom.
These website wireframe examples are simple yet highly functional, making them great references when using any wireframe design tool.
Wireframes for Mobile Apps
When building a mobile app, use an app mockup tool like Adobe XD or Figma to create multiple screen states:
- Login and registration
- Onboarding flow
- Navigation menu (tabs or drawer)
- Profile and settings screens
Keep in mind: low-detail low fidelity wireframes are great for validating user experience before you move into high-fidelity stages.
Tips to Master Wireframe Design
- Stick to Basics: Keep your wireframe simple—no need for color, real images, or detailed typography in early stages.
- Use Wireframe Tools Efficiently: Leverage reusable components and templates in your wireframe design tool.
- Test Early and Often: Share your low fidelity wireframes with users to gather feedback fast.
- Study Examples: Use popular website wireframe examples to benchmark your ideas.
- Always Align with Objective: Every element in your wireframe must serve a user need or business goal.
Conclusion
Learning how to design a wireframe is a foundational skill in UI/UX and web design. By using the right wireframe tools, referencing website wireframe examples, and staying true to user goals, you’ll be able to create meaningful and usable designs from the start.
Whether you’re building a website or mobile app, a good wireframe design tool paired with a powerful app mockup tool will make your job easier and more collaborative. Start simple with low-fidelity wireframes, validate early, and build better products.
