Boxes and Arrows: Comments by Bo Lora

Bo Lora — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 12:40:11 GMT

I’ve been running to this problem forever. Wireframes are a quick way to get a visual. I found the best use of wireframes in it’s crudest for is standing by a whiteboard doing sketches. However, I found that the best use of time on the computer is to do HTML.

I’ll say that with one condition… I’ve experimented with lots of uses of PowerPoint, PhotoShop, Visio etc. In the end, a hybrid CSS/JS does the best trick. If you can keep the HTML at is simplest form but be able to show a near production quality version and flip it to black and white it helps in doing both testing it in usability and talking to business partners without having to discuss colors/look and feel.

The trick is the CSS/XHTML. Removing table layouts etc.

That’s my two cents…

Bo Lora — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 06:42:47 GMT

I would love to see this story too. It drives me crazy specialy when you are talking about a transactional application. This one is right up there with “stickyness”.

Bo Lora — Thu, 17 May 2007 03:38:00 GMT

I was actually thinking of having with examples… The article itself should have a “feel” too! ;-)

Bo Lora — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:49:42 GMT

I messed with PowerPoint for a couple of years. I believe that if you do different unrelated projects then powerpoint can be a great tool as described in this article. However, if you are tasked in a project that has a great degree of transactional/interactive design, like a customer service portal, then PowerPoint becomes extremely tedious.

I have found it much easier to invest the time in creating html templates in Dreamweaver and create prototypes on the fly. Having said that, it does take a certain level of skillset. Many IAs are not as comfortable operating in HTML and javascript to create rapid prototypes or have readily available resources to help them do so.

Bo Lora — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:02:58 GMT

Oh yeah, another comment….

Maureen, I think your use of screenshots and step by step instructions is very thorough and makes the article a great resource for people wanting to explore more with PP.

Great job.

Bo Lora — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:12:58 GMT

Henrick,

I TOTALLY agree with you. Yes you can prototype using various tools but why would I want to use pliers to open a bottle? Great point!

I found that in Visio or powerpoint or anything else like that you can get so wrapped around the axle with tediousness. It gets really bad if you have a transactional flow layed out and then after presenting it to your client a descision is made to split one page in two or insert a new alternate flow. It can be a nightmare to change gears like that. To me, HTML is much easier. If it wasn’t then the web would have been done in PowerPoint!

Bo Lora — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 19:40:07 GMT

I agree with Richard that the “form” metaphor needs to be broken in a way.

I was once tasked to take a 22 page financial planning “form” and put it online. The result was an application far different than “putting the form online”.

“Forms” (in a paper sense) don’t have any intuity. Unfortunately, we we take these forms on the web and we sometimes don’t realize the opportunity to be intuitive. For example: in a form that you have to input a billing and shipping address. If you have a check box that says “Same as billing address” why does the user have to see the shipping address fields? Often these are shown and prefilled with the billing address. In paper form this is inevitable but on the web, you can hide them unless the user unchecks the box.

Bo Lora — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:58:56 GMT

Lot’s of people have rejected HTML prototyping as too cumbersome. I’ve tried it all, visio, powerpoint, fireworks, photoshop, iRise, denim paint, etc. Nothing beats using XHTML as a prototype platform as you describe it. Add Dreamweaver in the mix with widgets and snippets and you have a rapid prototype platform. You can also use div layers to store specification information.