---
title: "Mockup – meaning and role in the design process | Sweet Lava"
description: "A mockup is a polished, static design of a screen: final colours and typography, no interactions yet. See how it differs from wireframes and prototypes."
url: https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/mockup/
lang: en
alternate_pl: https://sweetlava.eu/pl/slownik/mockup-makieta/
---

UX & product design 

# What is Mockup?

A mockup is a static, visually polished design of a screen – with final colours, typography and graphics but no working interactions. It shows what the product will look like before it is built.

In the fidelity hierarchy: sketch → wireframe (structure) → **mockup** (appearance) → prototype (behaviour). A mockup is a "photograph" of the future product: the client approves the visual direction from it, and developers estimate the build.

Good practice: design mock-ups with real content (not lorem ipsum) and real conditions – long names, missing photos, a phone screen. A beautiful mockup with perfect data is a promise production won't keep.

The boundaries blur nowadays: tools like Figma turn mock-ups into clickable prototypes with one gesture.

## Related services

- [ UX audits & UX/UI design → ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/services/ux-ui-ax/)

## Related terms

- [Prototype](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/prototype/)
- [UI (user interface)](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/ui/)
- [Wireframe](https://sweetlava.eu/en/glossary/wireframe/)

## Want to know where your product loses users?

A UX audit ends with a prioritised list of fixes, each with a rationale. Scope and quote within a few days.

[ Get in touch ](https://sweetlava.eu/en/contact/?source=glossary-mockup)