When applying screen planning for the first time, we have organized the structures, screens, and priorities that are often blocked for non-majors. We have organized key standards, common mistakes, inspection points, and next actions in one place so that you can directly attach them to the actual planning and execution flow, so apply them right away.
Screen planning is the main topic of this guide. If you are applying Screen planning in a real project, start with the structure and checks below.
This article is organized based on points that often get stuck when attaching screen planning to actual work flow.
It is safer to check the current environment and official documents before actual application.
Once the user flow is organized, the screen comes to mind naturally. The first thing that many beginners worry about at this time is color and atmosphere. Of course, design is important, but the first thing to consider when planning the first screen is a structure that does not confuse users. Even if the buttons are pretty, if you don’t know where to press, it’s not a good screen. Screen planning for non-majors is not an artistic task, but is more of a matter of organizing the order of information and actions.
One screen must have one central role
As soon as you see a good screen, you feel “what can I do here?” If it is a main screen, the key actions should be shown, and if it is a result screen, the results should be shown first. However, beginners often put too many buttons and explanations on one screen because they want to appear friendly. As a result, users end up not knowing what to do first. The first principle of screen planning is simple. The idea is to have only one central role per screen.
Information should be placed in order of importance, not order of abundance.
When writing down content to be displayed on the screen, “what to show first” is more important than “what to show the most.” The structure becomes much neater if you divide the information into the information the user needs to see first, the information they need to check next, and the auxiliary information they need at the end. For example, if it is a title recommendation service, the input field and creation button should be visible first. It is not too late to introduce the company or provide additional information.
It is better to borrow a familiar screen structure
Non-majors want to create original screens, but it is safer to refer to familiar structures in the beginning. Messengers are centered around conversation windows, shopping apps are centered around product images and prices, and management pages are centered around lists and filters. Utilizing patterns that users are already familiar with reduces explanation and makes development easier. A structure that is less confusing is more important than a new feel.
It’s okay for wireframes to be rough
When planning a screen for the first time, rather than trying to create a pretty draft, it is enough to just compose it with boxes and text. It is very helpful to organize where the title goes, how many buttons there are, and where the results appear. The rougher this step is, the easier it is to fix it. Color and atmosphere are a matter of later, but if the structure is distorted, all subsequent steps will be shaken.
When requesting a screen from AI, you must speak role-oriented
If you tell AI, “Make me a pretty main screen,” you can come up with a great draft. However, a really helpful request is to say it in a role-oriented way, such as “Make me see the key description at the top, the input window in the middle, and the results list at the bottom.” If the screen plan is clear, AI will also produce more practical results. In the end, the key to screen planning is not to create a screen that looks good, but to create a screen that users can move without hesitation.
The method you can try today is simple. For each screen you want to create, first write down “What is one role of this screen?” That one sentence becomes the standard for organizing information placement and button location. In the next article, we will continue with how to write a plan that allows AI to better understand the screens and functions organized in this way.
As an easy example,
For example, if it is the first screen of a household account book app, the first thing the user has to do is enter expenses. However, if the notice, statistics, settings, and advertisement buttons are visible first, the screen may be flashy, but action will be slow. In this case, it is much easier to understand if only the input window, save button, and today’s total are shown first.
Quick checklist for Screen planning
Use this checklist before you apply Screen planning in an actual post or product flow.
- Is the first action obvious as soon as the user lands on the page?
- Are intermediate steps simple enough that buttons and explanations do not overlap?
- Does the result naturally lead to a next action instead of a dead end?
- Could you explain the structure again later without adding unnecessary screens?
Related posts
- user flow chart: Drawing user flow diagrams for non-majors
- AI plan: How to write a plan that works well for AI
Things to verify before you apply it
- Tool UI and function configuration may vary depending on the time, so it is safer to check again based on the current version.
- Although this may work well for small examples, in projects with large existing code bases, the scope of modifications can quickly become large if the structure is not broken down first.
