Balsamiq Cloud is a web-based user interface design tool for creating wireframes (sometimes called mockups or low-fidelity prototypes). You can use it to generate digital sketches of your idea or concept for an application or website, and to facilitate discussion and understanding before any code is written. The completed wireframes can be used for user testing, clarifying your vision, getting feedback from stakeholders, or getting approval to start development.
Here’s a quick demonstration of how it works.
Quick Start Guide
To get started, you first need to sign up at balsamiq.cloud and then create a new Space or join an existing one by invitation.
Next, create a project by clicking on the dedicated icon in the upper-left corner, or explore Your First Project to get started with the Balsamiq Wireframes editor. A project is a collection of wireframes that belong together and pertain to a specific product or feature.
Depending on how you work (or your role on the project), you can also invite collaborators to edit or review the wireframes as you build them. Balsamiq Cloud supports real-time collaboration and comments, so that multiple people can work on the same project together. Click the «Share Project» icon to add collaborators or get a public link to share.
Once you’ve created a project, the fun begins when you create your wireframes. Drag and drop, edit, and arrange over 75 user interface control types to create anything you can imagine. Read about adding and arranging and editing controls to learn how to create your wireframes.
Tip: If you’ve never used a Balsamiq product before, you might want to follow our tutorial on how to create your first wireframe.
Once you are ready to share your wireframes with clients or stakeholders, you can send a private or public link, or exporting to PDF or images.
What’s New
If you have used a Balsamiq product before, the overall experience should be familiar, yet also new.
Balsamiq Cloud brings the collaborative editing features from our former web app to the updated editor from our Desktop version, and adds new communication and review capabilities such as comments and a review mode.
Transitioning from a Previous Version
If you are transitioning from Balsamiq for Desktop (or another version that uses .bmpr files), you can drag and drop to upload your files or use the dedicated icon in the upper-left corner.
Note: Do you need to convert some .bmml files (old format) so they can be used in Balsamiq Cloud?
Please email us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to convert them for you.
Spaces, Projects and Wireframes
Balsamiq Cloud introduces a new concept: Spaces.
If you’ve used any other version of Balsamiq, you’ll already be familiar with projects and wireframes. A group of wireframes make up a project and, in Cloud, a group of projects make up a Space.
The rest of our documentation contains a detailed description of the features and use of Balsamiq Cloud. A good starting point would be People and Permissions, to get familiar with how to add people to your projects, followed by the Editor Overview, to learn about the user interface for navigating and creating your wireframes.
For troubleshooting, frequently-asked questions, and tutorials, head over to our support page. There, you can learn about pricing and payment information, contact us, watch tutorials, and connect with the user community.
Happy Wireframing, from the Balsamiq team!
A Couple of Little Treats for You!
Built-in Background Music
For years we’ve been suggesting people use headphones when working on wireframes, to help get in the creative zone. So we asked ourselves: why not give our awesome users a built-in, get-in-the-zone-inducing track to listen to? And so we did!
Just go to the Smiley menu, click «Play Background Music», and get to work!
The track is called Ascension, by Dr. Christopher Lloyd Clarke B.Sc, Msc.D. Meditation music composer and founder of Royalty Free Meditation Music.com.
We cut the track down to 25 minutes, added a Zen bell, then added 5 minutes of nature sounds recorded by our own Michael Angeles in his hikes around Marin County, CA. We then made the resulting 30-minute track loop 4 times.
Why the (25 + 5)*4, you ask? Because this way you can use the music to time your Pomodoros, of course!
What Should I Make for Dinner?
We know how it is. It’s 5pm, and you’ve just had a glorious day of work, creating awesome wireframes for your next project.
And then it hits you: what should I make for dinner tonight?
That’s where we come in.
From the Smiley menu, select Help and then «What Should I Make for Dinner?«. You’ll be taken to this page.
Lots and lots of easy, every-day recipes straight from the Balsamiq team’s kitchens, in super-quick video format you can watch while you put your jacket on to leave the office.
Just browse through the list of videos, pick one that looks good, jot down the ingredients and run out the door.
Nothing fancy here, this is what we cook for ourselves when we don’t know what to make.
Balsamiq Cloud
I love Balsamiq. It’s a great example of a low fidelity user prototyping tool. I don’t even ever touch paper anymore.
— Marty Cagan, SVPG
I just love Balsamiq. Have been in love for years.
— Jane Portman, UI Breakfast
Truly loving Balsamiq for first spec: it keeps you concentrating on exactly what matters.
— Joel Spolsky, CEO, Stack Overflow
The customer support team at Balsamiq is one of the most helpful I have ever encountered.
— Nakul Verma
Great tool that made us much more productive!
— Douglas Fischer, iOS Developer
It really does feel like the closest digital approximation of pencil/paper sketching.
— Jeff Gothelf — Author, Lean UX
Lightening fast collaboration with my team 100+ miles away.
— Danelle Bailey — UX/UI/Product Designer
I fall in love with Balsamiq again, everytime I use it.
— Kevin Gordon, Innovation Wizard
The best product investments I’ve ever made.
— Narek K., Product Designer
Balsamiq is such a great UI tool, guys. I’ve gotten to a point where it’s part of my thinking process.
— Natalie, Interaction Designer
I’ve looked elsewhere but Balsamiq continues to get less in the way than anything else I’ve tried.
— Mike Sax — Entrepreneur
Effortless UI Sketching
Capture your ideas, collaborate on your designs, get everyone on board!
Focus on structure and usability, not on pretty colors.
Our sketched style elicits honest feedback, and ensures no one confuses your wireframes for the final product.
The Easiest to Learn
Drag, Drop and Resize. Perfect for PMs and CEOs.
Designed for non-technical people. You’ll be amazed at what you can do.
The Fastest
Wireframe at the speed of thought. Even faster than pen and paper.
We deliberately focus on speed, because tools shouldn’t slow you down.
Super Collaborative
Review, iterate and get everyone on the same page. Quickly.
Elegantly Powerful
Just enough prototyping, only when you need it.
The Industry Standard
Started in 2008, Balsamiq is the undisputed leader of the UI wireframing market. Your favorite apps and websites were very likely first designed with Balsamiq.
We are bootstrapped, profitable, global, friendly, and 100% focussed on making our customers more awesome. We’re good people, and we care.
What is UI Wireframing ?
Architects sketch out their ideas for buildings before construction starts. They’d be foolish not to!
User Interface designers do the same for their web pages, app screens, or software states.
Wireframing is how you first put your ideas to paper, so you can clarify them, iterate, and pitch them to all stake-holders. This key step saves you time and money by helping you iterate when it’s cheapest.
Quick and Easy Wireframing Tool
Balsamiq Wireframes is a rapid low-fidelity UI wireframing tool that reproduces the experience of sketching on a notepad or whiteboard, but using a computer.
It really forces you to focus on structure and content, avoiding lengthy discussions about colors and details that should come later in the process.
Wireframes is FAST: you will generate more ideas, so you can throw out the bad ones and discover the best solutions.
See Balsamiq Wireframes in Action
Sophisticated Simplicity: we have all the features you need, and none of the ones you don’t.
We’re great for non-technical folks: you will be able to master our tool in minutes!
Zero Learning Curve, Power When You Need It
UI Components & Icons Hundreds of built-in and community-generated UI controls and icons.
Drag & Drop Simplicity Assemble elements with the confidence of knowing they can be implemented.
Export to PNG or PDF Share or present wireframes on the web, via images, or via interactive PDFs.
Optimized for Speed Wireframe at the speed of thought with Quick Add and many keyboards shortcuts.
Re-usable Symbols Create templates, masters, and re-usable and customizeable component libraries.
Interactive Prototypes Linking lets you generate simple prototypes for demos or usability testing.
Designed for Collaboration
SOFTWARE TEAMS come together around the right design using Balsamiq: UX Designers love the familiar keyboard shortcuts. Product Managers have an accessible tool to share their ideas with. Developers love how fast, powerful and geeky it is.
CONSULTANTS love it: bring it to client meetings and design their requirements in real time. Business owners use it themselves to pitch ideas and get quotes. Bye bye feature creep!
Everyone’s First UX Tool
Founders & Business Owners
Have an idea for a new product or website? Grab Balsamiq and flesh it out! It will help save a lot of time when talking to designers and developers.
UX Professionals
Balsamiq is the first tool out of your UX toolbox: faster than the sketchbook, and almost as fun to use. It forces you to focus on IA — the rest can come later.
Developers
Working on a side project, or have to act designer for a bit? Start with Balsamiq! It’s MUCH faster than doing it directly in code, trust us.
Consultants & Agencies
Bring Balsamiq to your first client meeting and capture out requirements right there and then, in real time. You’ll save a lot of frustration down the line.
Product Managers & Business Analysts
A meeting with a customer sparked an idea for a great new feature? Sketch it in Balsamiq before bringing it to the team. A picture is worth 1000 words.
Anyone getting into UX
Balsamiq is the perfect first UX tool for students or anyone interested in getting into UX. It’s by far the most approachable, and takes you 80% there to pro.
Are you totally new to UI design? We’ll teach you how to do it! It’s so fun.
Our Sweet Spot: The Ideation Phase
Balsamiq really shines during the early stages of UI design.
Balsamiq offers the same speed and rough feel as sketching with pencil, with the advantage of the digital medium: drag & drop to resize and rearrange elements, make changes without starting over, and share it with a click!
Balsamiq is zenware, meaning that it helps you get in the zone, and stay there. Our aim is for you to forget our software is there at all.
Get Honest Feedback
Improve your designs by getting immediate and meaningful feedback. Our sketchy style help focus the conversation on content and interaction, not minute details.
Sketch-Style Controls They look like sketches on purpose! It encourages brainstorming.
Clean Wireframes Option Need to present your work? Switch style and voilà.
При подготовке материала использовались источники:
https://dtoqlscr8huw8.cloudfront.net/wireframes/cloud/docs/intro/
https://balsamiq.cloud/
https://balsamiq.com/wireframes/
