the.com/mockup
A fake so convincing the client forgets it doesn't actually work yet.
means A scale or full-size model of something built to test or demonstrate the idea before the real thing exists.
from From 'mock,' meaning imitation or sham, plus 'up' — the same construction pattern as 'made up' or 'dressed up.' The term rose through engineering and design shops in the 20th century, where builders needed a quick word for a dummy version run up fast to check size, shape, or look before committing to the real build.
- origin
- from mock plus up, since 1920s engineering
- purpose
- tests looks, not function, unlike a prototype
- danger
- clients approve it, then expect pixels to code themselves
- fidelity
- ranges from napkin sketch to pixel-perfect lie