Several people have come to me with ideas but really haven’t taken the time to write it down or put it in a document. In the early stages of building TownConnect we used all of these: Excel, Visio, Powerpoint, Word documents, HTML, Mind Manager, Basecamp. We had information in way too many documents and tools and we freely switched from one to another. Eventually I set out to find something that would help me convey to designers and developers exactly what I wanted.
I found Axure Software very helpful, comprehensive and easy to use. I recommend it to both business users and senior product management folks.
Wireframe: I used Axure to create the screens I wanted using simple, drag & drop of shapes, radio buttons, text fields, and check boxes. Axure produces a sitemap and workflow for you as you go. Once you have the screens the way you want visually you make it dynamic by telling it where you want each button or link to go, the behavior and notes to the developers.
Prototype: Press a button and Axure produces a working prototype of the application you just created. The HTML isn’t usable for a website but its great to show potential users and eliminates guesswork for developers.
Specification: Press another button and Axure produces a full specification with a screenshot of each page and required functionality. This takes a bit more user entry but is well worth it especially if you are working with remote development teams.
Pricing- The free trial is nice. Single user pricing is $589.
Let me know how you make out if you do try it.
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