web devs - proto/mockup/wireframe tools

[bruce]

Hey -

To all the web dev guys, what tools are you using to do
wireframe/mockups of url/sites?

Ideally, I'd like some sort of tool/app that I can use to put the
blocks/headings/sections/dropdowns/etc.. To be able to have some basic
links link between pages, but obviously not the underlying logic.

I'm trying to figure out what apps/tools can get me as close to the
website, without doing an actual website. So a mockup, that's more
than visio/powerpoint is what I'm going for. As well as the ability to
point a user to a url, and they can kind of walk through the various
pages/sections.

Thoughts/comments

Thanks

-bruce

[Joe Ibershoff]

Hey Bruce,

There are lots of tools out there that do what you want.  I don't have a lot of experience using wireframe/mockup tools (I'm typically on the receiving end of a finished wireframe), but I'll share what I can.  There are some things you didn't address:

1. What sort of budget are you on?  Free tools only, or are you willing to consider a licensed tool?
2. Some for-pay tools have a 30-day free trial -- do you need something for the short term only, or the long term?
3. Will you be doing collaboration/iteration on the wireframe?  With how many people at once?  Some of the tools available have some very handy features for multi-user collaboration and iteration.

Balsamic (http://www.balsamiq.com/) and MockingBird (https://gomockingbird.com/) are very popular.  MockFlow (http://www.mockflow.com/) has a free account level with no time limit, but restricted to I think 1 site with 4 pages and only 2 collaborators.

 -- Yeti