You’re here for the invites…right? Well there’s no need for me to explain what Dribbble is in much depth, as most of you know it’s a pretty rad community where you post sneak peaks of what you’re currently working on, in the form of 400 x 300 px images. The quality of work is exceptional and the chance to interact, critique and inspire is second to none.

Dribbble invites are like gold dust. I’ve been a member for several months and only just got my first two invites this week. While I can think of several people who I could give these to immediately, I wanted to open this up to a wider audience.

In the world of Dribbble who you draft is a big deal. No one wants to draft the guy who uploads pictures of his cat, so I’m going to be pretty picky as to who scores these invites. I’m held responsible for the quality of work being uploaded by someone I draft so I’m taking the selection process seriously.

The über cool John O’Nolan has also kindly donated one Dribbble invite, bringing the total to three. So if you want drafted, make sure you follow the instructions below.

How To Enter

1. Leave a comment below with a few words of the type or style of work you would be uploading.
2. Post a link to your favourite bit of artwork you’ve produced.

Deadline

On Friday 6th August I will announce the three winners on this blog post and Twitter. Good luck to all!

EDIT: The super kind Ryan Downie, Chris Gibbons and Paul Stanton have also now donated an invite, while the lovely Emma Taylor has donated THREE invites. Taking the total to Nine invites to win!

Nine Dribbble Invites To Win – Get Drafted! is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Earlier this week I published my Top 20 Essential Apps for the iPhone, however no iPhone is complete without a variety of weird and wonderful games to pass the time. From first person shooters to puzzles and role-playing games, the iTunes store has them all.

I’ve always been a ‘gamer’ and am probably guilty of spending a little too much time on some of the apps below.

Without further ado, here are the games that I’ve come to love, thus far:

• 1. Angry Birds

Is there anyone with an iPhone that doesn’t own this?! Easily one of the most addictive games available, at times you really will get angry with those birds!

• 2. DoodleJump

This is another game I find it hard to put down. Switching between some of the cool themes available, it will have you playing for hours to get a higher and higher score.

• 3. Canabalt

It’s as simple as tapping the screen to jump, but this game is just heart bursting, dark and intense in it’s gameplay. It also has my favorite in-game music.

• 4. Minigore

I’m the first to admit, I suck at this game, but it doesn’t stop me from wasting too much time trying to unlock all the gore’s!

• 5. Guitar Hero

The interface feels both responsive and efficient and for the money, I think it’s the best music game of it’s nature available.

• 6. Need For Speed Shift

I love racing games, always have and NFS is without doubt my favorite game of this type. I previously bought Undercover and would also highly recommend it.

• 7. Rally Master

Another racing game, though this one is actually much more difficult. It does take time to master this game, which makes it highly addictive and enjoyable.

• 8. Talking Carl

My nephew gives this the thumbs up as it’s the one app he always ask to play! Carl is cute as a button and you’ll soon find yourself finding weird and wonderful things for him to say!

• 9. Hungry Shark

This is a cute, fun and simple game that’s pretty hard to put down, the deeper you go into the game, the better it gets.

• 10. Warships

It’s a simple, pick-up game that is a new twist on the classic game. I especially like the ability to play with other players via bluetooth. It’s a must get free app.

• 11. Fling

A unique puzzle game that I really get a kick out of. It’s not as easy as it looks, and once you get into the higher levels, you really do have to plan your way through those little furballs!

• 12. Flick Kick Football

As some of you may know, I’m a bit of footie fan. This is a highly addictive game which really delivers with the highly sensitive controls.

• 13. Fruit Ninja

Silly concept, great game! Who would have thought slicing and dicing fruit could be so enjoyable. I’m pretty rubbish at this game, but that doesn’t stop me from trying.

• 14. Words With Friends

Probably the best multi-player game (IMO) for the iPhone that you can find yourself playing for hours. A great gaming experience that actually feels educational.

• 15. Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars

I’ve been a GTA fan for many years and just had to buy Chinatown Wars when it was released. The controls could be better, but overall it delivers as most RockStar games do.

• 16. Amateur Surgeon

It hasn’t been updated for some time, but I still find this game entertaining (if a little gruesome). The controls can be difficult to master though.

• 17. N.O.V.A

Pretty much like playing Halo on the iPhone, this is an excellent first person shooter. Although it may be slightly too easy for any of you hardcore gamers!

• 18. Helsing’s Fire

This is no ordinary puzzle game, it’s a lot more exciting, colorful and unique. It’s an original game that features puzzle, action and a fun story at a low price.

• 19. Eboy FixPix

This has got to be one the easiest ‘games’ available, however I actually bought it not for the game, but to have the amazing pixel images as my wallpaper!

• 20. Ace Attorney

The storylines are weird, the characters even weirder and the endless dialogue can be annoying, but I love it because it forces you to think over every single detail.

Do you have any games you could recommend? If so please leave a comment below, I would love to discover some new apps!

20 Fantastically Addictive iPhone Games I Love is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

After my contract finished recently I decided it was the right time to upgrade and decided to go for a lovely White 32GB 3Gs and skip ‘antennagate’ iPhone 4!

The best thing about the iPhone is of course – the apps. However with hundreds of thousands of apps to choose from, it gets pretty difficult to find the ones that will suit my needs.

Without further ado, here are the apps that I’ve found essential, thus far:

• 1. Twitter

It’s been my pick of the Twitter apps both on my mac and iPod Touch since it was released and it’s just as efficient on the iPhone.

• 2. 1Password

Perfect for secure mobile browsing, as it saves my web usernames and passwords, has a browser built-in and syncs with 1Password on my Mac.

• 3. WordPress

This is an essential app for any blog owner, it allows me to moderate, edit, or reply to comments as well as easily composing posts.

• 4. Flickr

As a passionate amateur photographer, Flickr is a site I visit pretty much everyday. The ability to post straight to Twitter is pretty fly.

• 5. Reeder

I’ve tried many RSS readers on the iPhone and iPod Touch, but Reeder is the best of them all. It’s elegant, minimal interface is stunning.

• 6. Ego

I’ve been using Ego since it was released, it gives me one central—and lovely—location to check web statistics and RSS numbers.

• 7. TaskPaper

The ultimate in Task Lists (IMO), this syncs perfectly with my Mac version and provides a beautiful and unobtrusive interface.

• 8. Dropbox

Allows me to access my Dropbox files on the go with the ability to view files offline and share links. This is another essential app as it syncs with my iMac.

• 9. Fring

Free video calls, calls, live chat and IM make Fring one of my most useful apps, especially as it centralises all of my networks in one place.

• 10. NTRConnect Viewer

This is perfect for when I need to reach files that are on my office iMac, I can easily move items into my Dropbox folder and then retrieve them on my iPhone.

• 11. The Guardian

This gives me my daily fix of news with the latest stories, galleries and audio from a respected Newspaper.

• 12. AroundMe

An indispensable app that allows me to quickly find out info on the facilities close to my location.

• 13. PayPal Manager

As a small business owner who uses PayPal for nearly all transactions, this is an extremely useful app for quick management of my account.

• 14. FTP On The Go

You wouldn’t think you would have much need for an FTP client on the iPhone, but i use this quite often. I can edit files directly on the server, with a handy built-in browser.

• 15. iStat

This nifty app lets me monitor all the vital statistics on my Mac including CPU, fans, memory, disks, uptime and more.

• 16. Downloads

This is a recent app I’ve discovered, it acts as a fully featured download manager and basically allows me to access the iPhones file system, which is invaluable.

• 17. Analytics

Gives me instant, mobile access to Google Analytics with detailed reports at a glance and support for multiple accounts and sites.

• 18. Instapaper

Essential for anybody that works on the web, this lets me save web pages for offline or later reading.

• 19. Pastebot

This is a powerful clipboard manager that stores text & images copied from my iphone and much much more.

• 20. Stanza

A wonderful app that I use to read e-books, but also allows me to drag and drop PDF’s into the File Sharing section in iTunes.

It wouldn’t be a proper list without a bonus:

• 21. Google Mobile

I love the search by voice function, but find the links to other Google apps like Calender and Docs to be extremely useful.

So after one month’s use, those are my favorite iPhone apps so far. Do you have any particular apps you could recommend? Then please leave a comment and share your picks.

Don’t forget to check back on Wednesday for my Top 20 iPhone Games!

20 Essential iPhone Apps I Can’t Live Without is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

My first three articles have recently been published:

• 10 Free Wireframing Tools for Designers
• 10 Beautiful Social Media Infographics
• Top 10 Beautiful Minimalist Icon Sets

I’m currently working on several more articles for the series and having a blast working with the super talented (and crazy nice) team at Mashable. This also explains why I’ve been slightly quiet posting here on my blog.

I’d love if you could check out the articles as they are published and perhaps give them a little help in your chosen social networks. Of course any feedback on the articles is also appreciated, so feel free to drop a comment here.

On Becoming A Mashable Contributor is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Yes, that picture is of me when I was a baby!

Last year I wrote an article (with lots of guest contributers), titled 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Me and it attracted over 100 comments and is still my most popular post to date. People loved the article because it asked others to get a little more personal and share some of their life and personality.

This year I wanted to take this concept a step further and let you into a little part of my life. I’ve compiled 50 funny, shocking and downright mad facts about myself that will hopefully inspire you to share something about yourself in the comments.

Here goes…..

1. I’ve met two James Bonds – Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan.
2. American politics fascinates me.
3. I wish I could DJ.
4. If I could ask God one question it would be “Why don’t you do something?”
5. The only movie that ever made me cry was 7 Pounds.
6. When I find a song I like, I’ll listen to it on repeat until I get sick of it.
7. My favorite book is No Logo by Naomi Kleine….that book changed my world.
8. I converted my family from PC to Apple.
9. My idol is my Father. He taught me so much more than he ever realised.
10. I love karaoke but I’m not a great singer.
11. I rarely drink alcohol….though I am partial to West Coast Cooler.
12. I’m a movie junkie and go to the cinema at least 3/4 times a month.
13. My ringtone is Daft Punk – Face to Face.
14. I love driving.
15. My favorite childhood toy was My Little Pony – though my brother thought it was funny to dye and cut their hair!
16. I’ve never broken any bones, though I did have 4 stitches in my ankle after I fell when I was 10.
17. My current desktop wallpaper is a picture of my dog Prada, who died suddenly just a few days ago.
18. I hate writing postcards.
19. My dream holiday would be to go skiing and snowboarding in the Alps
20. My iPod Touch goes everywhere with me.
21. I can never have enough hugs.
22. The Moomins were my favorite cartoon growing up.
23. I can’t stand manufactured Pop music.
24. My favorite music artist is Prince.
25. I hardly ever carry cash (I prefer to use a Debit Card).
26. My favorite junk food is Nice ‘N’ Spicy Nik Naks.
27. I love sneakers (especially BabySham & Converse) and have around 30 pairs.
28. My best ideas come before I fall asleep, that’s why I always keep a notebook by my bed.
29. The best gig I ever went to was Prince at the O2 arena in London….little guy….huge amount of talent.
30. I was captain of both the Netball and Hockey teams at school.
31. I drink a lot of milk, so much so my family regularly blames me when me run out!
32. I’m addicted to tea (but it has to be Punjana).
33. I’m not a ‘phone person’, so spend as little time on it as possible.
34. I secretly wish I spoke with a devon accent.
35. My claim to fame when I was a kid was meeting the cast of Gladiators.
36. I could never go on holiday just to lie on a beach.
37. I can’t listen to any songs that remind me of my Dad, especially Dire Straits, Paul Brady or Fleetwood Mac.
38. My favorite fictional character is Rorschach from Watchmen.
39. When I’m bored I have a tendency to buy books I never read.
40. I can watch “Father Ted” and “30 Rock” hundreds of times and still die laughing
41. I think Kathryn Janeway was the best Star Trek captain.
42. My brother and I were obsessed with NBA Basketball when we were kids and watched it every Saturday on TV.
43. If I never had to work again, I’d spend my time traveling the world with my trusty Canon 350D camera and kit.
44. I always order the same thing when I go to a Chinese Takeaway.
45. I hate gardening.
46. I won several competitions when I was younger for drawing and art.
47. Having a nephew has been a great excuse to play with Lego again!
48. I consider myself one of the few good women drivers!
49. My favorite video game of all time is Grand Theft Auto III.
50. Two charities I regularly support are Chest, Heart & Stroke and Epilepsy Action.

Now it’s your turn to share! Please leave a comment below with a few fun facts about yourself and let’s get to know each other a little better!

50 Things You Didn’t Know About Me is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Women In Web Design: Group Interview is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

Interviewed on The Web Design Blog is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

£40….Did I just read that correctly?

As designers we know there will always be the cousin or ‘local lad’ who can build their website for £40 or $50, what surprises me is the fact that perfectly professional and legitimate businesses think this is good value! It’s unfortunate that the power of design is currently so misunderstood and undervalued by many businesses.

Design essentially provides an external ‘face’ for your customers (of your business). So why have a website that is such a poor representation of your business to potential customers?

The cost of web design also applies to logo design, which Jacob has superbly laid out in his article, which also inspired me to write about my recent experience.

• Design Process

How can we qualify that professional, quality web design doesn’t cost £40? Let’s first look at the typical design process, in fact this is the process I typically follow.

Phase 1: Concept and Consultation

We start with a discussion on the scope of the project which provides a solid foundation before we begin. Your project is then defined using the Creative Brief (a Wufoo form which I ask all potential clients to fill in), which is often referred back to during the project. By clearing defining the concept we are able to map out the goals and requirements of the entire project before moving on.

Phase 2: Discovery

Once there is a clear concept for the project, we move into discovery and research. I get to know and understand the exact needs of the project along with research into users needs and goals, target audience or demographic until there is a complete outline. I also build up a thorough picture of the personality and intended style of the website.

Depending on the scale and complexity of the project we may then move into creating a visual sitemap of the project which is essential for organisation of content on larger projects.

Phase 3: Wireframes

I then create sketches of the layout which are turned into wireframes (using the grey-box method) for review and approval before the design process begins.

A wireframe is a basic mockup of the page without any design elements which gives a stragetic view of the positioning of elements within the layout and shows how the content will flow on the page. It is an important step in determining the placement of content, function and navigation. It is used to iron out any problems or missing elements, and will act as the blueprint for the content, design and construction work that comes later.

For a more detailed rundown on this, read the in-depth look at my wireframing process.

Phase 4: Design

Once the wireframes are approved we move onto the design phase. The wireframes are taken and given the design treatment and polished. They are then presented for feedback and iteration as necessary until approved.

Phase 5: Build

I then build the design into working prototypes using CSS and XHTML (all according to accessibility guidelines). These are presented and given feedback on all aspects of the build. This is where incoporating a CMS also takes place (if required). We work together to polish and tweak until the build is finalised and complete.

Phase 6: Testing, Launch & Signoff

Although the project is tested through each stage of the build, this stage involves a complete usability test across all platforms and browsers, checking for cross-platform functionality and appearance. I use a combination of my own testing environment and Browsercam to do a complete check, with the results forwarded onto you for review. We are then ready for launch!

Phase 7: Monitoring and Maintenance

Once the site is launched I will do a thorough link check and monitor the site for 7 days to squash any potential problems that may arise. Once the monitoring period is over I can set up a maintenance plan if desired.

But why follow a process at all? Because this type of process will allow us to:

(a) Get really clear about what the goals of the site are.
(b) Know what the site’s visitors want (after all they’re the ones using it).
(c) Gain an insight into users’ goals and behaviour.
(d) Get a good picture of the personality and style of the design.

Without this, we’re designing ‘blind’, essentially just delivering something pretty with no awareness of your audience, targets or goals, so how do you expect it to be a success?

I think we can all assume that £40 isn’t going to cover all of the above, but does it cover your experience or expertise?

• Knowledge

The story goes that Picasso was sitting in a Paris café when an admirer approached and asked if he would do a quick sketch on a paper napkin. Picasso politely agreed, swiftly executed the work, and handed back the napkin — but not before asking for a rather significant amount of money. The admirer was shocked: “How can you ask for so much? It took you a minute to draw this!” “No”, Picasso replied, “It took me 40 years”.

You weren’t just paying for that drawing, you were paying for the countless hours, days, weeks and years of research, knowledge, experience and talent that it took to create that drawing.

Many of us in the design industry spend countless hours refining our knowledge wherever possible, constantly learning and challenging ourselves to be better in all aspects of both design, development and business. Why? One of the core reasons is so we can provide a better quality of service to our clients.

As Benjamin Southworth points out, that £40 “would price my 10 years professional experience at £4 p.a – which I deem as less than minimum wage?”

• Operating Costs

Freelancing isn’t cost free, there are a wealth of overheads that most of us have to incorporate into our pricing. Some of the more obvious expenses include:

(1) Broadband
(2) Stock photography
(3) Web hosting
(4) Email marketing
(5) Hardware (iMac/Macbook/Printer)
(6) External hard drive(s)
(7) Software (Including Online Apps)
(8) Office Equipment
(9) Fonts
(10) Stationery
(11) Marketing
(12) Insurance
(13) Tax
(14) Travel

Mosts Freelancers are serious about their business, and run a credible professional small business. In doing so there are numerous costs involved which have to be taken into account when costing a project. The reason the local lad can do it so cheap is because he has no overheads because for him, it’s just a hobby.

• Community Response

In order to get a more in-depth view on how the design community views these type of requests I asked for some input from those smart folks on twitter, who had the following to say:

@garethbotha A company or brand’s first impression to the world at large is worth more than £40.

@brimanning If it costs that much, that means anyone can do it.

@ianglang Clients by far are uneducated: copyright: (just get it from the web) process: (I want to see it before I decide to pay).

@egeek Audi garage charges £98/hr for a mechanic and surely that’s just screwing parts on a car. So £40 would get you < 30min.

@paulashton1979 Because web design/dev = html, css, photoshop, cms knowledge, seo, copywriting, typography, design, infoArchitecture & fontReplacement etc.

@ianglang “You wouldn’t compromise your integrity. Why would you ask us to compromise ours?”

@helo_biagi Well, you have costs… your equipment, maintenance, studies, rent, time and the programs you use cost way more than £40.

@mohdesign How about the fact that designers and developers spend a huge amount of time just learning and increasing their skills to make a living.

@StuRobson I’d say “how much page space would £40 get you in a magazine or newspaper?”

@cun I’ll input… “£40 wouldnt even get you a full years worth of hosting + domain” let alone the coding work and time involved.

@pixelcellar Definately worth chucking in the mix the phrase “you get what you pay for”, one I use a lot with prospective clients!

@DanielApt We’ve spent an amazing amount of time to master our skills, we need to compensate this learning time in the bill.

@goody815 My first reply is always “the copy machine repair person is $150/hr so lets start over shall we”.

@deakaz Awesome, If someone expects it that cheap they should sign up to a free service and use a stock theme.

@jhuskisson Because web design isn’t done in an hour (£40 is an hourly rate, or lower than an hour for a lot of designers).

@shredcreative I’d say that when people send emails like that, we as web designers/devs should educate them as to why they should spend more.

• Conclusion

So if web design doesn’t cost £40, what does it cost? The answer is, it depends on both the project specification and the designer you’ve approached. There are numerous variables and just like logo design, the best way to approach this question is to draw up a customised quote for each individual.

• The Pitch

I may not charge you £40 but If you’re interested in working with a seasoned professional web designer then please get in touch via my contact form or through my portfolio.

• Further Resources

(a) Why Design Can’t Be Billed By The Hour
(b) The Added Value Of Design
(c) Communicate the ROI for Design
(d) You Get What You Pay For

• Let’s Have Your 2 Cents

Have you experienced this type of request before, if so, how did you handle it?

Is it actually our fault as designers for failing to effectively communicate the ROI of design? Because clearly people do not understand how important and valuable it is to their business.

Or does there need to be a shift in current thinking from regarding design as an afterthought to being an integral part of business strategy?

Here’s your chance to talk….

Why Web Design Doesn’t Cost £40 is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

The giveaway has now ended and the winner is @alanhouser because I loved his comment, definitely got a smile from me! Thanks to everyone who entered, I always have a giveaway in the works so make sure to subscribe so you get a shot at the next one.

Geeks love t-shirts. It’s a fact of life, when we see a kick-ass nerdy t-shirt we whip out our credit cards and wait by the door for the post to arrive!

So when I found Origin68 (via AisleOne) a few weeks back, I was excited, because not only do they offer some awesome threads but they’re also based here in the UK. They are based in Manchester and follow the ideal that a tshirt can change the world (my kind of people).

I contacted Matt and Harry to ask if I could partner with them to offer my readers an exclusive giveaway and they were more than happy to oblige.

Origin68 are offering two t-shirts to one lucky winner. For your chance to win see the following.

How To Enter

1. Make sure you are following both @gracesmith and @origin68 on Twitter
2. Leave a comment below stating the two t-shirts you would like and most importantly why you should win!

Competition Details

The closing date is Tuesday 6th April and the winner will be told via Twitter DM (which is why you need to be following both of us).

Please note this is not an April Fools joke either!

Origin68 T-Shirt Giveaway – Now Closed is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.

I’ve decided to expand on my points in the Mashable article and write an in depth walkthrough of my wireframing process.

I generally use the Grey-Box Method to create wireframes in Photoshop, though for larger projects or applications I use Mockflow (Premium). Personally the Grey-Box method acts as an intermediary phase between initial sketches and the actual design phase.

My workflow when wireframing usually consists of the following:

• (1) Pen & Paper

It’s the fastest way to brainstorm and convey as many ideas as possible with the least amount of effort. Sketching enables me to break down ideas and fully explore UI options and I find putting it down on paper tends to raise questions and ideas and leads to changes. I use the Sketch Sheets supplied with the 960 Grid System which display a browser frame and grid lines.

• (2) Grids

Using a Photoshop Action that recreates any of the 960 templates, I start creating the wireframes using the grid as a reference point for positioning elements (Cmd + H to toggle the handy guide visibility). As a side note, Grids aren’t for everyone but I do feel they help give structure and a solid foundation to build my designs upon.

I should note I don’t use Grids on every single project nor do I always stick rigidly to them as I find on certain projects they act more as a foundational guideline.

A wireframe I created for a client who was launching a new web app last year.

• (3) Creation

Using this method is essentially designing with spacial relationships and focuses on creating a functional layout without getting hung up on fonts, textures and other design elements. Wireframing is concentrated on functionality not design so I try to avoid anything that could be construed as design as it almost certainly ends up distracting the client.

I use the wireframe to layout the actual dimensions of the page so that once it’s approved it’s just a matter of applying the design treatment (see step 5). I also keep things very simple and limit the ‘color’ palette to: #dadada, #f2f2f2 and of course #000000.

• (4) Feedback

I use Notable for feedback on projects, so a workspace is setup for the project and the wireframe (JPEG) is uploaded, along with any necessary annotations with feedback then requested.

Notable is superb and is ultimately built to allow quick and easy collaboration. It’s helped me streamline my feedback process and keeps all parts of a project organised using sets and workspaces.

• (5) Design

Once the wireframe has been finalized, I can go straight back into Photoshop and actually ‘build upon’ the wireframe itself which makes the process that much more efficient as the starting blocks are already in place right down to the grid! It also means the design process is more in touch with my initial wireframes.

Using Photoshop and in particular the Grey-Box Method may sound like a waste of time when you can just move onto a full color comp but it allows you to spot potential problems early, make adjustments quickly and cuts down dramatically on revisions later in the design treatment stage.

More importantly whatever method or tool you use, the key thing is that you take the time to plan.

That’s my process but I would love to know what tools and steps you take when wireframing for a project. Any tips or advice you can leave in the comments below would be awesome!

An In-Depth Look At My Wireframing Process is a post from: Grace Smith, a Freelance Web Designer based in Northern Ireland, UK. Grace runs a micro design studio called Postscript5 and works with range of entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout the world.