Balsamiq 2.2 is here
blogs.balsamiq.com
blogs.balsamiq.com
I believe I hold the cynicism record on HN and even I'm impressed.
Moreover, Peldi's blog is frequently featured here on HN, and he writes cogently and about interesting things. These posts, in particular, struck a chord with me: http://blogs.balsamiq.com/peldi/2011/09/07/policies/
The template allows us to add an extra layer of notation and InDesigns file linking capabilities makes updates/changes a snap.
I had hoped that myBalsamiq would fix these issues but alas it did not. It works for collaborative, iterative team work but falls down flat for big 'Sprint 0' planning. Maybe one day it will get there but it needs to add some features to hit scratch that itch.
Now, whether or not that is in their big picture plan is up in the air. It did take them this long to get rid of the 'sketchiness'.
Now it's the unconscious first place I start for any new idea, be it a new app, website, page, feature - whatever. Start a new mockup, put a text area on the screen and start typing my ideas into it like I used to do with pen and paper.
If the idea gets beyond this stage I just start dragging and dropping. What used to take hours with an awkward combination of Asana/Photoshop/pen&paper now takes a fraction of that with far more iterations and better results.
Can't sing the praises of this product enough.
However: there are many free alternatives if you just want the ability to make wireframes and don't need something great/wont use it often: http://moqups.com is the latest I've come across. There are lots more.
Here's something to get you started if you're a Mac user, and have Keynote: http://blog.amirkhella.com/2010/06/16/how-to-prototype-inter...
I especially like using Keynote for higher-fidelity mockups, which I find is essential for mobile development...
Balsamiq is about creating wireframes. Wireframes are there especially to not mimic too much the "final" product so that you can concentrate more on the feature an flow aspect without suffering of the interference that the visual elements could create.
Keynote, at least the way you are using it, is to create mockups. Mockups are there to crystalize (or invalidate) the ideas expressed in the wireframes together with the branding you are creating for your application.
I'll also add that it probably matters if the consumers of the mockup/prototype/wireframe/whatever are internal/external to the organization.
It's an app designed for screen design, by screen designers, and it saves me so much time.
The fact that everyone at the company is friendly and helpful and awesome is a significant bonus.
There's a market for an easier way to mockup mobile app screens and Balsamiq is barely addressing this segment right now. I am waiting for the day a new product comes out specifically designed for mocking up mobile apps.
As a random usability thing, they also handle renewal notifications without being annoying. I don't need an email every hour that my subscription is expiring, and the earth doesn't shatter once it does. If I decide not to renew, I can still download all the mockups I made when I had the subscription. If I decide I need to get back into the program, a couple clicks and I'm back in for $12/mo. Small stuff like that makes feel like they're not trying to suck every penny out of me, which is why I don't hesitate to go back to them when I need to.
My favourite wireframing tool just became beter! Way to go team balsamiq!
Antetype looks pretty amazing - sadly I'm on a PC. :(