Graphic Rating

Create Wireframes and Prototypes with FlairBuilder

• by Andy Gongea
• Dec 15, 2009
• 2 Comments »

The wireframing industry, you can call it that way because there are numerous players, is rapidly evolving. And with this evolution comes diversity, which we all know drives innovation and lowers the price. This post is a review dedicated to wireframing and prototyping tool called FlairBuilder.

A step into FlairBuilder

For users that are familiar with wireframing tools, FlairBuilder will look close to standard from the functionality point of view. It has a simple user interface focused around the canvas, having the main components, interaction and hierarchy displayed in the right side. In this way you can easily drag your desired components onto the canvas and create your wireframes.

For those of you less familiar with this type of applications, FlairBuilder has prepared a startup project that has most of the functionality enabled. In this way you can learn very fast from examples how to create wireframes and prototypes using FlairBuilder.

Interactive Sketches. Usually, with a wireframing tool all you can achieve is a static result, represented by lines and shapes. With FlairBuilder this changes because you have the ability to add events and make your wireframes interactive.

To add interaction to your wireframe and turn it into a prototype, all you have to do is to drag and drop the component on your canvas. With your component selected you can easily add events in the Event section from the right sidebar. Keep in mind that not all components can have events attached.

Working with FlairBuilder

Now that you know a little about the product, I want to share with you some personal thoughts about the application. For other information, please check www.FlairBuilder.com and you might as well try the online demo of the application.

The Good

Productivity. The first thing that I want to mention is the productivity. Being able to choose from a variety of components makes your life a lot easier and you can rapidly turn your ideas into draft demos.

Easy to Use. FlairBuilder has a simple interface and because of that, you don’t have to be a genius to work with this application. As an estimation, I would say that an average user will get used to the application in 2-4 hours.

Great Feedback and Support. Even though FlairBuilder is a young application, the feedback and support is almost beyond reproach. I’m saying “almost” because it is a one-man-show application and not all requests are integrated, but all requests are considered.

The Bad

Inconsistent UI. Although FlairBuilder is an application dedicated primarily to designers, the user interface has some glitches. It has a feeling of inconsistency. Probably in the near future the UI will have a bigger priority since the application is stable and it has a lot of features.

…and the Conclusion

To summarize this review, we can say that FlairBuilder is a good alternative in the wireframing industry and a possible leader in the prototyping area. With constant additions to the functionality, the application can only expect positive reactions from the wireframing and prototyping users.

FlairBuilder Home Page: www.FlairBuilder.com
FlairBuilder Demo: http://www.flairbuilder.com/demo/
FlairBuilder on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/flairbuilder

I would also like to say Kudos to Cristian Pascu, the creative developer behind FlairBuilder. Make sure to check the website for promotions and giveaways. For December you will get a 20% discount. Cheers!