A mockup is a model or prototype used to display or test a design . The term, which is not part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) and comes from the English mock-up , is usually developed to know the opinion of users or consumers.
Thanks to a mockup, a designer can analyze and show how their work is progressing. In this way, if changes are necessary, these modifications are established before the presentation of the final version of the product.
Sometimes the mockup is a model made to scale , without any type of functionality. In other cases, the mockup presents tools and options that allow its use and evaluation in operation.
Depending on the scope, the mockup has specific characteristics. In the field of graphic design , for example, the mockup is used so that the client can preview the result of a website, a brochure, a catalog, etc.
The idea of the mockup, in this framework, is to present the first version of the design in the appropriate environment. Thus, whoever commissioned the work has the possibility of appreciating what the result will be like before the designer's tasks are closed.
Far from being a draft made in a hurry in a work meeting, a mockup should allow the client to get a fairly clear idea of the final work, and for this reason it requires not only a lot of dedication but also experience. One of the fundamental points when creating a mockup are the tools : if we choose the right ones we can obtain more impressive results in less time.
Regardless of the type of work, a professional designer must be able to make a digital mockup to invest the least amount of money possible in this first stage, which, very often, must be repeated more than once until the client is satisfied. The goal is to make sure that you have correctly understood your demands before starting to work with the final materials, which can be different types of paper, markers, printers, etc.
At this point the path opens in two: the best-prepared professionals have experience in using very powerful tools, where Photoshop stands out, to carry out high-quality designs in a short time; The others usually resort to programs that automate a large part of the process and for this reason give results that are similar to many others. Some of these are free, others are paid, but the important thing is that they all start from the work of a third party, prepared for modification.
Among the most common types of mockups that graphic designers must create are t-shirt prints, decorated mugs, labels with logos, business cards, corporate identity items, web pages presented on different devices, and facades. of commercial stores.
Whether we use a commercial tool or create all the material on our own, to speed up the process of creating a mockup it is advisable to have different templates on hand for each of the types of projects just mentioned, on which we can « paste» the new designs. For example, a photo of a person holding a tablet with a blank screen is ideal for overlaying a web page .
In dentistry , on the other hand, temporary dental veneers are called mockups that help the patient see how the permanent veneers will look. The mockup is designed in a different material and is placed on the individual's teeth , and can be retouched. Once the desired aesthetics have been achieved, the final veneers are manufactured based on the mockup.