Initial Design Document

 
Description
This is a wireframe mockup I created for an enhancement to an application for customer service reps. I've included this image as a sample of an early design mockup. I frequently create early mockups like these in PowerPoint, for a few reasons:
  • Everyone has PowerPoint, so it's easy for a product team to review and work on design docs collaboratively.
  • The low-fidelity nature of the mockup helps focus on the underlying structure of the design rather than the details.
  • You can iterate the design quickly. Even with lengthy PowerPoint mockups, I've done signficant revisions in as little as 30 minutes.
  • It's easy to annotate a design, which is difficult in HTML.
  • PowerPoint has some hyperlinking capabilities, which lets you get a feel for navigation while a design is still rough