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There is no questions: UI-First Software Development. But what does it takes to do the UI first?

I started to build a website, a complicated one, and know I start to concern about the UI. Instead to start coding html+css, I decided to start with SkecthFlow. now, I'm very confused. Do I want to build a exact sketch? meaning to think about colors, fonts make sure that the button will look like a web link... etc, or just build the application sketch flow? meaning put a textboxes and buttons. Do I need to implement every thing in SketchFlow first?

I'm looking for best practice.

+3  A: 

When I am doing wireframes, the goal is to NOT have the user/reviewer worry about colors/fonts/etc. but rather to have them focus on the details of the UI workflow/screen flow and specific types of controls they want to use. Even placement of the controls is secondary unless it impacts usability.

That's why SketchFlow comes with the style set that has the UI look like hand-drawn black and white chalkboard drawings.

Many non-programmers (and some programmers too) get hung up on colors, fonts and graphic design, which can suck up a bunch of time early in a project. All of that can easily be done later, when the functionality is all decided upon and in development.

Guy Starbuck
Thanks. That's feel right. what about the UI-logic concerns? do I need to implement the login / log out button, to be as real? it's feels strange to write this mocks code...
stacker
What is your goal? If it is to design the user interface, it doesn't matter if the login button "really" works. You may need to do some implementation so that the UI flows correctly (i.e. so you can see both the "login successful" and "login failed" views), but you probably shouldn't spend a lot of time at this phase actually implementing the security model.
Guy Starbuck