Tools for prototyping

July 8, 2024

As user interface (UI) design has become an increasingly critical component of product development, the need for efficient prototyping tools has grown. Prototyping allows designers to quickly experiment with design ideas, gather user feedback, and iterate on the UI before investing significant time and resources into full implementation.

Some of the top UI prototyping tools used by designers today include

  1. Figma:

    https://www.figma.com

    One of the best tool for designers and Teams. Figma is a powerful design and prototyping tool that allows designers to create high-fidelity interactive prototypes.
    Figma is also developing new features every year by listening to its community, making it really attractive to designer who want to make their workflow faster.


    Pros
    • Real-time collaboration capabilities

    • Strong community

    • Flexible free plan with no time limit

    • Little to no learning curve

    • A lots of plugins

    • Perfect for engineers with the "Dev Mode"

    • Perfect for UX Designer with the "FigJam" files

    • And perfect for keynotes with their new "Side Deck" fils

    Cons
    • Limited Interaction Design

    • Pro Price (starting at 15$ per month)

    • Internet Connection Required

    • Limited Offline Mode

    • Issues when files get to big


  2. Sketch:

    https://www.sketch.com/

    A vector-based design tool that has become a staple in many UI/UX workflows. While Sketch doesn't have built-in prototyping capabilities, it integrates seamlessly with various third-party prototyping tools to enable interactive demonstrations of design concepts.


    Pros
    • Real-time collaboration capabilities

    • Plugins & Libraries

    • Offline mode

    • Good Performances

    Cons
    • Limited Interaction Design

    • No Free Plan

    • Paid Software (starting at 10$ per month)

    • Mac and WebApp

    • Limited support for certain file formats


  3. Adobe XD:

    https://helpx.adobe.com/xd/get-started.html

    XD is Adobe's application for UI/UX design and prototyping. It allows designers to create wireframes, flows and interactive prototypes, as well as gather feedback through built-in review and comment features. However, Adobe's product is in maintenance mode, which means that they are not investing in ongoing development or the delivery of new features in the product, which can be a drag in a constantly evolving environment.


    Pros
    • Real-time collaboration capabilities

    • Integration with Adobe Creative Cloud

    • Responsive design easy feature

    Cons
    • Paid Tool

    • Limited Free Plan

    • Limited support for certain file formats

    • Adobe is no longer going to develop this app


  4. Proto.io:

    https://proto.io

    A comprehensive prototyping platform that supports advanced interactions, animations, and gestures. Proto.io's large library of UI components and widgets makes it easy to build high-fidelity prototypes.


    Pros
    • Easy to use

    • Ready-made and pre-build components

    • Collaborative

    • App available on mobile and desktop

    • Constant updates

    Cons
    • Performance

    • Poor interface

    • Too many feature

    • Limited Offline Mode

    • Performance Issues when files get to big

  5. Protopie:

    https://www.protopie.io

    A powerful prototyping tool focused on creating realistic, code-driven interactions. Protopie enables designers to build interactive prototypes that closely mimic the behavior of final products.


    Pros
    • Powerful

    • Lottie Integration

    • Collaborative

    • Constant updates

    • Dev Features like conditions, variables, camera & keyboard access

    Cons
    • Complexe for beginners

    • Poor Free plan

    • Expensive (starting at 25$ per month)

    • Limited Offline Mode

    • Performance Issues when files get to big


  6. Principle:

    https://principleformac.com

    An IxD tool that excels at creating smooth, natural-looking animations and transitions. Principle's timeline-based interface makes it easy to fine-tune the timing and easing of UI movements.


    Pros
    • Easy to use

    • Powerful and stable

    • Export your Interaction Design file as an App or Online

    • Fast Mirror App (using a cable)

    • Deep animation architecture

    • Export the animation recipe

    Cons
    • Only for Mac

    • Poor trial

    • Paid software (129$)

    • Basic features like gradients, blur not available


  7. Framer:

    https://www.framer.com

    A code-centric prototyping platform that allows designers to create highly customized, programmatic interactions. Framer's React-based framework provides a high level of control and flexibility.


  8. Origami:

    https://origami.design

    A versatile prototyping application that supports a wide range of interactive features, including gestures, 3D transforms, and device-specific interactions.

We are a remote Creative Studio located across France and Japan.
We craft custom digital products and experiences for brands aiming to stand out.

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©NEOSTD 2024

We are a remote Creative Studio located across France and Japan.
We craft custom digital products and experiences for brands aiming to stand out.

Social Networks

Languages

EN

FR

日本語 (Soon)

©NEOSTD 2024

We are a remote Creative Studio located across France and Japan.
We craft custom digital products and experiences for brands aiming to stand out.

Social Networks

Languages

EN

FR

日本語 (Soon)

©NEOSTD 2024