Understanding wireframe
In simple words a wireframe or screen blueprint is a visual guide that represents the skeletal framework of a website or an App. Wireframing is an important step for any screen design process. It makes it very easy for you to plan the layout in accordance to how you want your visitor to process the information. You can also understand Wireframing to be an architectural blueprint that you need to see in two-dimensional black and white diagrams before you build the actual structure.
Wireframe also determines how a user interacts with your website or App’s interface. Other than all this, it allows the designer to plan the layout and the interaction of the interface without being distracted by colours. By visually stripping down the product, it allows the designer to focus just on the creativity and user interface.
Many a times you need to explain to your clients that how the website or the App that you are building for them shall look. Now if you explain it to them verbally then they might not be able to get a clear idea about it. But if you use wireframe tools to explain the same to them, then they’ll be able to understand it clearly.
So you can say that wireframe tools will help your clients visualize the final product by acting as a bridge that connects nascent ideas to the final product. In the past designers made use of Photoshop for Wireframing but it is now losing its popularity amongst designers. Designers are now more open to tools that ease the entire process of Wireframing for them.
At present the market is flooded with wireframe tools that offer different levels of functionality. While some Software’s allow you to work on simple wireframes others help you create a working prototype. You can download the trial versions of these software’s online and figure out which one works the best for you. But to make things simpler for you we have created a list of 10 best wireframe tools. So browse through the list and choose one according to your requirement of either Wireframe tool for responsive design or wireframe tool for UI/UX.
UXPin
Platform: Web based
Price: $19, $29, $99 per month
Description: The wireframes in UXPin can be put together at a very fast speed by simply dragging and dropping the elements. It comes with libraries for Bootstrap, Foundation, iOS and Android, which allows the wireframes to be quickly converted to mock-ups. Hence, it allows you to create interactive an animated prototypes of your final product.
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Fluid UI
Platform: Web based
Price: $8.25, $19.08, $41.58 per month
Description: Fluid UI comes with 16 in-built libraries for iOS, Android and Windows and you can create the pages by dragging the elements from these libraries. It helps you visualize your product and map it out by creating links to join screens, and even forming a diagram of how everything fits together. So whenever you hover over a link it gives you the option to change the transition.Â
Balsamiq Mockups
Platform: Web based, Mac and Windows
Price: $89 for installed application, $12 or $5 per month for browser-based plans
Description: This software includes several drag and drop elements. A unique feature of these elements is that each of these is styled as a hand drawing. The idea behind the creation of this Wireframing tool is to keep the mock-ups intentionally rough and of low fidelity so that the designer can get the maximum feedback from the client.
Axure
Platform: Mac and Windows
Price: $495-$895 for one-off purchase, $29-$99 per user per month
Description: Apart from creating mock-ups, Axure allows you to add functionality to your layout and create interactive prototypes. It comes with site maps and widgets in the form of various UI elements. With the help of this tool, you can create HTML mock-ups for both website and App. It also allows you to view your App design on your phone, with the help of a built-in share function.
Pidoco
Platform: Web based
Price: $12-$175 per month
Description: Pidoco is similar to Axure in many ways. It also has a library of various drag and drop interface elements, and also the ability to add multiple pages and layers. You can even share your prototypes online with your clients and also include functions for feedback and discussion. Again like Axure, you can view your prototypes on your phone.
Visio
Platform: Windows
Price: $8.10 or $9.70 per month
Description: If you are used to Microsoft Apps like Word or Excel, then you will find this tool very similar to them. It also comes with additional tools such as Swipr, that allows you to create and export a usable HTML prototype.
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InDesign CC
Platform: Mac and Windows
Price: $19.99 per month
Description: This tool makes the creation of mock-ups for websites and Apps in the form of interactive PDFs quite easily. It does so by including animations and videos in the PDF. With this tool you can also create libraries of page elements.
Protoshare
Platform: Web based
Price: $29, $49, $59 per month
Description: Protoshare is an online tool that includes a library of drag and drop elements, a sitemap and the ability to use custom CSS and insert your own elements. Though you cannot export it as a PDF however it is worth considering for its prototyping features.
Pencil project
Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux
Price: Free
Description: Pencil is a free open source Wireframing tool. Its features include – multi-page documents, external object import, z-ordering, scaling and rotation. Various templates are included in the tool. Apart from this, you can also export to HTML, PNG, Word document or PDF.
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Mockflow
Platform: Web based
Price: Free, $14, $29 per month
Description: It allows you to create working prototypes and has collaboration and sharing options. It comes with features such as – sitemap creator for pages and folders, image and component collections, chat and HTML5 export.
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InVision
Platform: Android, iOS, Web
Price: Free
Description: InVision is not a traditional wireframe tool but it does allow you to upload your designs and create interactions using hotspots. This App is of great help for communicating the design transitions and journey between the screens to the other team members. But its most outstanding feature has to be its ability to send clickable designs to your phone via SMS.
Would you also like to see a screen blueprint of your website or App, before we build it up for you? If yes, then contact Queppelin today.