What exactly is a Figma prototype?
A Figma prototype is much more than a static picture of a website. It is an interactive, clickable mockup that behaves very much like a real website. It allows you to navigate between different screens, click on buttons, interact with menus, and even see simple animations and transitions. It brings a flat design to life.
Think of it as the final dress rehearsal before the main performance. It simulates the actual user experience in a controlled environment, giving everyone involved a tangible feel for the final product before a single piece of the website is built in Webflow. This step bridges the gap between a visual concept and a functional digital product.
Why is a prototype better than just looking at flat design images?
Looking at a collection of flat design images, like JPEGs or a PDF, can show you what the website will look like, but it cannot show you how it will feel to use. Aesthetics are important, but the user's journey and the flow between pages are just as critical for a successful website. A design might look beautiful as a static image but feel clunky or confusing in practice.
A prototype provides essential context. It allows you to experience the website's navigation, test the logic of its structure, and identify any awkward or confusing steps in the user journey. By clicking through the prototype yourself, you can spot potential usability problems that are impossible to see in a flat design, ensuring the final product is not just beautiful but also intuitive and easy to use.
How does prototyping in Figma save my business time and money?
The biggest benefit of a detailed prototyping phase is its power to prevent costly changes during development. Making a change within a Figma prototype is incredibly fast and inexpensive. Moving a button, redesigning a section, or rethinking a user flow can be done in minutes or hours in the design phase.
Making those same changes once the website has been built in Webflow is a different story. It can involve hours or even days of development work to adjust the structure, styles, and functionality. This is where budgets and timelines can start to spiral. By using a Figma prototype to finalise all major design and structural decisions upfront, you are essentially following the 'measure twice, cut once' principle. This ensures the development process is smooth, efficient, and stays on budget.
What makes a Figma prototype effective for a Webflow project?
An effective prototype is not just about linking every single screen together. It is about focusing on and testing the most critical user paths. A great prototype prioritises the key journeys a user will take to achieve their goals on your site, for example, the process of signing up for a trial, finding key product information, or completing a contact form.
It should also accurately represent the intended interactions and micro-animations that are planned for the Webflow build. This includes things like hover effects on buttons, dropdown menu behaviour, and page transition styles. By demonstrating these details in the prototype, you create a clear and shared set of expectations for the development team, ensuring the final Webflow site is built exactly as envisioned.
How does Tahi Studio use prototypes to create a shared project vision?
At Tahi Studio, we believe that clarity and alignment are the foundations of a successful project. We use high-fidelity Figma prototypes as a crucial tool to build a shared vision with our clients. It is the moment where the project moves from abstract ideas to a concrete, interactive experience that everyone can understand and agree on.
Our process involves creating a comprehensive prototype that allows you to see, click, and feel the website before we begin the Webflow build. This collaborative step ensures there are no surprises. It empowers you to give precise feedback and feel complete confidence in the direction of the project. This commitment to a clear, prototype-driven process is central to how we foster a transparent partnership and deliver a final product that perfectly matches your goals.
