What is a wireframe best used for in the context of web design?

A wireframe is best used to outline the functional elements and structure of a website. It serves as a blueprint that visualizes the layout and organization of content, functionality, and interactions without the distractions of high-fidelity visuals or design elements. This tool helps designers and stakeholders focus on the user experience and the flow of the interface, ensuring that essential components like navigation, buttons, and content areas are logically arranged and easy to use.

By providing a clear representation of the site's skeletal structure, wireframes facilitate discussions about usability, user journeys, and the overall architecture of the website before any detailed design or coding takes place. This early-stage focus on structure and functionality makes it an invaluable part of the design process, allowing for earlier identification of potential issues and adjustments.

In contrast, options that suggest high-fidelity visuals, detailed specifications, or final user testing represent different phases of the design process that occur later on and do not serve the primary purpose of a wireframe.