Wireframe Mock-ups Review

Wireframe mock-ups have been out for a few years now and they provide users an easy approach to designing a user interface. One of the few frustrations in web development is the ability to visualize a website layout in a quick and painless manner that doesn’t require burning through pages and pages of notebook paper. A few companies have developed various desktop and web based tools that offer a “sketch” feel drop-and-drag UI that are really useful. In a previous post on developing your web development skills, I mentioned an application called Balsamiq that you can download for free and use freely less a few features disabled like saving and loading multiple mock-ups until you pay the $79 for the single user license. Balsamiq has a good user interface, although it can take some time learning where all the icons are located. Icons are available in categories to help with narrowing down what you need. Another similar application I reviewed is Mockingbird which is a web based wireframe mock-up application.

The beauty of wireframe is the visual validation of a quick idea, ie, does it look good or not. After having used the application for several websites, I found that wireframe can only go so far with design. It is great for getting your layout to look good, but from there you need to go to something like Photoshop or Gimp.

As you can see from the two screenshoots, Balsamiq and Mockingbird do about the same, but Balsamiq has a few more features such as color and the insertion of photos or logos and the such. It depends on whats important to you as to what features you really need. Since I am all about bootstrapping a business, Mockingbird would probably do enough if you are just using this for yourself, but if you are working with a client, you may like the additional features that Balsamiq allows you including a local installation, ie, not web based like Mockingbird. Mockingbirds web use only interface is a doubled edged sword, limited to anywhere you have a web connection, which in today’s economy isn’t all that restrictive. There are many more wireframe mockup companies out there, such as Gliffy, again is web based and free for limited use. Try them all out and let me know what you think!