User Interface Design Tool [closed]

Question

I'm searching for a User Interface Design tool to visualize a possible GUI in a documentation. I must not generate code. I know that Microsoft Visio provides a functionality. But are there any alternatives?

Which software do you use for visualizing a GUI?

PS. Another well-known tool is The Pencil Project.

Answer 1

An awesome and easy one is balsamiq: http://www.balsamiq.com/

I also quite like Axure.

Answer 2

Give a look to Firefox Pencil Extension, is a basic tool for GUI prototyping and simple sketching....

Answer 3

I am posting here a summary of recommendations based on my 10-years experience as a UX designer/information architect. The original article can be found here:

[Best prototyping tools out there? A review of Axure, Justinmind, and other UX tools] (http://www.humaneinterface.net/best-prototyping-tools/)

With interfaces becoming more and more dynamic, interactive prototypes are the best way to provide an in-depth, contextual and responsive documentation. If you are a professional designer, I’d recommend using either Axure RP Pro or Justinmind Prototyper for both static, low-fidelity prototypes and more sophisticated, interactive ones. Both offer rather affordable licenses.

If you are not a professional designer and you are looking for a tool that is cheap and allows to create static wireframes once in a while, I’d recommend Moqups as a quick prototyping tool. I prefer it over Balsamiq. WireframeSketcher is also an interesting alternative.

If you are looking for something not as complex as Axure/Justinmind but more powerful than Moqups/Balsamiq, you could also consider Infragistics’ Indigo Studio (which can import static mockups from Balsamiq and make them interactive) and Protoshare. Both of them, and in particular Indigo Studio, offer price plans that are not so convenient, and considering the limited set of functionality, I wouldn’t recommend them as a first choice. A third option is UXpin, which boasts the most elegant, clean and user-friendly interface I’ve seen so far, in the whole landscape of the UX tools available today.

For mobile prototyping, you can use both Axure and Justinmind if you want full control, the second seems to be a better choice at the time of writing (even though I did not test it directly). If you are looking for an easy way to build prototypes that are not too complex, you can consider the above mentioned Indigo Studio, or the more affordable Proto.io.

If your client is an organization that can afford a very expensive license, you can also consider iRise, a very comprehensive design platform for enterprises.

If you need to design static diagrams to represent user journeys, you might consider tools such as Draw.io or LucidChart, but Axure still provides decent diagramming tools that can reference to portions of your prototype. Justinmind seems a bit limited. Microsoft Visio (now part of Office 365 as a web app, and therefore also available on a Mac) is still great if you need maximum flexibility and want to draw very elegant flowcharts.

Keep an eye on JQuery UI components, even if you are not going to incorporate javascript libraries into your prototype. If you like to code directly, but you don’t necessarily need to reuse your code, you can also consider using CSS frameworks in combination with WYSIWYG editors such as Jetstrap.

Use paper to play with origami rather than prototyping.

Answer 4

You may want to have a look at Joel's article The Iceberg Secret, Revealed, as well as the articles discussion.

I don't know wether this is relevant to yout task, but since reading it I definitely prefer to use handdrawns sketches of a UI if I want to present it to a customer. (A 'Pencil Project' in the true sense of the meaning ;-)

Answer 5

If you are in Linux you might try Glade.

Answer 6

Take a look at the tools mentioned in the answers to this question:

Prototyping Tools for non-programmers - Expression?

I'd still recommend Balsamiq Mockups. The resulting GUI mockups look like sketches, making it a great tool for communicating the idea that this is not the final GUI, but merely a visualization of GUI concepts.