The ultimate wireframing tools guide
If you’re into building websites, mobile sites, or apps, you probably use some type of mockup tool—prior to coding—to help you envision how a site will work and look. But do you get customer feedback on them? In this ultimate guide, we’ll explore leading mockup tools -- wireframing, prototyping, and simulating --and show you how to run user tests with them.
How to Test at Each Design Stage
Wireframing | Prototyping | Simulating |
|---|---|---|
| Low-fidelity structures that allow for function and thought flow to be designed without worrying about aesthetics or visual elements. | High-fidelity interface that allows for aesthetic design and basic interactivity. Usually associated with clickable, dynamic mockups. Typically focused on behavior and advanced function. | Allow for simulation and site testing with a highly interactive interface. Typically not paired with design features; however, more prototype tools are beginning to include advanced levels of simulation. |
Sample Test Questions
| Sample Test Questions
| Sample Test Questions
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Start Testing Your Wireframes, Prototypes, and Simulations
Regardless of what tool you use—you should be regularly and consistently testing—before you even start coding. Start now >
How We Roll
myBalsamiq (www.mybalsamiq.com)
For designing simple web pages after the whiteboard, myBalsamiq (the web version of Balsamiq) usually gets the nod. It's easy to use, it has a great widget library, and the fact that it's cloud-based makes collaborating as a team easy.
JustInMind (www.justinmind.com)
When we need to design for mobile, JustInMind makes it fun. The rich level of interactivity that it enables is helpful for testing mobile specific issues like touch target size.
Axure (www.axure.com)
We recommend Axure for big projects where every detail counts. Axure is a pro tool, the learning curve is a little steeper, but there is a great learning center and many resources.
InVision (www.invisionapp.com)
We ♥ InVision even though we've barely scratched the surface. Once comps get into Photoshop, InVision makes it a snap to upload our JPEGs and get feedback. The sharing options are fantastic, and we're looking forward to trying out some of the real power -- adding interactivity.
Several new tools have come on our radar recently though and we are looking forward to testing them out. What's your favorite?
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