UI/UX Design Prototyping – Figma/Penpot

Prototyping is an experimental model to validate ideas and assumptions. This is essential for design or product focus thinking for Software Innovation. Popular tools like Figma comes into picture immediately. Penpot is another free tool that is Open Source with similar capability.

What is Figma and Penpot ?

?Both Figma and Penpot are used to build UI/UX and prototyping.

Key features of Figma

• Accessibility and collaboration
• Flexibility to iterate and produce deliverables
• Ability to build prototypes and test
• Establish a single source of truth
• Smooth hand-off to development teams
• Matured software with some limitations for free package. Basic paid $12/user/month and other paid packages available.

Key features of Penpot

• Only platform that enables full compatibility with other vectorial tools.
• Developers will love the fact that the design is the code and designers will no longer suffer from “lost in translation” issues due to proprietary formats.
• Ability to build prototypes and test
• Collaboration and smooth hand-off to development teams
• Flexibility to iterate and produce deliverables
• Ability to build prototypes and test
• Open Source and free

Opinion

Figma is free with limitations, matured tool with all the necessary features. Figma can be adapted to complex projects with bigger teams that needs full functionality. Penpot is completely free, can be adapted to teams that needs full compatibility to other vectorial tools and small to medium size projects.