Practical guide to creating polished designs
The wireframe stage of the design process serves as a foundation for creating functional layouts and user flows. However, wireframes often lack the visual finesse required to present a polished and professional design. This playbook will guide you through the steps to refine your designs and eliminate the wireframe appearance, resulting in visually appealing and high-quality designs.
Step 1: Establish or adopt a Design System
1. Clearly define the principles and objectives.
2. Understand the target audience and their preferences.
3. Determine the desired visual style for core components and overall aesthetics.
Material design is an open source system that I highly recommend
Step 2: Enhance Layout and Composition
1. Refine the layout based design best practices. Don’t try to always reinvent the wheel.
2. Ensure proper alignment, balance, and visual hierarchy.
3. Experiment with different grid systems and spacing techniques.
Step 3: Typography Matters
1. Choose appropriate fonts that align with the design goals.
2. Pay attention to font sizes, weights, and styles to establish a clear hierarchy.
3. Improve readability by adjusting line spacing, kerning, and letterforms.
Step 4: Elevate Visual Elements
1. Replace placeholder visuals with high-quality images, icons, and illustrations.
2. Optimize image sizes and formats for better load times.
3. Apply visual treatments like gradients, shadows, and textures for depth and realism.
Step 5: Implement a Thoughtful Color Scheme
1. Choose a cohesive color palette that complements the brand or project.
2. Utilize color theory principles to evoke desired emotions and enhance user experience.
3. Ensure color contrast for accessibility and legibility.
Step 6: Apply Consistent Branding
1. Incorporate brand elements, such as logos, colors, and typography, consistently throughout the design.
2. Maintain brand guidelines and ensure coherence with the overall design.
3. Use branding elements strategically to reinforce brand identity without overpowering the design.
Step 7: Refine User Interface (UI) Elements
1. Replace wireframe placeholders with polished UI elements, such as buttons, form fields, and menus.
2. Pay attention to details like shape, size, padding, and color of UI elements.
3. Ensure visual consistency across all screens and components.
🗒️ Hand-off Checklist
Having a design handoff checklist is crucial as it serves as a valuable reference tool, especially for those who are new to prepping files for handoff. This will ensure that no details are missed in the process.
Step 8: Add Depth with Shadows and Highlights
1. Use shadows and highlights to create a sense of depth and dimensionality.
2. Apply drop shadows, gradients, and lighting effects to UI elements and imagery.
3. Maintain a balance between subtlety and effectiveness to avoid overcomplicating the design.
Step 9: Incorporate Micro-interactions
1. Integrate subtle animations and micro-interactions to enhance the design.
2. Add motion to UI elements like buttons, tooltips, and transitions between screens.
3. Ensure that animations are purposeful, smooth, and don't distract from the overall design.
Step 10: One Final Quality Check
1. Solicit feedback from on the refined design, sometimes it’s easy to miss small details.
2. Ask for feedback on the overall visual appeal, usability, and effectiveness of the design.
3. Incorporate feedback get ready for design handoff 🚀.
By following this playbook, you can transform your wireframe designs into polished and professional-looking visuals. Remember to focus on layout, typography, visual elements, branding, and interactivity. Regularly seek feedback and iterate to ensure a refined and engaging final product.
