Prototyping software – you don’t need it!
July 27, 2009 | entrepreneur, project managementauthor: Karol Zielinski | comments: 7 | views: 1555
Tags: design, entrepreneur, project management, prototype, wireframe, wireframing
Wireframing is one the best method to streamline your development process. But there are many tools and methods to choose from, when creating a wireframe. From to easiest one (hand sketching on paper), to much more complicated (desktop prototyping software, web-based prototyping software, mind-mapping software, etc). Which one is the most powerfull? Maybe any of them is just useless?
In my opinion: the most important thing in creating web-based application is to create it as fast, as it could be created; using the easiest and the cheapest possible methods and tools.
Following this logic thinking… I can say that:
- the best method for wireframing is hand sketching on paper. Why? Because… it’s the most powerfull, the cheapest, the fastest and the easiest method. The only exception: our team is distracted and we can’t meet offline
- when your team is distracted, the best tool ever is some kind of easy-to-use graphics software such as desktop’s: paint or photoshop or web-based: dabbleboard, scriblink or imaginationcube. This method is worse than hand sketching (because of all arguments used in previous point – it’s not so powerfull, not so cheap, not so fast and not so easy). But still… it’s not so bad and what’s the most important – sometimes it’s the best method for wireframing.
- worse than these two methods (because of being much slower than previous ones), but giving the most realistic results… is creating (x)HTML wireframes. Due to this method you can have the wireframe, that looks a lot like a final design. Unfortunately… it’s a really slow method.
- and in my opinion: the worst method to create wireframes for web-based applications and websites is… flowchart/mind-mapping software, desktop/web prototyping software (such as visio, balsamiq or justproto). Why is that? Because… you need to pay for it, because you need to learn how to use it, because you need to install it (or register in it), because these kind of softwares have too many functionalities.
And the worst ever scenario… is to sketch wireframe on paper, than create some kind of prototype using dedicated prototyping software… and after that: give it to web designer, who will create his own “wireframe” (via photoshop for example) based on your wireframe. Guys, don’t waste your time for this kind of solutions!
Talk to your designer, create some kind of paper-based wireframe… and then… just give him (or her) a chance to demonstrate his (or her) skills. Trust me! If your designer is good – you will be satisfied with the results. If he (or she) is not so good – he (or she) shouldn’t work with you. That’s all.
August 8, 2009, 5:01 pm
truly a good article of you, inspiring:). Thanks.
October 19, 2009, 5:04 pm
At first paper prototyping is good and less time consuming if you’re working with your own programming team, who understand yours ideas. When I make prototype for external client I obey some rules:
Ordinary client likes to watch, you could make impression on him presenting good looking digital prototype e.g. in Axure, but without any graphic design, you only present mechanism nothing more.
When you work with external programmers, your ideas based on paper prototype may be very difficult to understand for them, you could only describe in specification some ajax bases interactions, you can’t show it to them, so it could generate confusion and misinterpreting on the both sides of line.
Wireframe digital prototype shouldn’t have any layout, if it has, client would concentrate not on the mechanism, but on the color, we should avoid such situation
Paper prototyping is hard to test with users, we can’t simulate ordinary situation in which or application is used by users, digital wireframe is much more convenient to test
Paper prototyping is very good tool to deliver your basic ideas about project, but it isn’t works good with details.
October 23, 2009, 10:51 am
Paper prototyping is old-fashioned method of prototyping. Nowadays, there are many interesting, browser based app for wireframe prototyping(some of them you have mentioned) which are easy to learn, fast and what’s most important- the client can fully participate and test all functionalities-as Mariusz said under.
Many of my clients prefer this method as a very good alternative for pen&paper. They especially underline and appreciate ability of adding/editing changes and supervising the whole progress.
I can say that, paper prototyping is a real waste of time-and your client’s money!
October 27, 2009, 12:00 pm
Hi Karol,
Very interesting article. I don’t know if you’d be interested but I’ve posted a response from a different perspective on my own software prototyping blog:
http://softwareprototyping.net/2009/10/27/do-we-need-prototyping-software/
I’d be interested in hearing what you think.
John
November 24, 2009, 9:31 pm
“Because… you need to pay for it, because you need to learn how to use it, because you need to install it (or register in it), because these kind of softwares have too many functionalities.”
Do You want to be taken seriously?
November 25, 2009, 6:27 pm
Bullshit I say
Spróbuj zrobić 300 ekranowy prototyp szybko w easy to use Photoshopie albo w Paincie
A potem wprowadzaj zmiany…
(Photoshop to niby jest bezpłatny i nie trzeba go rejestrować? rozumiem…)