Top 5 Tools to prototype iOS and Android apps without coding


Advancements in technology have rendered the world digital and drives mankind to experience new wonders of astronomical proportions. Internet has moved us from relative absurdity to a path filled with clarity. Two of the many promising wonders of modern digital technology are the endearing fields of website development and mobile app development.

What is Prototyping?

Prototyping allows you to create a prototype version of your website/app without actually coding anything. Such prototypes can be used to create a basic functional model of the application, get initial feedback, give demos, experiment with UI/UX, etc.

Prototyping is undoubtedly one of the many important stages of web design, web development and mobile app development. Designing tools are dime a dozen. Rather than wrecking your brain and trying your hands at code, it is best to rely on some genuinely good tools to prototype your apps.

Here is a curated list of arguably the best 5 wire-framing tools to prototype your apps without coding:

Framer


When it comes to prototyping iOS and Android apps, nothing beats Framer. There is something truly enchanting about it. Framer works with the simple yet powerful little language, CoffeScript, which is absolutely easy to master. Eventually CoffeScript compiles into JavaScript. All it takes a user to prototype an app is just a few lines (say 2 0r 3 lines) of code. Framer is endowed with plenty of features and some desired packages. You can import a design from Photoshop, import it from the graphic designing app-‘Sketch’. You can preview your prototype on real mobile devices and make necessary adjustments to it. Framer lets you “Join pixels to behavior and discover new invigorating ways of interaction design”.

Apper


For all intents and purposes, Apper is an appellation entitled to an ardent technophile who is in the constant pursuit of excellence. When it comes to delivering promising prototypes, Apper stands second to none. Apper is a fabulous application developed and designed by IGenApps Inc. Web designers should have this app in their kitty because in addition to publishing apps, it allows you to create and share performance driven apps. Apper is known for its characteristic URL feature. This feature changes the interface of the app. As a consequence, newly designed apps resemble native apps. A user has to pay a modest $4.99/month to ensure platform customization. All the other expenses that can be done away with are just optional.

InVision


To help teams collaborate on designs, prototypes and refined communication, InVision is furnished with a free prototyping platform. It is equipped with basic animations and a few transitions. Both finished and un-finished projects can be shared. InVision supports integration with some of the popular designing tools such as Photoshop and Sketch. ‘Perfect prototyping’ is no longer a distant dream. Top notch companies such as Adobe, Evernote and have placed their trust in InVision. And more than 4 hundred thousand users have vouched for it. These numbers clearly bespeaks the effectiveness of this platform.

Proto.io


Armed with super polished animations and refined transitions, Proto.io allows you to devise interactive prototypes that serve as masterpieces. You can develop interactive prototypes that simulate the likes of native apps. You can experience real ecstasy by communicating information through visuals and interactive designs. The drag and drop feature further wields the baton of magic and makes this all the more user friendly. You can import your own assured design assets. You can also cherry-pick your choices from iOS, Android, or Windows phone UI elements. In addition, you may choose from a set of preset icons. Some of the intriguing features of Proto.io are: Adaptive UI libraries, Material Design UI libraries, Dropbox sync, and offline mode. BBC, Disney, ESPN, Amazon and PayPal have already placed their trust in Proto.io. Here is the bottom line, Proto allows you to create mobile apps that are replete with taps, swipes, smart touches and other common app actions. You can get started for free. However, to avail all the features, you have to pay a $24/month.

Marvel


Marvel is known for its trademark swiftness and is the best bet to deliver lightning fast prototyping solutions. This is a super-cool tool that links your prototype with Dropbox. Dropbox serves as a repository for files. It already has a robust 51k+ users base. Marvel takes very little time to transform your PSDs and captivating sketches into solid web prototypes. And it free, but also has paid Pro,Team and Company versions.

Conclusion

All the aforementioned tools share a common feature. Users can do away with ‘code.’ They can utilize ‘drag and drop’ features. It can be said with extraordinary gravitas that the importance of prototyping cannot be discounted and disregarded. These tools aid you in pacing up web-designing and mobile app development projects. Make the best use of these tools and witness the amazing results for yourself!

Sharon Christine
Sharon Christine

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest

Updated on: 14-Jul-2020

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