Free Wireframing Tools for Designers

With so many tools and freebies out on the web, life has never been easier for web designers. If you thought you had to write a new code and design a new interface every time your client decided to re-evaluate (oh, the dread!), then you’re surfing far behind the high tides of technology. Today, designers create wireframe of user interface before they actually start designing it to save time, efforts and cost.

Website wireframes are just like architectural blueprints where you create schematics of which elements goes where, what would be their purpose, the hierarchy of information and the overall layout of the website. This is bound to save you a lot of hassle because there will be less chances of errors and mistakes and so less need for revisions or redesigning.

No matter how big or small your company is, it is always much easier to point out issues earlier on in the process rather than much later. With that in mind, let’s explore some of the best wireframing tools that are available over the web for free!

MockFlow

With the Wireframe Pro option in MockFlow, you have all you need to create user interface blueprints of your latest website or application. This website has a selection of templates available that have numerous components such as shapes, icons, navigation, visualization, forms, text, and for anything else you need, can explore the Mockstore library that has import-able third party templates. If there is more than one editor, you may simply collaborate in real-time and share the project with teammates of your choice.

Frame Box

Here’s a great tool to use when you want to create a blueprint of your design. Using Frame box, you can create your wireframes or design demos before you actually start working on it. This is a very basic tool with few options. However, if your design isn’t going to be very complex and you want to avoid vague paper-pencil /Ms. Paint sketches, you’d much rather use frame box for your convenience.

Wirefy

Wirefy’s believes it is not helping designers build pages, “but rather a system of components”. This is why this tool is as flexible and agile as it can be. With Wirefy you can build the first layer of your project and then style it or add components of your choice. Along with a grid system, Wirefy has several typography options, icons, lists, forms, tables, and other UI elements. You can use Wirefy to build sample pages and get (or give) an idea of what your end-project will be like.

WireFrame.cc

With wireframe.cc you can start on clean slate. You can watch the demo to see what you can do with this fabulous tool. An example on wireframe.cc will display one possibility of a wireframe designs out the thousands you can create. To get started, you just have to click on “start drawing” and that’s about it! No signs ups and no payments needed to start on your project.

Wireframe.cc also supports copy pasting and inserting of images. You can also “go premium” if you like with more options such as multiple pages, pdf exports, clickable elements, and more. For generating a basic idea, though, the free plan is all you need.

Gliffy.com

Gliffy is a flash-powered application you can use to create the diagrams of your choice. With Gliffy, you can also create flowcharts, UML diagrams, networks diagrams, sitemaps, and of course — wireframes. Gliffy is a very popular tool “trusted by” many Fortune 500’s such as IBM, Samsung, and even Adobe, the Economist, and Twitter.

To start your wireframe design, simply click on the wireframe tab and the sample below. The library on the left will have a range of shapes, containers, forms, tables, UI content, and elements. You may also drag and drop images onto the canvas. The drawback of this wireframe is that you can’t create a series of linked wireframed screens.

Mocking Bird

Mocking bird is beta software that makes it easy to create, link, and share wireframes. Mockingbird has a very user-friendly interface with drag and drop elements, resizable text, and interactive page linking that allows you to easily send a copy (link) your mockup to clients or colleagues.

Lovely Charts

This is a lovely flash-based application that only requires a simple sign up to get started. With a library on the left, you can click on the wireframe option to start building up your website/application UI blueprint. This application also has a “History management” feature much like Adobe’s software that allow you to go back to a version you created much earlier on in the process.

Similar to Gliffy, Lovely Charts also has a range of export options (Adobe Suite, MS Words, MS Excel, etc). Again, this one has a downside similar to that of Gliffy. You cannot share a link or output a viewable demonstration of your mockup. Regardless, if you want a printable version for documentation, you can use this tool quite effectively.

Originally published at www.logoping.co.uk on July 22, 2015, by Preston Pierce.