Thread: Wireframing/Mockup/Prototype... Need Help

So, I have been searching this forum, as well as Google, and really doesn't seem to be any definitive answer regarding all the various wireframing tools that are available. Definitely not much recently (a lot of reviews and comments I found through Google are at least a year old).

That's the point of this thread. I want to get some information on all the various wireframing/mockup tools available. I know there are the following:

1. Balasiq
2. Axure
3. Mockingbird
4. MockFlow
5. Flairbuilder

And more...

I just want to know which people like best and why. I'm currently trying to do the web design myself and don't know any code (aside from basic HTML) and don't have the time to become an expert.

I have been typing and sketching out how I want my website to flow, look, and all the pages and functionalities I need. However, I want to do this in a way I can show to a programmer and he can easily understand what I want. So, the more advance the mockup the better (i.e. interactive links/tabs/etc would be useful, rather than static pages).

Any and all help is greatly appreciated. I'm really excited to get started designing because I have enough website experience as a user to know how I want things to flow, function, and look. But I'm stuck deciding what tool/software to use!!!

Hi JayKid,

I'm also in the Wireframing stage, but because I'm going to code the app myself I'm wireframing just to have a better reference when coding. In this case I prefer to use Fireworks and create the prototype on it (using Pages and interactive areas) and then exporting the file to HTML. Using Pages in Fireworks is very useful because you have one file to deal with.

One tool that I like a lot to get feedback and could be helpful for you when working with programmers is NotableApp (Notable | Better Webpages Through Faster Iterations, Website Screenshot Feedback). Give it a try.

Jaykid, for the 1st one on your list, did you mean Balsamiq ?

Balsamiq

I'm looking at a paid solution called Keynotopia. The founder of keynotopia is a fastlaner and was featured on Tim Ferris's 4 hour workweek site (one of the "Muse" series). He founded Keynotopia very quickly and was making money very fast.

Keynotopia: User Interface Design Libraries for Keynote, PowerPoint and OpenOffice

I think (still researching) that you can share your prototype with others if using Keynotopia--A huge advantage.

Axure is pretty expensive. The rest that you mentioned and Keynotopia are all pretty cheap/affordable.
Keynotopia has elements that have a "finished" look (they look like real buttons/icons) and Flairbuilder might have this as well. The other wireframe/rapid prototype tools go for the "hand drawn" look, which I think is a bit silly, since they are not hand drawn, but whatever.

Some of them are monthly subscription based plans, and limit the number of projects/users. Anyone shopping around might want to compare this.


Also found this: Review of Balsamiq, Mockingbird and MockFlow | DevGrow

(disclaimer: no I have no relations/ties to any of the above).

Powerpoint.

I think it can do everything you need and you are most likely already used to it.