A stripped-down ("low fidelity") diagrammatic representation of the content and features that will appear on each web page.
A wireframe is a logical view of all entry and exit points, user actions and types of content. On a wireframe, areas are blocked to represent different content and features.
Wireframes show a draft of how a proposed site will fit together, allowing users to "walk through" it and find out if it will meet their goals.
Wireframes can be in a sequence to create a storyboard. They can also be a paper prototype of a website.
Wireframes bring together everything that the planning team knows about the site requirements. They should be used towards the end of website planning to validate and cross-check requirements for consistency, completeness, reuse/interaction patterns and usability.
Wireframes do not necessarily represent the final layout or visual design of the site.
However, they can define a consistent look and feel for the website, and form part of a visual design brief. When used this way, wireframes match the final layout and design more closely.
