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Axure has managed to build up a
reputation as being one of the best
wireframing tools on the market and the
perfect choice when it comes to dealing
with more complex projects requiring
dynamic data. With Axure, you can really
focus your attention on mocking
up projects that are both more
technical and require more
attention when it comes to
structure and data.
Although it’s not
necessarily the first
choice for prototyping a
high-fidelity design, it is
nonetheless great at quickly
taking the larger projects / software
platforms through the first stage
wireframe concepts.
A major benefit of Axure is that it
handles dynamic content really well,
enabling you to change and alter it

according to certain user journeys or

interactions. This is achieved through

a combination of conditional logic and

manipulating pages, content blocks or

text by setting variables and parameters.

But the potential of what you can do

with Axure doesn’t stop there. It’s

a great option for visualising

flow charts and diagrams,

which is just the thing for

helping you to articulate

some of the more technical

journeys you might come

up against.

And talking of the

technical aspects of a project,

Axure should be top of your shopping

list for tackling technical aspects of

design, as well as data-led or dynamic

platforms, whereby design is a mere

cosmetic overhaul at the end. Function

over form comes to mind.

FREE TRIALS

FLUID UI

(Free for one project or from

$8.25 per month)

Fluid UI is an intuitive tool to build

rapid prototypes and designs

and packs some nice assets to

get you going. The fact that it’s

only accessible online means it’s

great for creating a live prototype,

commenting and editing your

interface collaboratively.

MARVEL

(Free for two projects or from $12

per month)

Marvel offers a really neat way of

building pages and enabling you

to simulate your design through

a prototype. You are also able

to turn paper-based drawings

into prototypes through the app.

Perfect for quick idea generation

and testing your thoughts.

FIGMA

(Free for individuals, or free for

up to three projects for teams or

from $12 per editor per month)

Figma prides itself on being

a collaborative design tool

whereby multiple users can work

simultaneously on a project.

Simply share your prototype,

perform tests and see how your

designs work.

MOCKFLOW

(Free for one project or from $14

per month)

MockFlow’s WireframePro

app is a good prototyping tool

alternative for you to use,

especially if you’re testing out

new ideas. Although not the best

option for design professionals,

this certainly has a place for

people wishing to try out ideas.

ZEPLIN

(Free for one project or from $17

per month)

Zeplin is not necessarily a

prototyping tool but it very much

fits in that post-design and pre-

development stage. It lets you to

take your design and prototypes

and hand them over to developers

without the tedious task of

creating guidelines.

AXURE (From $29 per month)

TIP

Work with dynamic

panels to see how

interfaces change. Start

simple with a tabbed box

and expand from there.

Play with variables and

parameters too.

Great for wireframing sites

that need more structure

Excellent at handling

dynamic data

Conditional logic

Able to export as html files

Great for mocking up more

complex ideas

Fantastic option for

visualising elements

such as flow charts and

diagrams

Very functional

Not ideal for prototyping a

high-fidelity designs

PRO AND CONS

5 powerful planning apps