colmtuite

> How on earth are you going to tell the app what you want to draw?

Well, one idea would be to have the rectangle tool selected by default. If I want some other shape, click and hold, the menu pops up, select a shape, menu disappears. Draw.

> How on earth are you complaining about having too many options?

I did say in my post that borders would be a help, I think that's what you mean by "black outlines"? I don't want options, I want speed. As a designer, I'm aware of my options when it comes to visual design. I don't need to experiment with each one, I already have a decent idea what will work and what won't. What I do need to experiment with is user flows. For that, I need speed, not options.

> You do realize that it's a helluva lot of work to design responsive layouts

I'm aware of the work involved in designing responsive layouts, I do it everyday. One idea would be to design for mobile first in the wireframing app, then resize the screen, re-arrange the layout and press "insert breakpoint", then a snapshot of that layout would be saved. So the next time the screen reaches that width, the layout changes automatically.

Currently I do a decent amount of wireframing in the browser. I find this too slow though, especially when dealing with complex interfaces that must work on multiple devices. Trying out a simple idea can mean writing a decent amount of CSS.

It would be quicker if I could just draw a fluid box on a page somewhere.

It doesn't look like my browser. There is a 60px high fixed header bar and there are ads in the interface. No thanks.

What do you like about balsamiq? I've used it a few times and I can't see any benefit to using it over paper, Illustrator or designing directly in the browser. I don't understand what value it's trying to add?

You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned speed. Speed is key. Drop shadows, gradients, fancy fonts, complex colors etc. contradict the point of using a wireframing tool in the first place.

I'm not sure what you mean by "views"? This wouldn't be a necessary feature across breakpoints, if that's what you mean. Multiple device layouts would work off the same template, so changing an element would naturally update across all breakpoints.

Can you describe a scenario where you might need the functionality you're talking about?

Ok, well first of all, your suggestion that I don't like working is ridiculous. I work 50-60 hours a week. Some of that time is spent designing wireframes.

It would take ages for me to describe the exact interface I want and even then, as you implied, that may not suit others. So, rather than try to request an exact interface, I was trying to paint a better picture of what wireframing apps should be focused on. Less is more. At the moment, I think they are all missing the mark considerably.

Originality is not really the main goal. Surely usability is the more important thing to aim for?