UI/UX designers work with digital prototyping tools to convey their ideas in a convenient and cost-effective way. Once you set up your workstation as a designer, or begin working with a UX design agency, the to-and-fro flow of ideas and feedback becomes necessarily crucial in coming up with a good product. Some of the best prototyping tools out there consist of features that allow collaboration and are compatible with many devices for ease of use.
Let’s look at some of the best prototyping tools available to designers in 2019:
InVision Studio
It encompasses all the features necessary for UI and UX prototyping, including a design that encourages multiuser access and team communication. The tool optimizes screen design with its adaptive layout and in-built animation. It has an advanced wireframe and a high-end structure and is conveniently compatible with popular graphics file formats like PNG, GIF, JPG and many others. InVision’s collaborative design, interactive mockups and freehand drafting mode make it a must-include in any list of top prototyping tools.
Adobe XD
This tool from the Adobe Suite family ranks as one of the best because of its interactive functions and two-part breakdown. The software is split into two parts—design and prototype. The design tab offers you a whole variety of features to give life to your design, while the prototype lets you run it to check for any errors to tweak. You can share it or even integrate it with other apps like Adobe Photoshop and Aftereffects. It is fine-tuned especially for UX testing and is available free for both Windows and Mac.
Axure
One of Axure’s most important features is that it requires no coding. It is a powerful app embodying functions like Animations, Conditional flow, Data-driven Adaptive views, Dynamic and Mathematical content. Its ease of sharing is one of the best out there, just the click of a button and you can send your data to another user or publish it through cloud. The diagram and documentation functions let you create flowcharts, wireframes, mockups and idea boards from libraries within the software where you can create customized content. The Axure Share App is available on both iOS and Android for mobile phones.
Balsamiq
Balsamiq is great for the wireframing and sketching phases, especially if you are new to design in general. It offers low fidelity prototypes which it also claims to be the fastest, something every web/app interface designer needs. Its strong points include its smooth-flowing user interface and mockup phases. Balsamiq’s easy view option lets you perform quick checkups and team brainstorming. Most importantly, it is easy to use, and doesn’t require much out-of-the-box knowledge for beginners.
Figma
One very promising newcomer this year is Figma, a browser-based tool (with a desktop app) that lets users collaborate in real time and uses vectors. It offers illustrations, code generation and prototyping, making it possible to hold smooth collaboration between designers and other stakeholders with multiplayer co-editing. Figma has style libraries that make the process of updating your design libraries much easier and convenient. The app includes many innovative features, such as automatic sync for all design data, smart import/export options and overall powerful editing features.
These are some of the best prototyping tools around for UI/UX design in 2019. They all have their strengths but remember, no one prototyping software can fit everyone’s needs. As designing a product requires a constant and thorough sharing of ideas and feedback, choosing the best prototype tool is very important. Many agencies offer UI and UX Design Services that are customized according to the client’s preferences. Experiment and find the right fit!
