User Interface design sessions typically start on a white board if everyone can be in the room together, but what's the next step? How do you capture that UI mockup effectively and modify it according to user feedback? Some folks turn to Visio for some deep and deeply complex user interfaces. Others turn to drawing tools in Office programs like PowerPoint or Word. Photoshop is too pricey and complex to really be useful. Now there is a better option! Balsamiq Mockups has become a tool which I can not live without. Whether I'm trying to communicate simple concepts or complex concepts, the ability to quickly whip out a representation of a user interface is invaluable. The best part is that the mockup is clearly that, a mockup. The layout is implied but design is not. I don't have to have conversations about "can we change the color of this box" but I can have conversations about which elements should be where on the screen or if the user is requesting so much data that it can't live on the same screen in a readable format. Thanks to the ease of use of this tool, every document I write which attempts to discuss a technical topic will likely feature a mockup generated from Balsamiq. I'm also going to see if I can't get a copy or two to give away at user groups or at the upcoming Atlanta Code Camp.
Here are a pair of mockups I've generated with the tool to illustrate simple concepts:
This simple mockup illustrates a Proof of Concept application which can translate text from one language to another.
This sample mockup represents a fictitious organization's Intranet home page
At this point, doing my best means that I've given up eating anything which has ever walked on land. I still eat eggs, fish, and shellfish. I also eat dairy. I'm not vegan by any stretch. However, since I started the vegetarian journey a few months ago, I've lost about 25 lbs and I'm generally feeling much better. The best part of the weight loss is that I really have not changed my habits to include a lot of exercise, which I can't seem to fit in regularly thanks to my terrible work schedule.