Web prototyping: tools and tips for awesome UI design
Web prototyping can make the difference between a jaw-dropping website and one that’s just meh. But prototyping for web is a skill to be mastered. Find out how with our handy tricks and prototyping tool tips.
The time we spend online is growing exponentially. From 2013–2015, digital media time grew by 50%, according to ComScore’s 2015 reporting. And 75% of that growth was down to mobile device use; apps alone now account for over half the time we spend online. And that’s not to mention the wearables market, set to hit $25 bn by 2019.
So why bother with web prototyping or designing?
This might lead you to think that designing websites or desktop apps is a dumb idea. But hold on: there are currently over 1bn active websites worldwide, with over 70 million desktop devices sold in the US alone in 2015. Designing user interfaces for webpages or in-browser apps is very far from a moribund endeavor.
Web prototyping — building interactive prototypes of webpages and sites — is an integral part of ensuring digital product success. After all, it’s a lot cheaper and faster to iterate on a non-coded prototype than it is on a piece of coded, polished software. Web prototyping, whether for individual pages or whole sites, is a skill all of its own, presenting challenges and opportunities to any design-development team.
Let’s check out some of the top features and tricks for web prototyping, and the best tools to make sure you create awesome UIs.
