Which statement accurately describes wireframes and prototypes, and when to use them?

• A. Wireframes illustrate layout and content; prototypes simulate interactions; both are used at different fidelity stages.
• B. Wireframes show detailed interactions; prototypes are static layouts.
• C. Prototypes are always high-fidelity; wireframes are always static.
• D. Wireframes focus only on color and typography; prototypes focus on structure.

Answer: (A)

Wireframes and prototypes serve two related but distinct purposes in the design process. Wireframes map out the page layout and where content will live, stripping away visual styling and behavior to show structure, hierarchy, and how information is organized. Prototypes, on the other hand, simulate how the product will work by demonstrating interactions, flows, and feedback, so you can experience how a user would navigate the interface. Because projects move from planning to testing, you typically use wireframes early to establish layout and content placement, then develop prototypes to explore and validate the interactions.

Both tools come in varying levels of detail. You can have low-fidelity wireframes that are simple sketches, and low- or high-fidelity prototypes that range from basic click-throughs to polished, near-final simulations. This makes the described approach the best fit: wireframes for layout and content, prototypes for interactions, used at different fidelity stages as needed. The other statements misrepresent one or both tools—wireframes aren’t about detailed interactions, prototypes aren’t limited to static layouts, and fidelity levels aren’t fixed to a single option for each.