The Benefits of Framing Out Your Website Developing a website prototype with a wireframe tool will get you and your designer closer to what you envision.
By Mikal E. Belicove •
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Suppose you're sitting at Starbucks with your corporate architect to discuss plans for an office renovation. You grab a napkin and start sketching desktops and conference areas with your pen. Some of the lines don't show up, and the napkin bunches up and tears, but you're quite pleased with your rendering--until you catch sight of your architect rolling her eyes.
Same goes for creating or redesigning your company's website. You can produce a forest of Post-it notes along with crude renderings in an attempt to communicate your point. Or you can employ sophisticated online wireframing tools or software to translate your vision into a website prototype.
Tools for Framing While you can certainly use just about any graphics application to wireframe a website, more feature-rich options are available, including: • Protoshare: Robust online wireframing tool that allows you to create rich, interactive website prototypes that you can share and collaborate on with others. • Gliffy: Online diagramming tool with an intuitive interface. • OmniGraffle: Mac-friendly software for wireframing. • LucidChart: Create, collaborate on and publish highly polished wireframes online. • Axure RP: Wireframing software for both the PC and Mac. |
