Model vs. Mockup — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on August 25, 2023
A model represents a system or thing, often in simplified form, while a mockup is a full-size design or replica used to showcase or test an object's appearance.
Difference Between Model and Mockup
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A model can serve as a representation, be it physical, mathematical, or conceptual, that depicts a system or thing. It can be used in a variety of fields, such as science or fashion, to understand complex phenomena or represent human figures. Conversely, a mockup specifically aims to present the visual aspect of an object, often a design or prototype, without necessarily having its full functionality.
In the realm of design, a model typically represents the functionality and behavior of a system, whereas a mockup focuses on the appearance. For instance, architects may create a model of a building to understand spatial relationships, while a mockup might show surface textures and colors.
Models, be it in the world of fashion or 3D design, often undergo multiple iterations, reflecting changes or improvements. On the other hand, mockups, especially in graphic design, might be altered repeatedly to attain the desired aesthetic appeal.
It's worth noting that while models can be both functional and representational, mockups are primarily non-functional. An aircraft model might be used in a wind tunnel test, demonstrating aerodynamics, whereas a mockup of the same aircraft might only showcase its exterior design.
In essence, while both models and mockups serve as tangible or visual representations, models lean more towards understanding or testing, and mockups lean towards showcasing or visualizing.
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Comparison Chart
Purpose
Represents a system or thing
Showcases appearance or design
Functionality
Can be functional or non-functional
Primarily non-functional
Iterations
Often undergoes changes for improvement or understanding
Altered for aesthetic appeal
Usage Fields
Science, architecture, fashion, etc.
Graphic design, product design, etc.
Complexity
Can be detailed or simplified
Primarily focuses on surface details
Compare with Definitions
Model
A model is a representation of a system.
She built a model of the solar system for her science project.
Mockup
A mockup is a full-size replica of a design.
The graphic designer presented a mockup of the new website.
Model
Models can be physical or conceptual.
He created a computer model to predict weather patterns.
Mockup
Mockups showcase an object's appearance.
He displayed a mockup of the new product packaging.
Model
Models can be mathematical or theoretical.
The physicist developed a model to explain the phenomenon.
Mockup
In manufacturing and design, a mockup, or mock-up, is a scale or full-size model of a design or device, used for teaching, demonstration, design evaluation, promotion, and other purposes. A mockup may be a prototype if it provides at least part of the functionality of a system and enables testing of a design.
Model
Anything which serves, or may serve, as an example for imitation; as, a government formed on the model of the American constitution; a model of eloquence, virtue, or behavior.
Mockup
They are non-functional visual aids.
The mockup of the mobile app showed where each button would be.
Model
To make by shaping a plastic substance
Modeled a bust from clay.
Mockup
Mockups can be digital or physical.
She printed a mockup of the brochure for the client's review.
Model
A person, usually an attractive male or female that is hired to show items or goods to the public, such as items that are given away as prizes on a TV game show.
Mockup
A usually full-sized scale model of a structure, used for demonstration, study, or testing.
Model
That by which a thing is to be measured; standard.
He that despairs measures Providence by his own little, contracted model.
Mockup
It's a tool for visualization and feedback.
The client made several suggestions after seeing the mockup.
Model
Any copy, or resemblance, more or less exact.
Thou seest thy wretched brother die,Who was the model of thy father's life.
Mockup
A layout of printed matter or digital content.
Model
A person who is employed to wear clothing for the purpose of advertising or display, or who poses with a product for the same purpose; a mannequin{1}; as, a fashion model.
A professional model.
Mockup
Alternative spelling of mock-up.
Model
An abstract and often simplified conceptual representation of the workings of a system of objects in the real world, which often includes mathematical or logical objects and relations representing the objects and relations in the real-world system, and constructed for the purpose of explaining the workings of the system or predicting its behavior under hypothetical conditions; as, the administration's model of the United States economy predicts budget surpluses for the next fifteen years; different models of the universe assume different values for the cosmological constant; models of proton structure have grown progressively more complex in the past century.
Model
Suitable to be taken as a model or pattern; as, a model house; a model husband.
Model
To plan or form after a pattern; to form in model; to form a model or pattern for; to shape; to mold; to fashion; as, to model a house or a government; to model an edifice according to the plan delineated.
Model
A simplified description of a complex entity or process;
The computer program was based on a model of the circulatory and respiratory systems
Model
Representation of something (sometimes on a smaller scale)
Model
The act of representing something (usually on a smaller scale)
Model
Plan or create according to a model or models
Model
In fashion, a model showcases clothing.
The model walked the runway in the designer's latest creation.
Model
A model can be a standard for others to imitate.
She is a role model for many young athletes.
Model
A small object, usually built to scale, that represents in detail another, often larger object.
Model
A preliminary work or construction that serves as a plan from which a final product is to be made
A clay model ready for casting.
Model
Such a work or construction used in testing or perfecting a final product
A test model of a solar-powered vehicle.
Model
To form (clay, for example) into a shape.
Model
To display by wearing or posing in
Model clothes.
Model
In painting, drawing, and photography, to give a three-dimensional appearance to, as by shading or highlighting.
Model
To exhibit (a behavior) in such a way as to promote the establishment of similar patterns of behavior in another
The therapist modeled socially appropriate conversation.
Model
To repeat (a behavior observed in another)
The child was modeling her mother's nurturing behavior.
Model
To make a model.
Model
To work or serve as a model, as in wearing clothes for display or serving as the subject of an artist.
Model
A person who serves as a subject for artwork or fashion, usually in the medium of photography but also for painting or drawing.
The beautiful model had her face on the cover of almost every fashion magazine imaginable.
Model
A representation of a physical object, usually in miniature.
The boy played with a model of a World War II fighter plane.
Model
A simplified representation used to explain the workings of a real world system or event.
The computer weather model did not correctly predict the path of the hurricane.
Model
A style, type, or design.
He decided to buy the turbo engine model of the sports car.
This year's model features four doors instead of two.
Model
The structural design of a complex system.
The team developed a sound business model.
Model
A successful example to be copied, with or without modifications.
He was a model of eloquence and virtue.
British parliamentary democracy was seen as a model for other countries to follow.
Model
(logic) An interpretation function which assigns a truth value to each atomic proposition.
Model
(logic) An interpretation which makes a set of sentences true, in which case that interpretation is called a model of that set.
Model
(medicine) An animal that is used to study a human disease or pathology.
Model
Any copy, or resemblance, more or less exact.
Model
(software architecture) In software applications using the model-view-controller design pattern, the part or parts of the application that manage the data.
Model
Worthy of being a model; exemplary.
Model
(transitive) to display for others to see, especially in regard to wearing clothing while performing the role of a fashion model
She modelled the shoes for her friends to see.
Model
(transitive) to use as an object in the creation of a forecast or model
They modelled the data with a computer to analyze the experiment’s results.
Model
(transitive) to make a miniature model of
He takes great pride in his skill at modeling airplanes.
Model
(transitive) to create from a substance such as clay
The sculptor modelled the clay into the form of a dolphin.
Model
(intransitive) to make a model or models
Model
A miniature representation of a thing, with the several parts in due proportion; sometimes, a facsimile of the same size; as, a
In charts, in maps, and eke in models made.
I had my father's signet in my purse,Which was the model of that Danish seal.
You have the models of several ancient temples, though the temples and the gods are perished.
Model
Something intended to serve, or that may serve, as a pattern of something to be made; a material representation or embodiment of an ideal; sometimes, a drawing; a plan; as, the clay model of a sculpture; the inventor's model of a machine.
[The application for a patent] must be accompanied by a full description of the invention, with drawings and a model where the case admits of it.
When we mean to buildWe first survey the plot, then draw the model.
Model
A particular version or design of an object that is made in multiple versions; as, the 1993 model of the Honda Accord; the latest model of the HP laserjet printer. For many manufactured products, the model name is encoded as part of the model number.
Model
To make a copy or a pattern; to design or imitate forms; as, to model in wax.
Model
A type of product;
His car was an old model
Model
A person who poses for a photographer or painter or sculptor;
The president didn't have time to be a model so the artist worked from photos
Model
Something to be imitated;
An exemplar of success
A model of clarity
He is the very model of a modern major general
Model
Someone worthy of imitation;
Every child needs a role model
Model
A representative form or pattern;
I profited from his example
Model
A woman who wears clothes to display fashions;
She was too fat to be a mannequin
Model
Form in clay, wax, etc;
Model a head with clay
Model
Display (clothes) as a mannequin;
Model the latest fashion
Model
Create a representation or model of;
The pilots are trained in conditions simulating high-altitude flights
Model
Construct a model of;
Model an airplane
Model
Worthy of imitation;
Exemplary behavior
Model citizens
Model
A schematic description or representation of something, especially a system or phenomenon, that accounts for its properties and is used to study its characteristics
A model of generative grammar.
A model of an atom.
An economic model.
Model
A style or design of an item
My car is last year's model.
Model
One serving as an example to be imitated or compared
A model of decorum.
Model
One that serves as the subject for an artist, especially a person employed to pose for a painter, sculptor, or photographer.
Model
One that serves as the basis for a fictional character or place.
Model
A person employed to display merchandise, such as clothing or cosmetics.
Model
(Zoology) An animal whose appearance is copied by a mimic.
Model
Being, serving as, or used as a model.
Model
Worthy of imitation
A model child.
Model
To make or construct a descriptive or representational model of
Computer programs that model climate change.
Model
To plan, construct, or fashion in imitation of a model
Modeled his legal career after that of his mentor.
Model
(intransitive) to work as a model in art or fashion
The actress used to model before being discovered by Hollywood.
Model
A person who poses as a pattern for an artist; as, the artist used his daughter as a model for an Indian maiden.
Model
Assume a posture as for artistic purposes;
We don't know the woman who posed for Leonardo so often
Common Curiosities
Is a mockup the final design?
Not always. A mockup is often a step in the design process, used for visualization and feedback.
Are models always physical objects?
No, models can be physical, mathematical, conceptual, or even digital.
Can a mockup be 3D?
Yes, mockups can be 2D, like a webpage design, or 3D, like a product replica.
In which field are models primarily used?
Models are used in numerous fields, from science and architecture to fashion.
What's the difference between a mockup and a prototype?
A mockup focuses on appearance, while a prototype is a working version of a design, emphasizing functionality.
Can a mockup function like the real thing?
Typically, mockups are non-functional and focus on appearance rather than operation.
Are digital prototypes and models the same?
No, while both may be digital, a model represents a system or thing, whereas a prototype is an early version of a product.
Do models in fashion refer to people or objects?
In fashion, "model" can refer to both the human showcasing the clothes and a representation or prototype of a garment.
Why use a mockup in design?
Mockups help visualize the final product, allowing for adjustments based on feedback.
Are all models accurate?
Models aim to represent reality but can have limitations, especially when simplifying complex systems.
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Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
