← DictionaryMockup
also called visual mockup, design comp
A visual design of a page or screen showing final appearance.
What it will actually look like.
What It Is
Mockup belongs to Website, specifically the Process part of it. Stated plainly: a visual design of a page or screen showing final appearance.
It is a label with a settled working definition, so the value is in using it the same way every time. Used with that meaning, it stays a working tool rather than a talking point.
How It's Used
In practice, Mockup shows up in site builds, page structure and the technical decisions underneath them. It rarely travels alone — expect it next to Wireframe, Prototype and Art Direction. The practical test is whether everyone in the room means the same thing by it.
Why It Matters
Mockup is one of those items that only becomes visible when it is missing. When it is unclear, the site still launches — it just quietly underperforms. The businesses that treat it seriously spend less time redoing work.
It is a label people agree on so they stop describing the same thing five different ways. What it will actually look like.
Termshift™
How the meaning shifts depending on who is using it, and where.
In agency and in-house rooms, Mockup means exactly a visual design of a page or screen showing final appearance.
In plain conversation it comes out as what it will actually look like.
The Bottom Line
The practical takeaway on Mockup: what it will actually look like. Judge it by that, not by how it sounds.