What Is a Mockup & Why Do You Need One (2024)

Creating professional-looking mockups is a crucial task for any marketer or business owner. This is because mockups help communicate your product design ideas with co-workers, investors or clients in a visual way. And they’re also incredible visual marketing tools.

But what is a mockup exactly and how can you create one if you’re not a professional designer? Well, we have the answers to all of that.

In this article, we’ll cover what a mockup is, different types of mockups, why mockups are important and more.

We have a lot of material to cover here, so let’s get right into it.

Table of Contents

• What Is a Mockup?
• Mockup vs Wireframe
• Types of Mockups
• Why Do You Need a Mockup?
• The Best Tools For Creating Mockups
• How to Make a Mockup with Visme
• Mockup FAQs

What Is a Mockup?

A mockup is an artistic rendering of a design or product that showcases said product in action. A mockup can be a model, image or scene of a proposed design or product, and they’re often used for demonstration, education or promotion.

The concept of mockups has been around forever and can be created in many forms, such as being hand-drawn or physically constructed.

But nowadays — big thanks to technology — you don’t need to be a professional artist or spend countless hours drawing up your mockup.

You can now create a mockup within minutes and save precious time, energy and money by creating your mockup quickly with an online tool.

By using mockups, you can avoid unspoken assumptions and confusion by solidifying with your coworkers and clients, in detail, what the finished product or design will or could look like before you even begin the actual creation process.

You can also use mockups to share product ideas or renderings with customers so they have a better idea of what they’re buying before they make a purchase.

If you’re interested in how you can make a professional mockup in just a few easy steps, we have an entire guide dedicated to the subject.

Mockup vs Wireframe

When designing a website or app, you'll often hear the terms "mockup" and "wireframe." Both are essential for the development process, but they serve different purposes.

A wireframe is a basic layout of a webpage or app screen. It shows the structure of the content and where different elements, like buttons and images, will go. Think of it as a blueprint for your design. Wireframes are usually black and white and lack detailed visuals. They help designers focus on the placement and flow of content without getting distracted by colors or fonts.

On the other hand, a mockup is a more detailed visual model of a webpage or app screen. It includes colors, fonts and images, giving a realistic preview of the final product. Mockups are useful for showing the design to stakeholders and getting feedback on the visual aspects. They also help in making adjustments before the development starts.

Both wireframes and mockups are important in the design process. Wireframes establish the structure, while mockups add visual details. Designers use both to ensure that the final product is functional and looks good.

Types of Mockups

Across all industries, mockups are useful and informative for product visualization before production.

Because of the large variations in industry needs, there are many different types of mockups, such as print mockups, branding mockups, product mockups and more.

We’re going to do a deep dive into some of the most common types of mockups so you can see which one will best suit your industry’s needs.

Print Mockups

A print mockup is a photorealistic rendering of potential print material and can be used to visualize how it will look after being printed.

By creating a print mockup, you can visualize your design on flyers, banners, postcards and nearly any other printed material.

Aside from verifying the overall design layout, print mockups can help verify the legibility of the font size prior to printing.

Print mockups can save you time, stress, money and even help save the environment by testing and sampling design ideas.

Furthermore, print mockups are perfect for creating visuals of your lead magnets, ebooks and other printable marketing materials. Don’t use a boring screenshot of your cover page; instead, create an eye-catching mockup that increases downloads and lead generation.

Device Mockups

A device mockup is a photo rendering of an electronic device where the screen of the device, such as a phone, tablet, computer screen or smartwatch, can be replaced with your design.

Device mockups are useful in marketing because you can show off your app or web pages in visually appealing designs, rather than sharing a boring screenshot.

This type of mockup is also great for tech companies in the development phase to assist in deciding what their app or webpage will look like.

For small startup tech companies, a device mockup can help them save money on development for a season and allow them to focus on other tasks such as research and marketing.

If you’re looking to develop your new app idea, we have free educational guides on how to design and develop your own apps that will help you get a jumpstart on your creative endeavor.

Branding Mockups

A branding mockup is an image rendered with a company’s logo, motto or other branding material on commodity products.

You can create awareness and fidelity for your brand by branding things such as notepads, cups, pens and other various objects.

Branding mockups can be useful for businesses that are considering starting a new marketing campaign. For example, consider a scenario where a local business has set aside a small amount of money for advertising.

Before a decision is made to spend the budget on a random assortment of branded objects, the business owners could be shown some branding mockups to help them decide on what particular items to brand.

Branded items do not have to be strictly related to the company's main products.

For instance, a small local restaurant sells food, but they may also sell/give away pens with their logos on them.

Although the restaurant has little to do with writing, by placing their logos on pens they are able to make their brand known and remembered by customers.

Branding mockups let you visualize these designs and see which ideas are suitable for your company’s needs.

Packaging Mockups

A packaging mockup is a photo representation of your branding placed on various packaging items. This may include boxes, plastic bags, paper bags and other various packaging materials.

In marketing, the packaging of an item is much more than just a means of sending your product in a box or bag.

Packaging an item sends a subliminal visual message to your clients regarding the quality of the item inside of the package.

A packaging mockup can help tremendously in producing quality packaging.

Which font size, font color, background color and material to use are all questions that will naturally be answered by creating a packaging mockup.

Creating a mockup will help you come up with a branded packaging that is consistent with your company's values and create an unboxing experience that is sure to leave a lasting impression on your customers.

Product Mockups

A product mockup is a realistic digital rendition of a product design. It’s typically used at the start of a new project to help a team capture a vision for the end result of a product design.

Product mockups have also been used in advertisem*nts. For example, many E-commerce stores opt to use t-shirt mockups by importing their design onto a mockup template, as opposed to photographing each shirt individually with all its variations.

Using mockup templates makes the design aspect of the mockup incredibly easy. If you are looking for free t-shirt mockup templates, hoodie mockup templates and other product mockup templates, check out Visme’s mockup generator.

Social Media Mockups

A social media mockup is a digital rendering of various social media sites that allows you to insert and visualize your content before posting it to the official media site.

Considering that nearly 55% of all internet traffic is generated on mobile devices, it is important that your images, videos and posts have proper proportions for mobile devices.

Social media mockups are a great way for businesses and brands to check the proportions of their posts and ensure they are properly formatted and responsive for all types of devices.

Additionally, social media mockups can be valuable visuals to include within blog posts, marketing plans or even shared on social media.

To ensure that your social media posts are the best they can be, check out our guide on how to create professional posts for social media.

Why Do You Need a Mockup?

Without a mockup, it can be extremely challenging to give your audience a clear description of what you want to create or sell.

Because over 65% of the world identifies as a visual learner, it may be a good idea to create a visual aid such as a mockup to share your ideas and products.

Mockups show potentiality. Your mockups can be used in any department; from marketing to design, board meetings to R&D, everyone can use mockups and reap the benefits of using a mockup.

By creating a professional mockup, your target audience can visualize your product in an exciting, clean and professional way.

A mockup can:

• Help visualize an end goal
• Create a unified team
• Get investors onboard
• Personalize pitch decks for target audiences
• Expand your library of marketing assets
• Engage your audience
• Increase lead generation
• Help customers make purchasing decisions

Mockups have a proven track record of being a cheap and effective method of advertising in the marketing department.

Marketing teams have used mockups for years to present clean and professional advertisem*nts. These advertisem*nts shine new light on how customers can benefit from the product and entice them to take action.

Design teams have also benefited from using mockups. By visualizing the end goal, a mockup can act as a guide for the team to know what to design for. A well-designed mockup ensures that your team is on the same page, headed in the same direction and produces a product that is true to the original design.

Investors have also seen the benefits of mockups. By creating a customized mockup, potential investors can visually connect with your ideas.

A clean, sleek and professional-looking mockup can help get investors on board and invested in your product.

If you’re considering creating a pitch deck to present to potential investors, then you should consider adding a few mockup images to take it to the next level.

If you want to learn more on how to create the best pitch deck, we’ve written an entire guide just for you that can help you accomplish that.

When it comes to creating mockups, having the correct tools for the job can make or break the experience.

Here are the best pieces of software for creating customized mockups with a brief description of why we think they are the best.

Tool #1: Visme

When it comes to easily creating a high-fidelity mockup of your design with the least amount of effort, the best tool for the job is Visme.

Visme has a wide variety of mockup templates to choose from that effortlessly implement your design into the scene.

Traditionally, mockups have been created manually by professional designers, developers or photographers. Not anymore!

With a simple drag-and-drop action, you can import your logo or design into the editor and it immediately generates your new professional-looking mockup.

Features

Drag-and-Drop Interface

Visme's interface is easy to use. You can easily add and move elements to make design adjustments quickly and seamlessly. So, you don't need to be a professional to use the tool effectively because the drag-and-drop functionality is simple. This feature saves time, allowing you to focus more on the creative aspects of your project.

Mockup Templates

Visme offers a variety of professional, customizable mockup templates to help you start projects quickly. These templates are made by experts to ensure high quality. They save time by providing a strong foundation that you can easily adjust to your needs.

Customizable Graphics

With a vast library of vector icons, 3D animated graphics and illustrations, you can bring your vision to life with precision. You can tweak each element to match your brand's style and color scheme. This flexibility ensures that your designs are unique and tailored to your requirements.

AI Tools

Visme's AI-powered features, like the AI Writer, AI image generator and AI Designer, make the mockup design process even easier.The AI writer helps you generate creative content ideas and text that fit perfectly with your design. Our AI image generator allows you to create unique visuals tailored to your needs without much manual effort. And with the AI designer, you can quickly create any design just by giving prompts. These smart tools make it easier to fine-tune your mockups to perfection.

Collaboration Tools

Real-time collaboration options allow you to share your work with team members, gather feedback and make necessary adjustments quickly. You can invite colleagues to view, comment, annotate and live edit your mockups. This feature is particularly useful for projects that require input from multiple stakeholders.

Brand Design Tool

Use Visme's brand design tool to keep your designs consistent with your brand. Just copy and paste your website URL, and the tool will extract your brand colors, fonts and company logo and save them under your brand area.

So, whenever you need to apply your branding to any document, you do so with one click. This helps maintain a unified look across all your designs, reinforcing your brand identity.

Interactive Elements

Add interactivity to your mockups with clickable buttons, hotspots, hover effects and links to make your designs more engaging. These elements can guide users through your design, enhancing their experience. It's a great way to make your mockups feel more alive and functional.

Additionally, you can add subtle animations that bring your mockups to life. These animations make your design more engaging and improve the overall experience for the stakeholders.

Charts and Data Widgets

Easily integrate data into your mockups with a variety of charts, graphs and data widgets to visually represent complex information. These tools help you convey data-driven insights clearly and effectively. Choose from options like pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs and data widgets like progress bars, radial gauges and population arrays.

You can customize the appearance of charts to match your design. The best part is that you can integrate live data sources like Google Sheets and MS Excel into your Visme charts, which update automatically.

Stock Photos and Videos

Access a vast library of stock photos and videos to enrich your designs and make them more visually appealing. These resources are high-quality and can be used to complement your design elements.

They save you time by eliminating the need to search for external media. Incorporating stock photos and videos can elevate the aesthetic of your mockups, making them more impactful.

Analytics Features

Use Visme's advanced analytics features to see how your visitors interact and engage with your mockups. You can track views, average time spent on each mockup, and total visits to gain insights into audience engagement. The platform also allows you to track visitors' IP addresses, giving you detailed information on their geographic location.

These analytics tools help you understand what works and what needs improvement so you can make informed decisions for future projects.

Pricing

Visme has a free plan with all the essential features for testing the tool. The paid plans with advanced features, storage space and download options are:

• Starter: $12.25/month/user, billed annually.
• Pro: $24.75/month/user, billed annually.
• Enterprise: The enterprise plan includes all of Visme's advanced features. For more information, contact our sales team.

Pros

• Intuitive, user-friendly interface, ideal for beginners and experienced designers.
• High-quality, customizable templates.
• Excellent real-time collaboration features.
• AI tools to automate and enhance the design process.
• Comprehensive brand design tools.

Cons:

• Some advanced functionalities are restricted to higher-tier plans.

Tool #2: Figma

Figma is a web-based UI/UX design station.

While limited to only creating app and website mockups, Figma is a feature-rich platform centered on front-end design and development. It has become an industry standard over the past few years for the web development community.

Figma also allows you to share your work with others and collaborate with others in real-time.

Figma tracks each attribute of your created object, so when you go to create your web app, all of the exact relevant information is there.

If you are looking for a tool to do the one task of creating front-end mockups, Figma may be a good fit for you and your team.

Features

• Work with team members simultaneously to watch changes as they happen.
• Create reusable components to keep designs consistent.
• Design responsive layouts that adapt to different screen sizes automatically.
• Enhance functionality with a range of plugins that integrate seamlessly.
• Easily create interactive prototypes to test user experience.

Pricing

• Starter Team: Figma offers a free plan with basic features, which is great for individuals or small teams.
• Professional Team: $15/full seat/month when billed annually.
• Organization: $45/full seat/month or $25/month for Dev Mode only, billed annually.
• Enterprise: $75/full seat/month or $35/month for dev mode only, billed annually.

Pros:

• Excellent for team collaboration
• Web-based, no installation needed
• Strong community support with plugins and tutorials

Cons:

• Can be expensive for large teams
• Has a steep learning curve
• Limited offline functionality

Tool #3: Freepik

Freepik is a comprehensive resource hub for designers, offering an extensive collection of mockups.

Freepik’s library contains thousands of mockup templates that cover a wide range of categories and styles. It ensures that you find the perfect fit for your project.

Freepik complements its library with the Mockup Generator, a tool that allows you to create and edit mockups directly online without needing external software.

With its extensive mockup library and intuitive Mockup Generator, Freepik simplifies the design process making it easy to finalize your mockups efficiently right in your browser.

Features

• Access an extensive collection of over ten million resources.
• Use vectors and PSD files that can be easily customized.
• Simplify your search for specific items with a robust filter system.
• Work on projects with multiple team members.
• ntegrate seamlessly with popular design software.

Pricing

Freepik offers various pricing options for individuals and teams, with both monthly and annual billing plans.

• Individual: $12/month when billed annually or $24/month.
• Teams: $11.40/seat/month when billed annually, or $22.80/seat/month.

Pros:

• Massive library of resources
• Easy-to-use interface
• Caters to various design needs

Cons:

• The free plan is limited
• Limited customization options
• May produce generic results`

Tool #4: Adobe Photoshop

Adobe has created some of the most infamous software in the world. Even people from outside of the design world have heard of Photoshop, and for good reason.

Photoshop is a design tool that allows you to manipulate every pixel of an image.

Regarding mockups, Photoshop is a powerful tool that lets you crop and merge layers of images together to create a single image. This creates a mockup where you manually place your design on various objects.

While Photoshop does give you full control over your image, this amount of control comes at a hefty resource cost on your computer.

Because Photoshop is not cloud-based like Visme and Figma, your computer may not be able to run the program smoothly or even run at all.

You may want to check the specs on your hardware and see if your machine is up to the task of running Photoshop.

Features

• Organize your design elements efficiently with layers.
• Use Smart Objects to make non-destructive edits to your designs.
• Access a variety of pre-made templates to speed up your workflow.
• Fine-tune every detail with extensive customization options.
• Create realistic 3D mockups for a more immersive design experience.

Pricing

• Individual: $22.99/mo
• Business: US$37.99/month per license

Pros:

• Industry-standard tool with a robust feature set.
• Extensive online tutorials and community support.
• Highly customizable for various design needs.

Cons:

• Expensive for occasional users.
• Steep learning curve for beginners.
• Requires a subscription commitment.

Tool #5: Adobe Illustrator

Illustrator is a vector-based graphic design platform created by Adobe.

Because Illustrator uses vectors, you can magnify your design without having to worry about low pixel density and poor resolution. This is a great feature for designing logos, fonts, and even drawing.

Illustrator is similar to Photoshop in the sense that all of your designs must be created manually and require heavy resource allocation from your computer.

Photoshop and Illustrator are also notorious for requiring many hours of training to perform the most basic of functions.

However, if you know what you’re doing or are willing to put in a few hundred hours into learning this software, give Photoshop and Illustrator a try.

Features

• Create scalable and high-quality vector designs and graphics
• Artboards: Work on multiple pages or artboards in a single document
• Save time by reusing design elements across projects
• Utilize various drawing and typography tools to craft detailed mockups
• Seamlessly integrate your designs with other Adobe tools
• Draw intricate paths and shapes with precision using Pen Tool

Pricing

Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop have the same pricing and plans since they both come with the Adobe Express premium plan. So, the plans are:

• Individual: $22.99/mo
• Business: US$37.99/month per license

Pros:

• Precision in creating vector graphics.
• Great for scalable designs.
• Strong integration with other Adobe apps.

Cons:

• Subscriptions can be pricey for some.
• Advanced features have a learning curve.
• Not ideal for photo editing tasks.

How to Make a Mockup with Visme

After covering the basics of mockups, we'll now focus on the practical aspects. With Visme, you can easily create professional-looking mockups, even without a background in graphic design.

In this section, we will walk you through the process of making a mockup using Visme, from choosing the suitable template to adding your design and customizing the final result.

Here's a quick walkthrough on how to create a mockup with Visme.

1. Create a Free Account

Create a free account with Visme. With this free account, you will be able to access hundreds of professionally designed templates for sorts of presentations and mockups.

2. Create a New Project

Once you have created an account, you will be redirected to your Visme dashboard. This is where all of your future projects can be previewed, queried and shared. Click on the “Create New” button to begin making a new project. From the drop-down menu, select the type of visual you want to create. (If it's a mockup, you'll want to go to "More.")

3. Find Your Template

At the start of every new project, you can select an existing template crafted by professional designers or craft your own design and save it as a template for later use. To use an existing design, click on the mockup template that will best suit your needs and click “edit.”

4. Drag-and-Drop Your Design Elements

Now, it's time to add your own design to the mockup.

Upload Your Design

If your design is ready, click on the "Photos" tab in the left sidebar, then click "Upload." Select your design file from your computer and upload it to Visme.

Drag and Drop

Once your design is uploaded, simply drag it from the "My Files" section onto the mockup area in the template. Visme will automatically adjust the perspective and scale of your design to fit the mockup.

Adjust and Position

If needed, you can further adjust the position, size, and rotation of your design within the mockup using the editing tools.

5. Customize Your Mockup

Visme offers several customization options to personalize your image mockup and make it truly unique. Here's how to put your personal touch on your template:

Change Background

You can replace the default background with a solid color, gradient, image, or video. This feature allows you to create the perfect backdrop for your mockup.

To change the background, click the "Background" option on the top bar. From the drop-down menu, you can choose from many background types, including photos, gradients, videos and even animated ones. Choose a background type that matches your overall design.

Add Text

Use the text tool to add captions, headlines or other text elements. Customize the fonts, colors and styles to match your branding, ensuring consistency across all your designs.

To add captions or headlines, go to the "Text" tab in the left sidebar. You can choose from preset text blocks like "Title," "Subtitle," or "Body Text" and drag your selection onto the mockup.

To edit the text, just double-click on the text box. You can customize the fonts, sizes and colors using the options in the top toolbar to match your branding.

Incorporate Graphics

Visme offers a wide selection of icons, illustrations and shapes that you can add to your mockup to enhance its visual appeal. This allows for creativity and makes your design stand out even more.

To incorporate graphics, navigate to the "Graphics" tab in the left sidebar. Browse or search for the elements that suit your design and drag them onto the mockup.

Once added, you can adjust their size, color and orientation using the editing tools in the toolbar.

Apply Filters and Effects

Experiment with filters and effects to create a specific mood or atmosphere for your mockup. This step helps set the tone and make your presentation more compelling.

Lastly, to apply filters and effects to create a specific mood or atmosphere, select the image or graphic you wish to modify. A toolbar will appear; click the "Filter" button to explore various filter options, such as grayscale, sepia, brightness and contrast.

Choose the filter best suits your design, and use the slider tools to adjust its intensity until you achieve the desired effect.

Step 4: Download or Share

Once you're satisfied with your mockup, it's time to download or share it with others.

Click on the "Download" button in the top right corner and choose your preferred file format: JPG, PNG, PDF or HTML5.

You can also share your mockup directly from Visme by generating a shareable link or embedding it on your website or social media platforms.

For a more in-depth look at how to create mockups with Visme, check out this complete tutorial on how to create a mockup.

Aside from its ease of use, another key reason we recommend Visme is because of the seamless workflow it provides.

Visme creates a whole workspace where you can create a design, transform that design into a mockup and share your mockup for designers in various presentation forms with others.

Because Visme is such a versatile tool, or better said a complete workstation, with literally thousands of professional templates to choose from, Visme’s mockup generator makes the top of our list.

Mockup FAQs

Q1. What is the difference between a sample and a mockup?

A sample is a physical representation of the real product, often used for testing or demonstration purposes. A mockup, on the other hand, is a non-functional visual representation that demonstrates the design and appearance of a product in a static form.

Q2. What is the difference between a mockup and a prototype?

A mockup focuses primarily on the visual aspects of the product, showcasing its look and feel. While visually similar to a mockup, a prototype includes basic functionality to test interactions and user experience.

Q3. What is a 3D mockup used for?

A 3D mockup shows a product in a realistic three-dimensional space. It helps designers and stakeholders evaluate the product's physical attributes, appearance and possible manufacturing challenges.

Q4. Where do mockups come into the web design process?

Mockups come into the web design process after the wireframing stage. During wireframing, the basic layout and structure are defined. Mockups add visual elements like colors, images, and typography, bringing the design closer to its final appearance.

Q5. Where do mockups fit into the product development process?

Creating mockups is important early in product development. They show the design idea physically so you can get feedback and make changes before spending money on prototypes or manufacturing.

Q6. What is a mockup pattern?

A mockup pattern is a reusable template or framework that helps make it easier and faster to create mockups. It includes common UI elements, layouts, and styles, making designing consistent and visually appealing mockups easier. Visme offers a variety of mockup templates that can be customized to your needs.

Now Over to You

Now that you know what mockups are and why they can be so important for business and marketing, it’s time for you to start creating one.

With Visme’s mockup generator, you can easily and quickly create mockups for your next project.

With hundreds of fully customizable mockup templates to choose from, we are certain you will find a mockup template that works for you and your needs.

Don’t wait another minute. Create your account for free and get started on your next mockup now.