What is a wireframe in web design?

In web design, a wireframe is a skeletal outline or blueprint that represents the basic structure and layout of a web page or interface. It's typically created in the early stages of the design process to outline the placement of key elements and content without getting into detailed design elements like colors, images, or typography.

Wireframes are often created using simple shapes, lines, and placeholders to represent different components such as navigation menus, content sections, buttons, images, and forms. They focus on the arrangement of elements, hierarchy of information, and functionality rather than visual aesthetics.

Wireframes serve several purposes in web design:

1. **Structural Planning**: Wireframes help designers and stakeholders visualize the overall structure and layout of a web page or interface, allowing them to plan the placement of key elements and content.

2. **Content Organization**: Wireframes facilitate discussions about content organization and prioritization by outlining where different types of content will be located on the page and how they relate to each other.

3. **User Flow and Navigation**: Wireframes outline the navigation structure and user flow by showing how users will move through the website and access different pages or sections.

4. **Functionality and Interaction**: Wireframes can include annotations or notes to describe the functionality and interaction of various elements, such as links, buttons, forms, and menus.

5. **Feedback and Iteration**: Wireframes serve as a starting point for gathering feedback from stakeholders, clients, and users. They can be easily modified and iterated upon based on feedback before moving on to more detailed design stages.

Overall, wireframes provide a visual representation of the basic structure and layout of a web page or interface, helping designers and stakeholders align on the overall direction of the design before investing time and resources into detailed design and development.