Mid-fi designs don’t exist

User experience (UX) design is an iterative process that involves researching, prototyping, and testing to create products that meet the needs and goals of the users. In this process, designers use different levels of design fidelity to represent their ideas and test them with users. One of the levels of design fidelity is mid-fi, which refers to a level of design quality that is between low-fidelity (lo-fi) and high-fidelity (hi-fi).

Mid-fi designs are more detailed and functional than lo-fi designs, but not as polished or functional as hi-fi designs. They are often used to create prototypes or mockups that are more realistic than lo-fi designs, but not as costly or time-consuming to create as hi-fi designs. However, it’s a general trend that mid-fi designs are becoming less common in UX design.

One reason for this trend is the shift towards a more iterative, user-centered design process. In the past, designers would create detailed and polished designs early in the process, which would then be handed off to developers to implement. However, this approach is prone to errors as it didn’t account for user feedback, therefore in the iterative process, designers use lo-fi prototyping for early testing of ideas, and hi-fi prototyping for user testing and validation near the end of the design process. This helps to ensure that the design is tailored to the users’ needs and goals, and that potential issues are identified and addressed early in the process.

Another reason for the decline in mid-fi designs is the advancement of technology and design tools. With the rise of digital design tools, it’s becoming easier and cheaper to create high-fidelity prototypes. These prototypes are more realistic and provide a more accurate representation of the final product, making it less necessary for designers to use mid-fi designs.

In conclusion, mid-fi designs have become less common in UX design because of the shift towards a more iterative and user-centered design process, and because of the advancement of technology and design tools that make it easier and cheaper to create high-fidelity prototypes. While there are still some use cases for mid-fi designs, designers are increasingly relying on lo-fi and hi-fi designs to create and test their ideas.