10 ways to turn your app idea into a visual mock-up in minutes, not weeks, without hiring a designer
It is a common problem for the founders - how to show others how you envision all the screens of the app you have in mind.
You might need it for the developers, potential users, or investors. In general, to support your written or verbal description of what you want to build. Some say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and it is more than often true in the software world.
Here are 10 tools, that will help you with this difficulty and will take you one step closer to building your own application.
Before you start - what is the goal
At this point, we need to make sure, the target is clear.
Don't try to build a pixel-perfect, complex product with fireworks, animations, and other stuff. The time for this will come, and trust me, your app won't look like you envision it at this stage. Prepare the minimal and most straightforward visualization of what you have in mind.
This way, you can quickly start using it, gather feedback, and improve on it.
AI tools, that will help you start
We live in a World, where we have AI for everything (this sentence will definitely become obsolete tomorrow ??)
So why not use it? There are tons of tools, that based on your prompt, will generate a website / app design / sketch for you. It won't be perfect, but it is a good starting point when you don't have any experience with the design.
This approach is great for brainstorming ideas and building the overall product vision.
Simple sketching / mock-up tools, that will help you start from scratch
Today everything has an AI component, but some solutions focus more on simplicity than the buzz.
But these are the tools we have been recommending to the founders for years. They will take you from zero to one - from the first rectangle to the basic views, presenting your idea. What's important, you don't have to be a designer to jump into them within minutes.
The main difference starting this way, from the AI builders, is that you control the process at each step, and you will know exactly, how to manage all of your components.
4. Balsamiq ( Balsamiq ) - the closest you can get to the pen and paper
5. UXPin ( UXPin ) - Design beautiful, detailed user interfaces faster than ever before
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6. Moqups ( Moqups ) - Wireframe, Diagram & Whiteboard Online
More advanced tools, used by the professionals
Who said that you can't learn to use more advanced tools?
Although their capabilities are much bigger, the number of features and components is wider, you can still learn the basics within minutes and then develop your skills. Another benefit is, that if you start with a more advanced tool, the transition to the professional designer can be much easier. They can also offer a wider range of ready-made libraries, which you can simply copy and paste into your project.
So why don't you give it a try?
7. Figma ( Figma ) - slowly getting to the position of an industry standard
8. Sketch ( Sketch ) - another great tool, used by many professionals
9. Adobe XD ( Adobe ) - last but not least, a very popular tool by Adobe
Which one to choose?
Now, let's face the tough question - which tool you should choose?
An honest answer is - we don't know. Everyone is different, every founder prefers to work in a slightly different way. Some people are in love of AI, some prefer super simple tools to start with. You must find your way.
But we understand it can be a tough choice. This is why, we are adding a 10th option below.
There is a 10th option
I hope this article leaves you with at least 9 paths to explore on your own. But if you don't have time to check them all, still are not sure, or simply like talking, use our experience to guide you.
Within our Design and Discovery service, we offer a free 1-hour workshop, where you can ask us any questions about the design, UI, UX, and many more topics around your application.
You will find more details here: