Wireframes are perfect for mobile and web applications, dashboards, interfaces, and website designs as they help mock up a wireframe layout quickly and easily. But what makes a wireframe tool be considered a good one amongst all of the countless tools?
Here are some questions that may help you characterize a tool:
- Usable UI: Is a tool’s interface convenient? Is the navigation smooth and simple to get used to?
- Unique features. Does a tool provide any integration features? Can the wireframes be converted into presentations to let clients easily view it? Can the elements be easily dropped and dragged to create a wireframe?
- Learning process: Is a tool technically supported? Is it easy to master? Does it include boring documentation?
- Worth and quality: In case a wireframe is paid for, is its pricing reasonable? Can different types of wireframes, like low-fidelity and high-fidelity ones be created using it?
Top wireframe tools:
Miro – It provides a free version that allows its users to add unlimited team members and access three boards.
- allows its users to create their own templates, including plenty of pre-built ones;
- includes a number of functions that fasten the working process: voting, timer, screen-sharing, and others;
- includes a number of utility widgets: smart drawing, arrows, sticky notes, and others.
Adobe XD – has a large variety of tools and templates for UI and wireframe design available.
- available for Windows, iOS, and Android;
- allows to open files from other Adobe products (for instance, Photoshop, Illustrator. Sketch, etc.);
- provides easy switching between static and interactive design prototypes;
- supports resizing, which allows to automatically adjust a content depending on the device used;
- has built-in sharing tools to get quick feedback;
NinjaMock – This wireframe allows users to create mock-ups extremely quickly. Its unique links are used for real-time collaboration.
- it is the only online tool that has a vector editor. Thus, icons, shapes, freehand or curved paths can be used for visualization;
- simple export, sharing, tracking, and managing of users’ projects;
- allows using and customizing advanced features for its feel and look personalization;
- helps save time by providing realistic elements for moving from low-fidelity elements to high-fidelity designs;
UXPin – This tool is a perfect one to give a good start to newbies! Its intuitive interface includes a toolbar that has all the basic components.
- provides live presentation and documentation of a working prototype using the Preview feature;
- it is browser-based, thus does not require any additional software.
Sketch – it fits best for macOS. It is lightweight and vector-based, but it doesn’t provide any pre-built UI components. However, third-party UI kits can be additionally downloaded to get access to the basic wireframes.
- allows to access team shared symbols, styles, resizing options, and other features, using Cloud workspace;
- It can be used by any size team since it is simple to learn.
- lets the design process flow, linking the prototypes, making the ideas to be easily tested and shared.
Justinmind – this tool is a rich set of pre-built and loaded UI kits. Its drag and drop interface makes prototyping easy, including interactive links and clickable spots. It supports code-free prototyping for creating high-fidelity prototypes.
Figma – being similar to Sketch, Figma is a cloud-based design tool that fits best for team collaboration.
- works on any platform;
- provides great opportunities for teamwork: flexible sharing, developer handoff, team libraries, real-time files updating, comfortable feedback giving interface, and others;
- straightforward and intuitive prototyping;
- third-party integration provided with the APIs;
- both automatic or on-demand file versioning possible.
