You have a product idea but no prototype. What are the best software tools to create one?

We, as product managers, need to be able to move things forward and create from scratch. Without a doubt, I consider Figma the best tool for creating wireframes and an absolute must have skill for every product manager. But if you don't have a laptop handy, you need to be able to improvise and a napkin and pen will work too!

There are several steps from going from product idea to product prototyping. Figma is a great tool that helps from product ideation to driving execution. Using this tool, one can create low-fidelity wireframes to interactive prototypes and share them with the designers and engineers.

Pen and paper!! Might seem old-fashioned with so many tools available, but in my experience, it's best to create a flow with the user journey on pen and paper, and once you have thought through it and iterated over it, then pick up a tool. This stops the tools' abilities, learning curve and limitations from interfering with your thought process. As mentioned in the post, Balsamiq, Figma, Sketch, InVision, all are great tools to build low to high level prototypes.

Don’t go from idea to prototype. Go from idea to problem discovery to Offer Once you’ve validated you have something which is desirable (people want it), viable (it creates and captures value) and feasible (you have the resources to get to build it), then move to prototyping to refine your MVP Yes for your offer you’ll want to visualise that for your potential customers so go for the simplest approach, use a deck

White board and markers work great to brainstorm your wireframes... These applications work great for sharing with others and gaining perspectives.. I generally used developer tools in edge browser to make changes to existing ux along with storyboarding tools in ppt.

From my experience, I find Figma to be an intuitive and easy tool for creating mockups. But if you have other similar tools, like Adobe Photoshop or InVision, you can continue to work in them. I think you need to master at least one similar tool.

Adobe Photoshop est très polyvalent. Bien qu'il ne soit pas spécifiquement con?u pour le wireframing ou la conception d'interfaces, de nombreux designers l'utilisent en raison de sa puissance et de sa flexibilité. InVision est une plateforme de prototypage et de collaboration qui permet aux équipes de concevoir des maquettes interactives et de créer des prototypes d'applications et de sites web. Il offre des fonctionnalités telles que le prototypage interactif, les commentaires en temps réel et la collaboration en équipe. Marvel est également une plateforme de prototypage. Il offre une interface conviviale et des fonctionnalités telles que le glisser-déposer, le partage de prototypes et la création de flux de travail.

Leveraging mockup tools enables you to present a polished and visually appealing version of your product to your audience. By showcasing the quality and aesthetics of your solution, these tools contribute to creating a positive impression and capturing the attention of potential users or investors.

Based on my experience, using visual mockups can be extremely helpful in preventing misunderstandings and ensuring that all parties involved have a clear understanding of the product design and its features. High-fidelity mockups can also effectively present the product concept to investors, executives, and other decision-makers, which can help secure buy-in and support for the project. For example, Canva offers an online mockup generator that enables users to create, edit, and share stunning, high-resolution mockups directly from their web browser. This seamless experience allows for the uploading, customization, and review of what the final product will look like, making it a versatile tool for creating website mockups.

Independent of the tool, because currently there are several good options, I believe that trying to come to an approximation to reality helps a lot to express, fall in love with and sell your idea, which is why mockups are so important!

I believe that you can create prototypes wherever you want. But I still recommend you to master Figma. At the moment it is the most popular tool for creating prototypes and mockups, and popularity means a huge number of free tutorials and articles.

Technical ideas or concepts are difficult to explain to many people; taking something from your mind and codifying it into a form that almost everyone can absorb is hard to do. Tools which enable the creation of a virtual or physical model are a great way of engaging the wider community and achieving buy-in.

People get too caught up in the tools. The point isn't the tool, it's the opportunity to learn. You can make 100% effective prototypes with whatever application you're most comfortable using. Powerpoint/Keynote give you everything you need for a functional prototype. The tools mentioned here are great as well, but they're not *necessary.

Utilizing prototyping tools is instrumental in conducting user-centric testing and validation. By presenting interactive prototypes to your users, you can gather valuable data and insights on their preferences, needs, and pain points. This iterative approach allows you to refine and enhance your product based on real user feedback, ensuring it aligns closely with user expectations.

We often picture our ideas as polished products. Prototyping, however, is about building a basic version with the core functionality to test its validity and feasibility. The tools vary based on the project: SimuLink for engineering, make.com for web services, Figma/Spline for UI, etc. Ultimately, prototypes need just the core solution, along with performance indicators for measurement.

The heart of any software product, and an important pillar in almost all businesses today. A good code can make or break your product or business. Some great code editors are Visual Studio, CodePen etc. But more importantly, a flawless and powerful snippet of code ensures that your product survives any path taken from user, doesn't fail during high traffic times and so much more!

Coding tools have advantages, but I would not recommend coding for prototyping for the following reasons. Firstly, creating a prototype through coding can take time, a disadvantage compared to drag-and-drop tools that allow faster prototyping. Secondly, learning to use coding effectively for prototyping can be challenging, as you or your team may need to become proficient with the coding tool. A lack of familiarity with coding can limit the ability to explore different design possibilities. Lastly, using coding tools for prototyping can focus too much on technical details rather than the user experience. This can lead to an unsatisfactory user experience in exploring design possibilities.

If you are reading this you are probably a "non technical" founder struggling to find a tech cofounder. You have two options, you go through a learning curve of a "no code / low code" tools such as Bubble, Adalo or WeWeb/Xano combination in order to acquire skills needed to build a functioning "web app". Alternatively you can look for subscription based product teams for non tech founders.

With the advent of the Copilot Github AI, coders will be able to supercharge their programming in VSCode and ship features out at great pace, assuming that they aren't doing it already.

If you want a functioning prototype that is beyond ppt. See my recommendation for prototyping tools above, if you are building mobile apps.

I believe that the best tool for collaboration is the Miro. It is a convenient and easy to learn tool that has come a long way in development. However in the last year Figma launched FigJam and in terms of pricing and ecosystem, it is a very good alternative to Miro.

a lot of choices her, depending on what you need to collaborate on. Trello is great (my personal fav). Not a fan of Slack (so I am biased here).

Here are some best practices for using collaboration tools when prototyping: - Use version control : Leverage built-in version control within the prototyping tools - Document thoroughly : Make use of comments, annotations and naming conventions - Maintain a single source of truth : Have a single master prototype file - Assign roles and responsibilities : Make sure who is reviewing, approving, implementing feedback - Test together : Conduct usability testing together and discuss feedback/insights as a team - Iterate often, integrate frequently: Make small iterations frequently rather than huge changes in one go

Although perhaps not as ubiquitous as Slack or Trello, Miro is a very popular collaboration platform that allows many people to work together on whiteboard on the same idea. I believe that using Miro to communicate your ideas effectively can help cut out some unnecessary meetings.

Choosing the right collaboration tools can be the linchpin for your project’s success. These tools facilitate communication and streamline the process of bringing your vision to life. Here’s a curated list: 1. Slack, Google Workspace, or Microsoft Teams for seamless communication when building a prototype, clear and instant communication is vital. 2. Trello or Asana: For project management; keeping track of tasks, deadlines, and progress is crucial. 3. Figma or InVision: Indispensable for simultaneously multiple users prototype design collaboration, offering real-time feedback and iteration capabilities. 4. GitHub or Bitbucket: For code collaboration. They offer version control, code review, and issue tracking functionalities.

-My strong recommendation would be to not start with or get stuck with the tool selection. Even a napkin sketch is a great start! -Pick tools based on the usecase (functional vs static, high fidelity vs low fidelity, etc.) -Be open to feedback and rapid iteration. You may end up with a different result altogether, but that's the whole idea of a prototype. Don't let your ego win, go with the feedback flow.

Prototyping is an art and an evolution. There is a no silver bullet to it. If you have a product idea but haven’t yet prototyped it, I recommend you to start with a low fidelity prototype (story boards, wireframes) and gradually enhance into high-fidelity ones (clickable prototypes, interactive design) and fully functional prototypes. The key is to choose a tool appropriate to your prototype fidelity. It should support an iterative approach. Many open source tools rival paid options with their capabilities and active development communities. For instance, Figma is a popular browser-based design and prototyping tool. It has a generous free tier.

In my opinion, landing pages and no-code tools are best for quick idea validation. You can create a landing page in 2 mins using Yep.so After quick idea validation, you can choose Bubble, it's a full stack no-code platform to bring your idea to life.

Select a tool based on your project's complexity, collaboration needs, and your personal design preferences. These tools empower you to bring your product idea to life visually, setting the stage for successful development. Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Proto.io, Axure RP, Marvel or Balsamiq The whole point of using prototype is to validate your idea, choose a tool that you are comfortable with and allows to get validation with minimum input.

Adopt a Design Thinking approach to ensure that your prototyping process remain user-centered, flexible, and conducive to innovation. Here’s how you can navigate this path: 1. Understand Your User Before diving into the prototyping tools, ground yourself in the needs and challenges of your target user. 2. Clarify your objectives articulate what you want your product to achieve. Envision your solution with a solid understanding of your user’s needs. 3. Bring ideas to life this is where your ideas begin to take shape. 4. Present your prototype to real users, gather feedback, and be prepared to iterate. This stage might lead you back to the drawing board, each iteration hones your product and edges it closer to market readiness.