[IxDA Discuss] Pros and Cons of Wireframing tools

[Dan Brown]

Jeff,
There's no one-size-fits-all answer. Ultimately, the best tool is the
tool you feel most comfortable with. At the same time, if you're
looking to adopt a new application for this purpose, you should ask
yourself about your requirements. Wireframes look different in
different organizations and each of us has a different style and
approach.

Last year I gave a talk on the ten decisions IAs need to make when
creating wireframes. Perhaps those decision points are a good start
for establishing your own requirements. Here are those ten decisions:

What is the purpose of the wireframes? (eg: requirements-gathering,
functional specification, etc)

How formal do the wireframes need to be?

At what fidelity do the wireframes need to be rendered?

How much of the interface do you need to show?

What level of detail do you need to document?

What kind of context are your presenting along-side the wireframe?

How will you deliver/present the wireframes?

What kind of collaboration are you expecting on the document?

Will your document require up-keep and maintenance?

Do you actually need wireframes at all?


Far be it for me to recommend a specific tool (Communicating Design,
my book on documentation is application-agnostic) but perhaps you can
dig into your own needs and zero-in on one that best suits your
approach.

Good luck!
-- Dan

On 2/8/07, Kiesel, Jeffrey (User Experience) <Jeffrey_Kiesel at ml.com> asked:

> What types of wireframing tools have you used on your projects, and what
> were the pros and cons of using them?

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