So you have an idea for the next smartphone app that will change the world? But don’t know where to start? Here is the answer: Start wire-framing!

Yes I know, you might be thinking,”But isn’t that the work of the developer? I don’t know an

ything about development. I am an idea guy!”

Yes, making the wireframes is work of the developer and don’t worry he will be making detailed ones for sure! But it is important for you also to start with wireframes. And even if you don’t know anything about development, it’s most likely that you are an avid user of mobile apps and know in general how things are laid out and how the information flows.

Here are the benefits of having wireframes ready before talking to the developer:

1 Clear Communication

When you present the developer with basic wireframes of what you intend to build, it makes for clear communication. It helps the developer to visualize your idea and how you intend to make it a reality.

2 Wireframes help you to stay focused

If you will observe the successful mobile apps (especially in their first version) do one thing and they do that one thing very well. When you are starting out, it is very important to focus on the core ideas and stay lean. This will help you to keep the budget low, and get the product early to the market. This way you can get the initial feedback and make changes to your strategy as per the market feedback.

When you start with wireframes, it helps you to separate the core features from fluff. The wireframes will help to find the core thing that your app needs to do, to make the user’s life easier.

3 Finding better approaches

You will be amazed to find out how ideas become more refined once you get down to making wireframes. Wireframes will help you to find the “one best way” of doing things out of many ways they can be done. This will certainly lead to a better app.

4 Wireframes will help you get better quotes

When you present the developer with a fair requirement specification and a set of good wireframes, you enable the developer to understand your app’s requirements better.

This way the developer can come back to you with a proper budget which will be required to make the app a reality.

5 Quicker and cheaper development

Having a clear set of wireframes reduces false starts and rework. This leads to faster project execution which leads to saving in development costs. This saved amount can then be spent on much needed marketing of your app.

The Tools

So you might be wondering, do I need to buy expensive wire-framing software to start creating wireframes?

Not really! In fact when starting out with wire-framing, paper and pencil work the best. Just draw a rectangle and start putting in the details.

If you are more computer savvy, you can use something like powerpoint to make wireframes. If you are on a Mac and want a professional tool for wire-framing then you might want to try, Omnigraffle.

So next time a great app idea hits you, you know what to do. Start wire-framing!