Yanay Zohar

Everybody likes rapid results: Seeing is believing, and nothing gets people to believe faster than a real-life, final product mockup. Whether you are sketching a new interface design for a client, or working on your own project.

However tempting it may be, delivering a shiny “wow!” interface too early in the process will lead to a creative halt by shifting the attention from the wider UI conceptual issues, to some premature design dilemmas (like “that green is just wrong here” and other exciting arguments).

It’s not easy to resist the burning temptation to fire up your trusty Photoshop (or whatever “wow” generating software you use), and keep a Guerilla lean & mean spirit instead. Starting a UI design directly with a look-and-feel oriented editing software makes as much sense as putting on makeup right before a plastic surgery.

And so, in a pursuit of a better, lighter initial design process, as well as to feed my constant craving for ultimate tools for the job (any job, sometimes to the point of obsessive-compulsive behavior), I set myself on a quest to get a better way to sketch my interface ideas.

I have to admit that for a field occupied with design professionals, UI sketching is seriously lagging behind with tool offerings. We talk, consult, and complain, but most of us don’t lift the glove and change it.

This leaves the UI software market in the hands of what I suspect to be mostly complete strangers to the work process itself. I prefer not to waste your time (and my energy) with descriptions of the bad software solutions out there (most of them are reallllly bad).

But wait! Here comes the good part:
About a month ago I stumbled upon Balsamiq Mockups.
Realizing this is an AIR-based product, I Approached it suspiciously at first, but quite quickly realized what a little gem I was holding.

This software is one rare example of the “Don’t imitate, Innovate!” approach. It’s both fresh and original, yet feels very natural after just a few minutes of usage.

The Experience:
Since Balsamiq Mockups is authentic to the idea of keeping your sketches simple, it takes a no-nonsense approach, and keeps the entire workflow light and to the point.

From the “quick add” helper, through the instant controls adjustments, down to the sketchy smiling shortcut icon, the entire experience is a joy.

The Interface:
Comprised of a minimalistic menu, a visual “ribbon-style” toolbar of all the controls (grouped by type), and a “Quick-Add” box is all you’ll find here.

Just drag and drop the controls (or modules) you need to the sketch, or just start typing their name in the “Quick-Add” input box, and that’s it.

Adjusting a control is done through a small panel that shows up only upon selecting one or more of them. It usually includes exactly what you need. If it’s not there, chances are you shouldn’t waste your time tweaking it right now…

What’s Missing?

• A printing function is conspicuously missing here (you can export to PNG, and print using other programs).

• Simplicity is great, but sometimes you do need a custom image of a less conventional control type, so ability to insert an external image would be nice.

Bottom Line:
This is the ultimate tool for initial UI sketching and experimentation. Highly recommended!

Visit their website for more info & trial.