Interactive prototyping – the faster the better?

You know the problem. Your clients can't visualise the interactivity (functionality) they want nor the look and feel of the application they want. This combination is one of the most common pitfalls that causes projects to drag on and on ...

Time means money, as we understand. The more resources tied up the more the pound signs rack up. The clients won't be happy. We’ve looked at how programming practices have changed to help get the build faster but perhaps we haven't really looked at advances on the visualisation aspects as much. Let's put that right.

Prototyping frameworks and tools can help, depending on what you want to achieve. Tom Russell (4th January 2012), gives some useful pointers and reviews of some of the tools he finds useful for web application building.

Leigh Howells (30th December 2011), A prototype is worth a 10,000 word specification, gives an honest appraisal of his design pain working with tools and the freedom but lengthy process of wireframing. His tool of choice for the moment is Axure that, although expensive, gives him the most features he wants quickly including outputting a written specification document, if that's what's requested.

You haven't long, if you live in Leeds UK, to make it to a review event of three such tools - Mobile First, Balsamiq and Axure - where you can win a copy of each tool. See NUX Leeds: Prototyping with Mobile First, Balsamiq and Axure, 23rd January 2012, 6.30-8.30pm.

Maybe you have your own favourite tool - or not. What's your experience?