What is a Website Prototype? Definition & prototyping tools

Creating a website prototype is a crucial part of making digital products.

We often take for granted what goes into creating the products we use. We don’t wonder why an iPhone fits perfectly in our hands, or how the UI on a smartwatch works so well despite having a tiny screen. These aren’t accidents. Rather they’re the result of lengthy development processes, prototype building, rounds of testing, and making changes. The same goes for building for the web.

So, what is a website prototype? Why are prototypes important? And what tools can you use to create website prototypes, from static ones in tools like Figma, to live prototypes in tools like Vev. Let's take a look!

What is a website prototype?

A website prototype acts as the bridge between development and a website’s final form. It captures the look and feel of the end product and includes the features and functionality that need to be tested and evaluated.

A web app is never truly finished, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Advancements in technology and changing customer preferences mean that a website needs to stay up to date. In her book, Prototyping for Designers: Developing the Best Digital and Physical Products, Kathryn McElroy states, “No matter how many times you test a prototype, you will always be able to find something new to improve in your product.”

Whether it’s a website prototype representing a minimum viable product or a complete redesign of an existing web app, prototypes generate insights that can be used at any stage of a digital product's life cycle.

The importance of website prototypes

Internal communication and collaboration

A website prototype represents a working model containing the key functionality and visual elements that will lend to its look and feel. It’s an ideal medium to show stakeholders what a user’s experience will look like, how a website will work, and to demonstrate features while gathering feedback.

In a case study detailing how Patagonia wanted to improve the content and structure of its ecommerce website, they stressed the importance of using prototypes in communicating with their team members. In this study, Manu Garzaron, Patagonia’s Senior Experience Designer, said of the prototyping process, “It really helped us sell our decision internally because sometimes people are skeptical of such a big change."

This is such a relevant quote, as a website prototype works so well in showing why a new feature or a different approach would be beneficial, that might otherwise be too complicated to explain with mockups or rough sketches.

Problem identification

You might have a hunch that something like a navigational menu, or call to action needs to be done in a particular way, and you put together a website prototype to test your assumptions. Along with testing out hypotheses concerning a web app’s functionality, it’s also likely that other issues will come to light, that you haven’t even anticipated.

Usability testing

A website prototype represents the architecture, interactivity, content, and visual aesthetics of the final product. Usability testing will show how well it performs, and if there are any issues that might complicate a user’s experience. We often talk about the importance of human-centered design, and creating a website prototype is essential in running testing and observing and analyzing people’s experiences with it.

In Apple’s WWDC14 presentation titled,  “Prototyping: Fake it Til You Make it” Jeffrey Bernstein,  Design Director at Apple, had this to say about the importance of usability testing. “If it's an interactive prototype, it's really important that you let people try it out with as little explanation as possible. First impressions are really important. Look at where people are struggling with the interactions that you created, and also look at what delights them.” Getting people’s fresh perspectives on a website prototype, who have never used it before, is so important in gathering insights that might otherwise go undiscovered. 

Iteration

A website prototype is ideal for running user testing, gathering feedback and data, making adjustments, and then doing it all over again. Each round of testing will show if the changes have had an overall positive impact, or if these tweaks lead to unintended consequences.

In a case study from the Nielsen Norman Group (NN/G) about the iterative approach they took in redesigning their homepage, they used several different prototype versions, as well as multiple rounds of testing. In describing the takeaways of this process NN/G remarked, “Because many rounds of testing are a key part of our progress, we expected our designs to continually evolve. This benefits us in two ways: (1) we didn’t waste time making the early version pixel perfect, and (2) the time to test and iterate was built into our project timeline from the beginning.” This captures the essence of iteration perfectly, with each design cycle expanding on the development, testing, and refinement that came before it.

A website prototype lets you go back and forth, in a process of continual improvement resulting in a final product that’s the result of small precise steps, instead of big leaps that may miss the mark.

Testing responsiveness and accessibility

Prototypes represent a living version of a design that can be tested for compatibility as well as accessibility on multiple platforms and screen sizes.

Developer Handoff

High-fidelity prototypes make it possible to evaluate and sign off on what’s going to be the final design. With the major elements of the layout, information architecture, UI, and interactivity all in place, a prototype is a detailed guide giving developers everything they need to create a website.

And let’s not forget the confusion that even experienced designers may have between wireframes, mockups, and prototypes. If you’ve ever wondered what sets these apart from one another we’ve put together this guide to help you out.

Tools for creating a website prototype

Presentation software

I know what you’re thinking, how could anyone possibly make a prototype out of something whose main purpose is for meeting presentations? While they may lack higher capabilities in pulling off complicated interactions or animations, presentation software offers quick and simple ways of putting together prototypes and works perfectly if all you need to do is demonstrate a website’s basic look and structure.

Presentation software that designers often use for creating basic prototypes include:

• PowerPoint
• Google Slides
• Keynote

Traditional prototyping Software

Specialized software makes it possible to assemble prototypes from component libraries, templates, text, and pre-built UI elements. These applications offer the building blocks and tools for stitching together individual pages, which can then be linked together to form the greater whole.

A few examples of prototyping software used by designers are:

• Figma
• Adobe XD
• Marvel
• Sketch

No-code web development solutions

The beauty of using a no-code web design app like Vev, is that prototyping and building are one in the same with design and development happening concurrently. Right from the start you’re working on a living website. This expedites the timeline from ideation to launch, eliminating the gap from prototyping to developer handoff.

What goes into creating an effective website prototype

Clarify prototype goals

Before assembling a website prototype, you need to know why you’re building it. What is the purpose, what are the major features, and what else will it require to test what you want to find out? A website prototype doesn't have to be a 1:1 representation but should have the key aspects of UI and UX in place.

Know your audience

There are two audiences for a prototype, and where you’re at in the development process will inform what you’ll include in it.

The first is the internal audience. These are the decision-makers, content writers, developers, and other stakeholders whose focus lies on how a web app will meet the needs of customers and greater business goals. Prototypes for internal team members are used to pitch concepts, get buy-in, and receive feedback.

The second audience is external, consisting of those in the target audience who would likely use the final product. Developing personas, doing user research, and knowing what is most important to test out, will all factor into the types of insights and data you’d like to get from having real users interact with a website prototype.

Create wireframes and mockups

Wireframes and mockups are the precursors to creating prototypes. A wireframe, with its lightweight minimalist lines, squares, and sparse text represents a basic representation of web design. A mock-up builds on this structure, adding art direction and details. Both make it possible to come up with concepts for how a web app will look visually, possible ways to structure it, and ideas for UI elements and navigation. A website prototype takes what was established during the wireframe and mockup stages, and puts it all together in a simulated website experience.

User testing

Once you have a working prototype it’s now time to see how well it operates. Run user testing with people who would likely use a web app, and gather both quantitative and qualitative information about their experiences. 

Ways to test a website prototype include:

• A/B Testing: Have people go through two variations of a prototype and see which one they prefer.
• User Interviews: To understand users with greater depth, talking to them about what they liked, what they didn’t, and where they struggled is essential in making improvements.
• Tree Testing: Evaluate the navigational architecture by assigning users specific tasks and seeing how they do.
• Heat Maps: Heat maps show what’s getting attention, and what’s not, helping you better organize and make elements more impactful.
• Click Testing: See where users are clicking, to see if people’s attention is going to where you want it to be.

Create a live website prototype that will wow all stakeholders

The moment you drag the first element onto Vev’s digital canvas, you are creating an actual website, along with all of the code that powers it. There are no static prototypes or dull mockups here! Vev lets you prototype, design and build digital content that is alive with interactivity, animations, and artistry. Craft imaginative and brilliant websites in far less time than traditional development.