What makes a good prototyping tool? (was RE: Rapid Prototyping (was: Konfabulator))

What makes a good prototyping tool?
What are the qualities we need as IxDers?

- dave

-----Original Message-----
From:
discuss-interactiondesigners.com-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-interactiondesigners.com-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.
com] On Behalf Of Ron Vutpakdi
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 2:52 PM
To: 'discuss at interactiondesigners.com'
Subject: Re: [ID Discuss] Rapid Prototyping (was: Konfabulator)

>FWIW, I thought I'd share several techniques that my firm uses for
>rapid prototyping.

>1. Visio. Since all our IA schematics/wireframes originate in Visio,
>it's fairly easy to assign objects HTML links and export your Visio
>deck as HTML. This is a great way to also test your IA thinking on test
>audiences and conduct wireframe usability reviews. Adobe Illustrator
>and Macromedia Freehand can do similar stuff, but the true multi-page
>Visio environment is easier to manage.

I use Canvas from ACD Systems (formerly Deneba) to do the same thing except
I tend to export to PDF. In Canvas, HTML or in document hyperlinks are easy
to assign to any object. Canvas also supports multi-page documents and also
exports to HTML and PDF (along with a host of other formats).

Others here do the same sort of thing in PowerPoint (but with considerably
more effort). On the plus side for PowerPoint, everyone here has a copy
(corporate license), so anyone can view and modify the prototype. If
absolutely pushed, I'll do my wireframes in Canvas and then do the linking
in prototype (under duress).

Ron

=====
============================================================================
Ron Vutpakdi
vutpakdi at acm.org

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