Easy Wireframes with Balsamiq - GiveawayListThumbs

Easy Wireframes with Balsamiq - Giveaway
When designing something there are always some basic steps we follow. They might differ from designer to designer, but one thing is most certain, there will be a sort of sketching/conceptual step, when the colors and details are not important but where we put together an idea of what the design will have in terms of elements and form.
With web design it’s no different. We need to create a rough wireframe of what the thing will look like, prior to building a wireframe in HTML showing behaviors. I usually do that on paper pretty fast, however as I’ve been working apart from my colleagues it was always very hard to send them those drawings. I had always to go to Fireworks or Illustrator to mock it up.
Even though it’s simple to achieve in FW or AI, I needed to create all UI elements like scroll bar, video players, etc. That’s where Balsamiq comes to help us.
Balsamiq is a very useful tool. Built in AIR it simply has a library of UI elements that you can drag to your canvas and create nice and simple wireframes pretty easily; and very quickly. It comes with a huge library of UI elements from Browser Window to Cover Flow element. It has pretty much everything you need to create a simple wireframe. You can export as a PNG or even as an XML file, allowing you to sent it to your coworkers so they can import and edit your prototype.
Using
Balsamiq Mockups feels like you are drawing, but it's digital, so you can tweak and rearrange controls easily, and the end result is much cleaner. Teams can come up with a design and iterate over it in real-time in the course of a meeting.
Balsamiq is really cool, the only thing that bothers me is the Comic Sans font, maybe they could use a different one. Also, We have a license for
Balsamiq to giveaway. To win just leave a comment. The winner will be announced next week.
Some Examples of Wireframes created with Balsamiq.








136 Comments
Wow, Balsamiq looks like a very nice utility. Thanks for the oppurtunity, and also for showing the community this utility; as im sure like myself, not many people have heard of it, but now they know.
hi :)
i wanna win it :D
martin
ps: nice blog =P
Hmm... I used few times their demo and i liked. Maybe i will have some luck? :D
Well this program really works well. Had a chance to try it couple of times, but unfortunately I was unable to get license. Really worth trying though!
This is my comment :)
Thanks for showing us this cool program! I was actually looking for something similar as I'm in the same situation as you were.
I was just checking these type of tools out thanks.
This is a comment!
Balsamiq looks like a very nice utility and very simple. thanks for showing this cool thing
What a great timesaver. I have to admit that I have not heard of this one before. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
I've heard lots about this tool. Looks really awesome!
Looks kl, Would help me a lot when desiging websites as i'm just starting out to be web designer! :)
Wow, this could really speed up web developing. Yes, I agree about the Comic Sans. But hey, it does give it the mock-up feeling, right?
very usefull tool
now i don't have to buy the equipment
Simples e com um resultado muito legal!
Never heard of this program looks cool
Balsamiq seems like a tool I have been looking for, for quite some time. I would love to be selected to win a copy.
Just downloaded and test-drove the trial version. A very inventive tool for ideating.
Really made a buzz all over the web... I like to use this tools than just trying it... This will be very useful for Interface /user experience designers.
Looks like a neat little program for those who might need it. (:
Would love to try this out. Thanks for the contest!
Nice Tool :)
Interesting! Haven't heard of this, but it does certainly seem promising. Ought to make client mockups -far- easier.
this tool seems really cool. Thanks for the opportunity
This seems awesome and would save me a ton of time when working with clients.
Adorei a ideia. Literalmente uma ferramenta mto útil.
This is da future! amen brotha?
cool app!
Impressive. Looks really handy.
never heard of it before – but i'll live it!!!
Sweet!!!
This looks interesting. It could be a very handy utility to slip into the pre-production workflow. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, and for the chance to win it. ;)
Looks very nifty and a huge time saver. I'd ditch the Comic Sans though ;)
I need this for our UX and Interface design!
Very cool! This would save me hours of building wireframes in Visio. :)
Wow, that looks pretty sweet. Want!
Wow, that looks really nice.
Wow, looks like a really handy app, I hope I win.
Sounds like a great tool.
Looks great! Thanks for the info!
Wow, what a useful tool! I can see where this would be really great. Tho, I agree about the comic sans. It kind of starts looking like a kindergarten class' version of a website. ;)
Wow! teh awesome! Would really help get ideas out of one's brain and onto screen effortlessly. :0)
Nice tools, very useful !
Wow, very nice app. Thanks for the opportunity.
cool! I want one!
Hi there, Peldi here from Balsamiq. Re: Comic Sans, it's a really long story...but anyways, you can swap it out with any other font on your system if you wish to do so, instructions here: http://www.balsamiq.com/products/mockups/help#air
Thanks for the nice review (and comments!), happy to provide the free giveaway license!
nice. don't like comic font
You mean I could stop using Visio!? Seriously, cool product... Thanks for the chance to win it...
Cool stuff.
If I don't win, I'll just buy...
Time saved equals art made.
Ohhh! Ohhh! pick me!!! That is pretty dang sweet! Thanks for the chance !
God bless.
David.
www.stopdropanddesign.com
Easy to use, fun and very useful. I love it!
looks very useful
as a budding web designer i could definitely use this- can you consider me for this giveaway?
warmly,
bobby
Looks cool!
I bumped against this last week and quickly dismissed it. You're review however made take a second look, and it looks awesome. Very useful.
Fuckin Awsome oO''
Really useful.
Wow, a lot of these tools have been passing through my feed reader as of late, and this one is by far the most useful I've seen. Kudos to Balsamiq!
I've used balsamiq in the past. It is indeed a great tool. Thought about convincing my boss at work to buy a license for me.
Looks promising as a rapid prototyping / wireframing tool.
Great resource! Thanks for sharing and thanks for giving us the chance to give this away.
Awesome! Looks great, would be fun to experiment with
nice! and fun to use...
I need this tool!!! Awesome!
it's very linear andvery fun to abuse in wallpapers..
i'll give it a try in photoshop orso...
Excellent idea - this would be somewhere in between paper sketches and the Photoshop mock-up. Just what I need at the moment!
Count me in! :)
I would like to win too! This seems like a great tool to have...
I've been thinking about buying Balsamiq, so it would be cool to win a copy.
I like the 'pencil-like' feel.
Nice would be to have an easy and effective tool for wireframing...
Wao...
It seems to be very funny and usefull furthermore ?!
I totally didn't know this service...
Great idea this giveway ... :)
Hmm, seems to expensive for what it does.
Not sure it fills the gap between sketching on paper or photoshop.
Wow this looks quite cool, maybe abit expensive to buy if you have photoshop already but if its the sort of app you can use quickly with clients then its a winner for me!
Of course your designer would need to be willing to work in front of clients for this to be worth while
Great idea.
This looks cool.
I am a web developer. Mostly I don't get into designing, but these wire frames will come in handy to explain my ideas to my designer.
I feel that this can be even used for normal desktop apps.
Nice APP. Congrats to the developers.
will love to has one
Cool tool.. been looking for this kind for quite some time.,.
p/s: win win win ;)
Hoping to win this. This sounds like a cool app. This will definitely make us more economical and save papers.
It's a very interesting program... It would help me a lot right now! :)
Cute tool!
really nice app. i will use if i win, for sure.
i have collected my sugestions about planning and making mockups.
take a look at
delicious.com/robertomachado/planning and
delicious.com/robertomachado/2.0tools
another shot at winning!
Wow this is great! I could really use this software to quickly create mockups.
Wouw seems sooo interesting!! I NEED IT, I WANT IT! PLEASE GIVE IT TO ME :D Imagine what you can do with it...
Sweet, definitely would speed up the design process.
Geez, it'd help me a lot while working!
Things like these came to stay.
Great post, great program.
This is a great tool, thank you for the opportunity you're giving :)
Neat idea. Keeps your mind off of the design and focused on the pre-production element of planning.
really nice tool :0
That looks awesome!
Seems like a cool program.
I find the presence of Comic Sans just to offensive to take this seriously. Shame.
I used the Balsamiq beta once, and would love to have the full product for doing product mockups. :-)
I would also love the option to switch off comic sans. Eh, really?
Very interesting app. Trying it our right now...
Interesting idea, I wonder if it has what I need tho'
Might be easier to just draw that stuff on paper... Not to talk about how much cheaper it is.
I Also want it!
Very very usefull!
Count me in on this!
Cheers from Brazil!
I'm still happy with pencil ...but it is Photoshop who gives life\
Looking interesting. And useful.
It looks like a great tool.
YAY for contests.
Great Idea. Although would be nice if you could export with 'straight' lines too.
I think Balsamiq is cool. I don't use it because I found iPlotz. ^^
i discovered walcom tablet through this blog and now balsamiq? am really moving with speed. love it.
Beast!!
Thanks!
Thanks for the great site and this great giveaway!
Looks really nice. Just stumbled about http://iplotz.com/
It does the same job. But as webbased application.
Wow! A pretty useful App! thanks!
looks funny!
Simple & fun to use. I think their choice to use "handwritten" elements is great.
a comment
Wow! This would be so cool! I just went over to the site and all I can say is I want it. Please! Thank you.
I've been doing this sort of thing in Illustrator, but I'm always tempted to design too much too early. I love how you can even turn a placed image into a sketch. Nice.
give it to me!
love the blog, love the contest.
Love the sketchy visuals, great for preventing clients from getting too caught up in the visuals and keeping them on the concept.
i need this software :)
Wow, i would really like a copy. Thanks!
THAT SUCKS I NEVER WIN ANYTHING!!!!
this is definitely a comment, I'd like to have this.
Sound idea, make mine a wireframe...
Thanks!
That is one nifty tool!
Wow this is a cool product, I'll be getting one if I don't win one here. ;o)
Awesome, i need it! ;) And congratulations for the blog!
Have i entered this yet?
Tried out the demo, and seems to be a great tool!
thanks for the giveaway :)
do want
Very interesting and useful! :)
Great App!
Whant to try it in its full capacity.
Bonito blog ;)
Cheers
Alex
I Waanna so much this item, plz give to me, plz :.) plzzzzz!
That looks like a really useful tool, I have to try it.. :)
I can really see how this would help me in my work. I guess I'll have to make a wish for this for my birthday, which is today btw. ;-)
wow! nice app! very useful!
Balsamiq is *amazing*... I've used it at work... it also integrated with Atlassian Confluence and JIRA... which is insanely helpful...
WANT!
Thanks for the info. This is the first time I am hearing about a software like this
Still in time for the compo? This mock-up software looks the business!
I think that it's a nice app.
ah! this is my comment.. i want to win the license!!!!!
Post new comment