Prototyping tools can help in assessing visuals, navigational elements and interactions to create a solid representation for how a design will feel and behave in mobile applications. App prototyping services are an indispensable move for any UI/UX designer.
Prototypes today are an important tool for communicating to stakeholders and decision-makers how the various elements of an idea will work together.
We have everything you need here to accommodate your prototype app development service. All you need is the right tool. Below we have covered all about the best prototyping tools with additional features but before that let’s understand what it is.
Prototyping Tools: Synopsis
The prototyping tools help to accelerate product development by making it more efficient. App prototypes are the first step in demonstrating your idea. This allows you to validate your product idea while building mobile apps. App prototypes that are interactive give you a detailed insight into the product design, interactions and ideas of advanced features that can be implied. The below pointers can help you understand how it assists:
- Harmonize vision between stakeholders and users
- Brings down the time taken for development
- Make your idea a reality
- Get valuable feedback from users
Prototyping Tools: Benefits
CB Insight discovered that more than 65% of tech startups fail due to failing to complete the prototyping phase.
A mockup is necessary before you can turn your idea into an app in the development process. Investors and stakeholders will need to see it in order to give feedback and this is only possible through prototyping during the ongoing development process. It is important to get feedback before you move on to the development stage. Prototyping offers many benefits, not least of which are its significant advantages. Check it out few of them below:
- Reducing designer cost
- Collecting feedback from users
- You can build exactly what it is you want
- Assist the development team with a ready-to-code design
- Easy design concept sharing
Now when you are clear about the advantages of investing in prototyping services, let’s understand the top tools that can help you in the process of gaining the advantage of connecting with potential users.
Top 10 Prototyping Tools
Prototyping tools has to be one of the key factors to be considered during the application development process. If you are finding it difficult to choose one for your needs, then the below segment can certainly help. Check it out:
1. InVision: InVision is a prototyping tool that aids in designing user interfaces. With the software’s functional capabilities, it can create live prototypes using static images or wireframes.
Features:
- InVision allows customization of resolutions and sizes according to the device’s design. This feature is useful for responsive design and mobile adaptations.
- Allows for easy project control and status setting, which facilitates project management.
- It also assists in having the version backup of all your app designs.
2. AxureRP: AxureRP is a wireframing software and UX design software that can be used to create interactive prototypes. You can create basic wireframes from low-fidelity to high-fidelity. This UX prototyping tool allows users to make certain areas of a screen interactive and keep the rest unchanged.
Features:
- This app prototyping tool provides basic shapes, headers, text, and form elements.
- Axure RP has powerful capabilities when it comes to animation and interactivity. It supports many interactions, including complex interaction (for variable operations), condition interaction (for performing multiple operations), and gesture interaction.
- Users can use Axure Share to test prototypes of apps on their mobile screens in terms of usability and presentation.
- This tool is easy to use and combines UX diagrams, UX prototypes, and specifications.
- It is one of the most popular rapid prototyping tools. Users can quickly create prototypes without having to write code.
3. Marvel: Marvel is an mobile app prototyping platform that can be used by both novice and experienced mobile and web app designers. Its simple process makes it easy to use. It integrates with Sketch and Photoshop, allowing easy import of screens.
Features:
- You can upload images to the site via third-party sites. You can also upload different types of images, including JPG, PSD and GIF.
- Marvel allows you to edit images like changing the background color or resizing them.
- The mobile companion app turns sketches into prototypes for apps by simply taking an image. Users can then sync the image with their marvel account. They can create prototypes for each device.
4. Adobe XD: Adobe XD allows UX designers to quickly design and build prototypes of apps. Adobe launched Project Comet in October 2015. They felt that there was a demand for a better design tool. The new design philosophy of the prototyping tool promised designers the ability to “design at your speed of thought.” After its beta release, Project Comet was renamed Adobe XD.
Features:
- Adobe XD’s latest features include coediting, document history, and hover triggers..
- Clients have the ability to provide detailed feedback on the app prototypes.
- It has a ‘Repeat Grid’ attribute to speed up the work.
- Voice triggers, speech playback and voice recognition allow users to prototype with their voices.
- Designers can switch between design and prototype within the app.
5. Mockplus: Mockplus allows designers and product teams to collaborate, prototyping, and wireframing quickly for all mobile devices.
Features:
- With simple drag-and drop, users can create working prototypes using a full range of vibrant interactions, animations and transitions.
- Mockplus allows users to convert ideas into clickable mobile or web app prototypes using rich, ready-to-use components, UI libraries and icons.
- Users have the option to choose from 8 methods to quickly test and resolve any issues they may encounter before moving on to the development phase.
- It integrates seamlessly with Mockplus Cloud, which allows you to work with clients, developers, and other stakeholders online.
6. Sketch: The sketch is a popular prototyping tool for creating websites and mobile apps. The sketch is lightweight and easy to use, allowing designers to concentrate on the task at hand.
Features:
- With just a few clicks, this tool helps one with the seamless transition between all screens and design screens.
- Sketch’s cloud interface makes it easy to share sketches and get instant feedback.
- This tool’s vector shapes are flexible and eventually allows the user to save a lot of hand-tweaking.
- Sketch shared a glimpse of upcoming Sketch features via Twitter on December 3.
7. Figma: Figma, a cloud-based prototyping platform that allows for collaboration and accessibility to the entire team involved in the development of future applications. Figma is a cloud-based prototyping tool that has many features similar to Sketch. However, Figma’s ability to simplify the design process and provide functions to track everything for all business models gives it an edge.
Features:
- Figma, one of the most important UX design principles, is a powerful tool that ensures consistency. Flexible styles allow you to control how UI elements appear in a project.
- This tool has many plugins that enhance its functionality, such as Fig Motion to create animations and Autoflow to design user flows.
- Figma can be used by designers on any operating system that supports a web browser. Figma makes it easy for developers and designers to collaborate on different operating systems.
8. Balsamiq: Balsamiq allows users to quickly visualize their ideas using a prototyping tool for mobile apps. Users can follow their ideas and iterate on designs easily with many pre-installed hand-writing styles. This app prototyping tool can be used by product teams to wireframe their ideas and iterate them during the brainstorming stage or early design phase.
Features:
- Balsamiq lets users sketch on a whiteboard or notepad, creating a unique experience for designers.
- Hundreds upon hundreds of UI components in hand-written styles allow users to concentrate on the structure and macro-levels of website/app design, avoiding unnecessary details.
- Designers can use the Balsamiq prototyping tool to share their designs in PDF or PNG formats.
9. Justinmind: Justinmind provides a single-stop solution for all of your design needs. It allows you to create wireframes as well as highly interactive prototypes for mobile solutions and web apps. You can create amazing experiences to avail positive user feedback by using a variety of web gestures and mobile gestures.
Features:
- Justinmind allows you to create data lists, smart forms, and much more quickly and efficiently without any programming knowledge as per the business requirements.
- It allows you to create responsive prototypes that will ensure your designs are compatible with all screen resolutions and sizes.
- It is simple to learn and offers amazing usability.
10. Framer: Framer, an all-in one design tool, helps designers create interactive and beautiful prototypes quicker. Framer is an incredible platform that allows your team to create functional prototypes together — linking pages and developing 3D effects — Framer can do all of it.
Features:
- Framer X has many resources to help you be productive, including live maps and UI kits.
- You can check your designs on any device, and it is compatible with both Android and iOS.
- This allows your team to collaborate seamlessly for the development of high-fidelity interactive prototypes. It has everything you need to make your experience smooth, from inline commenting to multi-user editing.
Last words
We can help you with wireframing, just as we have given information about the top prototyping platforms. You should seek out the advice of experts to help you choose the right prototyping tool for your company. The right tool or framework will help you achieve your goals. Good luck!
Author Bio:
Scarlett works with the editorial team of A3logics, a leading company offering mobile app development services. Exploring the latest technologies, reading about them, and writing her views have always been her passion. She seeks new opportunities to express her opinions, explore technological advancements, and document the details. You can always find her enjoying books or articles about varied topics or jotting down her ideas in a notebook.
