What Is Low Fidelity?

When you design a prototype, it can be either low fidelity or high fidelity. Fidelity refers to how much a prototype resembles the actual product, including its visual characteristics, content, and ability to interact with a user. Low fidelity usually means the prototype has the minimum visual details and functionality but enough content for sharing the concept with others. Low-fidelity prototypes are usually quick and easy to design.   

What are some types of low-fidelity prototypes? 

Many low-fidelity prototypes are made from paper sketches or digital wireframes. Sketches are fast and easy to create and easily discardable. You can also refer back to them throughout the design process and make notations directly on the prototype for easy future reference. 

Digital wireframes are reusable digitally designed sketches that show the functionality and content of the product but not the visuals or interactive parts. They allow you to change and manipulate layouts easily. 

What are the pros of low-fidelity prototypes?

One of the main reasons designers use low-fidelity prototypes is that they're fast, easy, and affordable to create. Non-designers on your team can also create them. Low-fidelity prototypes are easier to modify and give users a basic understanding of a product or concept. 

What are the cons of low-fidelity prototypes?  

Low-fidelity prototypes might be harder to use for testing, and better choices may exist for demonstrating a product or concept to stakeholders. They cannot be interactive, and they may require a little more imagination than high-fidelity prototypes. You'll typically need to remind users to ignore the lack of visual detail and focus on functionality.  

Related terms

• High fidelity

• Pain points

• Task analysis 

• User flow

• Human factors

• Information architecture 

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Low-fidelity prototypes are basic representations of a product concept, often made with sketches or wireframes. They're quick, affordable, and good for early design stages but lack detail and interactivity compared to high-fidelity prototypes.

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