What is Prototyping Tools?

How web designers create solid representation while building website? The answer to the question falls under prototyping tools that enable designers to create agile experience of feel, design, visuals, navigation elements and interaction in the real world. The tool benefits to evaluate new product or design, interact with stakeholders and make sound decisions before the final crisis arise.

Considering the availability of wide range of prototype tools on websites, it becomes difficult to identify shell out of ocean. If you’re struggling to choose suitable tool, our guidance would help you to narrow down your research with following 5 best UI/UX prototyping tool for UX designers.

●      Figma

Figma is all-in-one prototyping tool for collaborative design, wireframing, UI design, design management, and developer option without having any coding knowledge to create interactive design. You can easily turnaround static design into interactive prototype design through intuitive builder that enables you to explore UI elements, animations, and other interactive features. The tool provides similar feeling as other with greater flexibility and control towards appearances, plugins and other functionality.

• Switch mode from design and prototype easily
• Consistency in web design and flexible styles
• No coding knowledge require to design interactive prototype
• Get multi-editing doc experience on google with team members working together at mid-fidelity interaction time.
• Featured with easy sharing, real-time editing capability
• Available on Windows, MacOS, and website
• Price: Starter plan (Free), Professional plan ($12/ month) and Organization plan ($45/ month)

●      Adobe XD

Adobe XD is an efficient vector-based tool that covers all features of making unique interactions, dynamic elements, wireframing, prototyping, and others in one app with adaptable screen for MacOS, Windows and most browsers.

• Enjoy mid to high fidelity interactions on mobile, tablet or desktop
• Connect Adobe XD with Adobe photoshop, illustrator, and others
• XD beta testing feature to edit file with other members on same live document at same time.
• Available on MacOS and Windows 10
• Easy to store and grant access with your team members with Creative Cloud
• Get high resolution prototypes, voice command, and real-time feedback
• Price: Free for trial, Standalone tool ($9.99/ month), Adobe creative cloud suite ($52.99/ month for complete access to all Adobe products)

●      InVision

InVision has deliver simplified workflow with new functions to design creative interaction for users. The tool makes your design easy to share with others. The availability of wireframe hotspot makes the static designs transform into clickable prototypes. The function including drawing tool, animations, dynamic visual effects, repeatable components and others makes it powerful prototype to collaborate with teams.

• Easy to navigate and import projects without designing any wireframes
• Easy to connect with team members on advance projects
• Store projects in browser or InVision cloud server
• Compatible to organise user flow and import wireframes
• Get real-time feedback on user flows with quick sharing of links to your prototype
• Suitable for all browsers, Windows and MacOS with low to mid fidelity interaction
• Price: Free for trial, 3 prototypes ($13/ month), unlimited prototypes ($22/ month)

●      Sketch

Sketch offers powerful desktop-based collaboration tool that integrates artwork, prototypes, and other functions. The interface is user-friendly and intuitive that makes workflow consistent and uniform. You can enjoy speedy experience with numerous shortcuts options at your fingertips while designing. The developers can easily share, store and view the design for free using cloud storage system to export assets in browser.

• The tool is user-friendly with featured pack wireframing
• Reusable elements and smart layout features
• Better for designing wireframes compared to prototyping
• Only available for MacOS
• Intuitive interface with basic prototyping features
• Enable team members to work in same document at the same time
• Price: Free for trial, one-time license ($99/ year)

●      Framer

Framer enables designers to create fast moving interactive prototypes. You can enjoy high-fidelity interaction, realistic design and animations with smooth team collaboration. The Framer X store provides access to thousands of features including live maps, media player, UI kits, responsive layout and others.

• Features including user testing, collaboration, wireframing and prototyping
• Realistic and intuitive designs with responsive user-interface
• Adaptable and flexible prototype
• Easy to import or export production elements
• Suitable for desktop, smartphone and tablets
• Interactive code-based prototype with high-fidelity
• Price: Free for trial, Pro plan ($16/ month with unlimited projects)

With all these best prototyping tools for UX designers, you can create efficient working prototyping suitable for you and your team members. As we found, the suitability of prototyping tool is highly depending upon the price, learning access, system requirements and availability, collaboration capacity, deliverables and the system interface. You must classify your self among beginner, intermediate or professional to determine comfort with coding, prototypes, design process, and wireframes. 

If you are a beginner, then firstly get hands on with free UX design courses available on internet. Secondly, you can participate in UX design events to gain learnings from industry experts and program advisors to become qualified UX designer. Join our courses on UX designing to gain success in your career.