Sound familiar?
- You've paid for a design, then realised the page order is wrong
- Your team can't agree what goes on the home page
- You need to show a board or investors how the site will work before spending more
- Your developer keeps asking what should happen when someone clicks something
- You're briefing an in-house developer and need a clear plan to hand over
- Previous projects overran because the scope kept changing mid-build
Key facts
- Wireframes are greyscale page plans showing content and layout, not colours or images
- Prototypes link screens together so you can click through a journey before it is built
- Everything is made in Figma and shared by link for comments in the browser
- Desktop and mobile wireframes for every key template
- Changes at wireframe stage take minutes; changes after build can take days
- Included in every website build from £250 + VAT
- Standalone wireframing and prototyping at £45 an hour + VAT
What wireframes and prototypes are
A wireframe is a simple plan of a page: boxes for the header, headline, text, images, buttons and forms, in the order they'll appear. It deliberately leaves out colours, fonts and photos, so the conversation stays on what the page needs to say and do. Think of it as the floor plan before choosing the paint.
A prototype links those screens together. You can click the menu, open a service page, press "Get a quote" and see the form, all before a line of code exists. Prototypes can be low fidelity, using the grey wireframes, or high fidelity, using finished UI designs that look like the real site.
Why plan before you design
Moving a box in a wireframe takes a minute. Moving a section after it has been designed, coded and filled with content can take a day, and it often breaks something else. Wireframing front-loads the important decisions:
- which pages exist and what each one is for
- what appears first on the home page on a phone screen
- where the main call to action sits and how often it repeats
- what fields the enquiry form needs
- how a visitor gets from a search result to contacting you
It also stops the common problem where a pretty design is approved, then the real content doesn't fit it. Wireframes use real headings and realistic text lengths wherever we can.
How we wireframe in Figma
- Sitemap. We start with the page list and navigation, based on the UX work and the searches customers make.
- Sketches. Quick low-fidelity layouts to compare two or three approaches for the home page and a service page.
- Mid-fidelity wireframes. Proper grey layouts on a responsive grid, drawn at a mobile width of around 390 pixels and a desktop width of around 1440 pixels, using Figma auto layout so sections stretch and stack realistically.
- Prototype. We connect screens with Figma's prototyping links so you can click through the main journeys on your laptop or phone.
- Feedback. You and your colleagues leave comments pinned to the exact spot in Figma. We resolve them and update the file.
You see everything in your browser through a shared link; there's no software to buy.
Testing a prototype before you build
A clickable prototype is the cheapest place to find out whether people understand your site. We give a few people who match your customers a task, such as finding opening hours and booking an appointment, and watch where they hesitate. Problems found here cost almost nothing to fix. It's especially worth doing for booking sites, shops with complex filters and any site with a multi-step form.
Standalone wireframing for your team
Not every client needs us to build the site. We also produce wireframes and prototypes for in-house teams, freelance developers, agencies who need extra planning capacity, and businesses that want a clear brief before asking for quotes. You get an annotated Figma file explaining how each component behaves, what happens on errors, which content is editable and how layouts change on mobile, so a developer can build from it without guessing.
Wireframes also make quotes more accurate. If you plan to ask three developers to price a build, giving each the same annotated prototype means they quote for the same thing, and you can compare like with like instead of trying to decode three different interpretations of a written brief.
Price
Wireframes are part of every website we design: Starter from £250 + VAT, Business from £500 + VAT and Ecommerce from £750 + VAT. Standalone wireframing and prototyping is charged at £45 an hour + VAT, with the hours agreed before we start. A small brochure site might need a day; a shop or booking journey with several templates takes longer. See pricing or get in touch.
What you get
- Sitemap showing every page and how they connect
- Low-fidelity sketches to agree direction quickly
- Mid-fidelity wireframes for key templates at desktop and mobile widths
- Clickable Figma prototype of the main user journeys
- Annotations explaining behaviour, content and form rules
- Feedback rounds through Figma comments
- Handover file your developer can build from
Prices and how it works
Websites from £250 + VAT, business websites from £500 + VAT and ecommerce from £750 + VAT. Small changes are £45 an hour + VAT. You get a fixed quote before we start.
Starter
Sole traders and new businesses who need to exist online properly.
- Up to 5 pages
- Custom design, not a template
- Mobile-first build
- Contact form and click-to-call
- Google Business Profile set up
- Basic SEO foundations
- Analytics and Search Console
Typically live in 3 to 4 weeks.
Quote for StarterBusiness
Established businesses with several services who want to be found for all of them.
- Up to 15 pages
- A page per service, written to rank
- Copywriting included
- Full schema markup
- Local SEO groundwork
- Speed optimised to pass Core Web Vitals
- Conversion tracking configured
- Training session and recorded walkthrough
Our most common project. Typically 5 to 6 weeks.
Quote for BusinessEcommerce
Anyone selling products online, whether that is 20 items or 2,000.
- Shopify or WooCommerce
- Product and category structure built to rank
- Payments and delivery rules configured
- Click-and-collect and local delivery
- Accounts or EPOS integration
- Google Merchant Centre feed
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Staff training on order management
Shopify or WooCommerce.
Quote for EcommerceFree chat
Tell us about your business, who your customers are and what the website needs to do. No charge, no obligation.
Fixed quote
You get a fixed price and a clear list of what is included, in writing, before anything starts.
Design
We plan the pages and design the site around your customers, then share it for your comments.
Build and test
We build it mobile-first, write or polish the copy, set up SEO foundations and test it on real phones.
Launch and hand over
We launch, connect analytics and Search Console, and show you how to update it. You own it all.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a wireframe and a mock-up?
A wireframe is a greyscale layout showing what goes where, without colours, fonts or images. A mock-up is a finished visual design showing exactly how the page will look. We agree the wireframe first, then design the mock-up, so look and feel don't distract from structure.
Do I need a Figma licence to see the wireframes?
No. We share a link that opens in any modern browser. Viewing is free, and you can add comments with a free Figma account. Your colleagues can join the same file, so feedback stays in one place instead of scattered across emails.
Are wireframes included in your website packages?
Yes. Every website we build, from Starter at £250 + VAT upwards, includes planning and wireframes for the key templates. You approve them before visual design starts. Standalone wireframing for someone else to build is charged at £45 an hour + VAT.
Can you wireframe a site for my own developer to build?
Yes. We produce annotated Figma wireframes and a clickable prototype covering layouts, behaviour, form rules and mobile changes. Your developer gets a clear plan, which usually means more accurate quotes and fewer surprises during the build.
How many rounds of changes are included?
On website projects, two rounds of wireframe changes are normal before we move to design. For standalone work we agree the scope and hours at the start, and any extra rounds are charged at £45 an hour + VAT.
Related
Get a fixed quote
Free chat, clear price, a website you own. Websites from £250 + VAT.