Moving On From Visual Mockups to Native Interactive Prototypes

Prototyping forms the foundation of our working process at Studio Raketa - the crucial bridge between initial strategy and actual software development. Before our developers touch any code, and designers make any designs, our PMs transform client’s ideas into clickable, interactive wireframes.

Prototyping is not just an optional design polish step, we position it as an absolute front of the project lifecycle to test core assumptions before committing engineering resources. That helps us and the client in three main aspects:

• Scope and Risk Management: Humans are visual thinkers. Clients often over-scope initial releases or overlook missing content. Clickable prototypes reveal missing data, unnecessary features and workflow bottlenecks before they become expensive changes in production code.
• Content Mapping: A major risk in web projects is finishing code while waiting on client content. Prototypes define exact data requirements early, ensuring launch readiness.
• Developer and Client Alignment: Prototypes replace vague technical specifications with a "show, don't tell" blueprint. Developers gain complete visibility into how individual components fit into the larger architecture, while clients get an early "Wow" moment that establishes trust and a shared project vocabulary.

Оur learning journey began with tools like InDesign and Sketch. Back then we relied heavily on designers to bring our prototypes to life. We explored the then-modern solutions of Adobe XD and InVision, and eventually moved on to advanced platforms like Figma. With every tool and client, it became clear that our PMs should be able to recreate their ideas visually, so we doubled down on developing that skill. (How useful and awesome it is to have a Project Manager who can own things rather than simply coordinate them is a topic for some of our next articles.)

But the experience with different tools, reinforced Vestimir’s belief that, when it comes to the web, sometimes the best approach is to build natively in the browser, even if that means taking the risk of bypassing a traditional design system. Today we combine modern AI toolchains with strict human steering to craft functional prototypes in record time.

• Interactive HTML Over Static Mockups: While Figma handles early layout exploration, we increasingly leverage interactive HTML prototypes built with AI assistants like Gemini Pro and custom agents. HTML prototypes run directly in browsers and mobile devices, behaving identically to the final software.
• Code-Ready Blueprints: Using HTML directly eliminates the translation step between static design images and frontend code, allowing developers to reuse structural logic directly.
• Human-Driven AI Steering: AI tools act like eager design interns - they churn out code in seconds but lack business judgment. Our PMs actively guide these agents, stripping away unnecessary scope, enforcing simple user flows (e.g., prototyping one item detail page rather than fifty), and applying human taste and technical strategy.

How Did We Learn to Do It?

It’s an honest mix of continuous peer mentorship within the team, and hands-on industry practice. Our live workshops are not only great team-bonding events for our remote-first company, but also a powerful source of new ideas and stories to share. And working with our clients provides just the right grounding in real-life challenges that our creative souls sometimes need.

“Practicing your chops at making decisions, learning from your mistakes, learning to listen and work through feedback from others, selling an idea and arguing for better and more useful screens is the way to go”, says Vestimir.

Collapsing the distance between an initial concept and a working product is the holy grail for any software studio. A flat design canvas lets you imagine anything, but the browser forces you to design for reality, respecting the true constraints, interactions, and physics of the web medium from day one.

Most importantly, seeing something so detailed and so close to being “ready” excites everyone involved. It sets a good pace of collaboration, highlights what would need more attention early and gives the team more confidence to experiment.

One thing is for certain – happy and confident people ship better products.