High fidelity prototype
Also called hi-fi prototype, high-fidelity mockup.
A prototype that looks almost exactly like the finished product, with final styling, real content and realistic interactions.
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What it is.
Fidelity is how close a prototype is to the real thing. A wireframe is low fidelity: boxes, labels and layout, often in grey. A high fidelity prototype uses the real colours, type, icons, copy and components, usually from the design system, and links screens so people can click through them.
It still has no real back end. Data is sample data and logic is faked. That is what makes it quick to change compared with code.
Why it matters
People react to what they can see. Stakeholders sign off on a high fidelity prototype with much more confidence than on wireframes, and usability testing with real users gives more honest results when the screens look real. Engineers can also estimate from it with fewer gaps.
In a product build
OceanLab's first step before production is a clickable prototype. The closer it is to high fidelity, the more confidently a client can sign off on screens that look like what will ship.
Common mistakes.
- 01
Polishing visuals before the flow is right. Fix structure in wireframes first.
- 02
Letting it promise things engineering has not checked, such as real-time data that the APIs cannot give.
- 03
Only designing the happy path and leaving errors and empty states for later.
Work it out with a tool.
Related terms.
- WireframeA simple, usually grey, sketch of a screen showing layout, content and actions, without final styling.
- Clickable prototypeA set of linked screens you can click through, built to test a design before the real software exists.
- Design systemA shared set of reusable components, styles and usage rules that designers and engineers both build screens from.
- Usability testingWatching real people try to complete real tasks with a product, to find where they get stuck.
Guides and pages
Browse the full glossary or read answers to common questions.
