You’ll need to create a wireframe before you decide on a logo, sitemap, fleshed-out content, or branded typeface. In order to map out what your end-UX user’s will be like, you’ll need a wireframe.
Where will the UX basics be placed on the screen and how will they be related to one another? What will the user see first, and how will the design guide their gaze as they move down the page? Will they expect to see common components like help/contact buttons or an options menu where they expect to see them? These are the types of questions you’ll be asking yourself when you create a wireframe prototype for your product.
For creating a rapid wireframe design, some folks may prefer the good old fashioned approach of pencil and paper. Instead, I prefer to save a few trees by using a dedicated wireframing program. Today, I’ve chosen a couple of my favorites to share with you.
In this article, we’ll discuss the top prototype tools to include on your wireframe software shortlist, as well as how UX software may assist you in creating an app mockup that will amaze any customer. I’ll explain what to look for in online wireframe tools, provide you our assessment criteria for evaluating any mockup software, and give you a quick comparison of UI mockup tools.
Adobe XD
Since its first release in 2016, Adobe XD has exploded in popularity, and for good reason. Wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration are all made easier with this application. This is a tool to look at if you’re working with people (particularly remotely).
Adobe XD has capabilities for anything from a fast sketch to a high-fidelity wireframe, as well as the ability to construct interactions to better mimic the user flow! The program features an auto animation option, and it’s made layering images in 3D much easier. You can also collaborate in real time with your coworkers, and they’ve made it easy to iterate on material without having to re-design entire panels. This is useful for teams looking to improve content and design cooperation.
Adobe products are also well-liked in the business, so being familiar with them will only benefit you in the long run.
Mockplus
Mockplus is a quick wireframing/prototyping tool for designers who want to build interactive wireframes for websites and mobile applications. It allows you to share and test design ideas across PCs and mobile devices from the start.
Mockplus goes beyond merely giving you with the tools to develop your wireframe and lends you a hand with your designs, with a vast variety of ready-to-use components, icons, UIs, and templates pre-installed. It’s also easier to construct more realistic wireframes with a full set of interactions and animations. It’s also a teamwork tool: your complete team may work on the same project at the same time.
You can use Mockplus to generate low- and medium-fidelity wireframes, mockups, and prototypes. It may not be a smart choice if you’re seeking for tools to develop high-fidelity designs.
Figma
A cloud-based design platform that allows team members to share and collaborate on projects. Many people use Figma primarily for its fantastic prototyping and graphic design tools, thus not all designers would identify it with wireframing. This design tool, on the other hand, allows you to generate almost any design you desire, including wireframes ranging from low to high resolution.
Its open and broad layout allows you to develop several designs inside a single project. It also allows you to create many versions side by side, making brainstorming sessions and redesigns a breeze. Figma’s design-centered approach makes it a fantastic tool for swiftly wireframing ideas by making otherwise time-consuming activities simple.
To be honest, it’s hard to think of a reason why Figma wouldn’t be a decent wireframing tool. However, because it has numerous design objectives and functionalities, it is not a tool developed only for producing wires. If you require anything more particularly intended for wireframing, you should seek elsewhere—especially if you and/or your design team will need to upgrade to premium editions. You can be overpaying for something you don’t require.
Wireframes in Balsamiq
A wireframing tool for quickly producing designs, doing user research, and sharing prototypes with a design team. Balsamiq Wireframes is a Flash-based wireframing program with a large collection of UI components and templates that make wireframing simple.
The Balsamiq Wireframe library’s intricacy may be a wonderful source of inspiration for designers when creating desktop and mobile wireframes. It not only has a lot of different aspects, but it’s also simple to learn and utilize. It’s as simple as dragging, dropping, and arranging elements from the menu onto your canvas until you have the interface you want, according to most designers.
Balsamiq Wireframes also comes with built-in presentation tools to help you exhibit your designs to clients. Balsamiq Wireframes isn’t ideal for creating huge prototypes, because it lacks animations and interactive elements. Designers who want to emulate their software’s user experience must be able to program interactions and output them as an interactive PDF.
The design components in this wireframing program have a hand-drawn look, which makes it stand out. This might give your projects a cartoony sense that isn’t always desirable. It’s also worth noting that when your free 30-day trial expires, you’ll need to buy a license to keep any of your prior creations.
Cacoo
Designers, freelancers, and students may use this diagramming software to create flowcharts, mind maps, mockups, wireframes, and more.
Cacoo is an excellent wireframing tool for both low and high-fidelity wires. It’s cloud-based, with a strong focus on team collaboration, including high-quality presentation tools and opportunities to share your ideas with coworkers. There are several templates to pick from, as well as tools for developing user flows, prototypes, and diagrams.
The free trial isn’t long, but it includes unlimited users and up to 25 pages or projects, which is rather generous! Cacoo is especially useful for design activities other than wireframes, such as flowcharts and user testing.
The free edition has less features than the paid version, and you can only save projects as PNG files. You won’t be able to access your work once the free trial period finishes, so you’ll have to store it somewhere else. Some customers have complained that the cloud-based aspect of the service is inconvenient since it might slow or malfunction if they aren’t using the most up-to-date computer.
Furthermore, Cacoo has a learning curve since the keyboard shortcuts are not as obvious as they could be.
Wireframing is a vital phase for every web designers since every excellent concept starts with a strong wireframe. Before you can get into the details of any UI project, you must first lay out the big picture.