The best way to create a good looking site is to wireframe it before you touch any part of the code in the HTML editor. However, finding a good tool for wireframing can be difficult, especially if you are not a developer and you could use something simpler.
Here are some of your best options:
Lucidchart
Lucidchart is a free wireframe builder and a UI design tool. It’s amazing because they offer easy collaboration in wireframes and they allow multiple people to edit the same wireframe at the same time. It has a Chrome add on which makes it easy to add a diagram to Docs or Sheets if you like to work in those programs.
The system is cloud based and that’s one of the best things about it, it integrates with a lot of other products and you can use a bunch of different templates before you start your own design. However, it could be more intuitive and customizable. The system can also get clunky and slow at times but overall, it’s a good wireframe builder that works best for beginners and intermediate users as well as companies just starting out since it’s free.
Mockplus
This is a cloud based design option that has a library of stencils and icon sets. You can have the ability to import images to get the look and feel of your site. It has a simple drag and drop editor which makes your job a lot easier and your team can intuitively design wireframes or sites, storyboards, flowcharts and so on. The simplicity of the drag and drop editing system is really what invites people in and the system is clean and intuitive.
Sharing with clients and developers is easy.
However, users often wish that the system had more objects to choose from and they say that an offline option would be a good thing. This option is great for product managers and designers because of its visual aspect.
Gliffy
Gliffy is a great tool for creating the framework of your website app or homepage. It has a basic software for flowchart crafting to go with that and it’s fairly simple and easy to use. It’s suitable for many businesses and their needs. It’s easy to create professional wireframes because of all the basic shapes and figures you can use, the drag and drop system and easy and simple integration. You can share, collaborate and so on. It’s good for any business with simple yet creative needs. Even though it lacks some pre-designed icons, custom colors and so on, it’s still a great tool which makes up in good features.
Wireframe cc
This is a web based, free tool that has a simple interface for quick sketches of your wireframes. It reduces the toolbars and icons. You can build whatever you want just with a mouse, you can share quickly, through URL links and it has a simple feature set that you can use to focus on your tasks. The main fault could be the simplicity because the clients might need a more fleshed out example and the interface can be a bit finicky. It also lacks some basic functions that a wireframe tool should have but it makes up for it in other things and this is a tool you should definitely consider for quick sketches and simple things.
Justinmind
This is a UX tool for Web and mobile app prototypes creation and website creation. It offers capabilities found in diagramming tools and you can have drag and drop placement, resizing, formatting and so on. For sophisticated results, this is the tool that you want to use. You can easily share and take your design to the next level. You can test it and get a code-free wireframe design. There are, however, some bugs in the interface, lack of widgets and the free version can be a bit annoying to deal with.
Pidoco
Using Pidoco, you can create clickable wire-frames for websites and mobile apps. “It’s a software that lets you create great wire-frames quickly and it’s great for interactive prototypes. Any company looking for a quick and simple wire-frame creating experience should use this tool,” says a UX Designer from Writemyx and 1Day2write, Sarah Peterson.
Pencil Project
This is a desktop based wire-frame tool and it’s an open source so everything is free. You can create multi page wire-frames and export your wire-frames to a HTML Web page and have Pencil save the links so you can share with ease. It has many great features and templates. Companies looking for a great tool and something fairly simple and cheap should use this tool.
Conclusion
This has been the list of the best wire-frame creation tools for UX and UI Designers. Hopefully, it will help you make the right decision on which one to buy.
Ellen Lawton is a successful marketer. She works with companies to come up with successful marketing strategies and is passionate about writing for blogs and online magazines. She is also marketing writer and editor at Origin Writings and Australia2Write academic websites.