Prototyping Tools: A Comprehensive Guide Intro

Prototyping tools are tools that product designers use to create a “first draft” of a product or development project. If you are a software developer, you might use a prototype to show your client a mockup of your design, allowing them to give you feedback before you invest the time and energy into creating the actual product. 

Prototyping tools help developers work collaboratively, save money and resources, and troubleshoot design problems for smoother development. Learn more about why prototyping tools are important and explore six tools you can use in your design and development work. 

What are prototyping tools?

Prototyping tools allow you to create a visual mock-up of an object you are designing. Often, when you’re creating a design, you might have an idea or want to try a technique that seems promising. However, once you try to implement your idea, some unforeseen issues may arise. A prototype can help you spot any potential problems with your design and get a sense of what will work, plus what you might decide to change. Creating a prototype can be much less expensive than creating a sample of the object you’re designing. This gives you a chance to look for problems or consider changes before investing in the production of your product. 

Prototyping tools can be as simple. You might use cardboard and paper to build a model of your design, or you can use more sophisticated tools to create virtual 3D models. You can manipulate or interact with such models through a computer program or in virtual reality. 

In addition to giving you the chance to view your design and saving you time and money, prototypes also make it easier to get feedback from your users or clients. They can serve as proof of concept to demonstrate your design plans. Many prototyping tools available make it easy to change or modify your design, allowing you to iterate as you gain feedback. 

6 prototyping tools 

You can use prototyping tools to create a digital mockup of the product you’re planning. In many cases, these will be digital products like websites, software, or applications, but the prototyping process is relevant for designing physical objects as well. The best tools for your project will depend on your needs and what kind of object you’re designing. A few popular choices include: 

• Balsamiq

• Figma

• Sketch 

• Marvel

• Proto

• Webflow

Balsamiq

Best uses: Wireframing

Balsamiq is a low-fidelity tool for wireframing or creating a blueprint of the screens involved on a website or app. It helps demonstrate the structure, content, and the user’s journey through the product. Balsamiq includes integration tools so you can use it with other design tools, as well as tools for communication and collaboration within teams. 

Figma

Best uses: All-in-one prototyping

Figma is a prototyping tool with a variety of features to design both high and low-fidelity prototypes. You can start with a collaborative whiteboard where your entire team can brainstorm with sticky notes before moving into prototyping. You can also use Dev mode to start producing your prototypes directly into code. 

Sketch

Best uses: Wireframing and prototyping

Sketch is an intuitive tool for wireframing and prototyping that offers many additional features for collaborating with a team and creating simple or interactive prototypes. Some of the tools you can use on Sketch allow you to create animations, map user journeys with multiple start points, and create overlays that trigger when users interact with your product, allowing you to demonstrate how your prototype will function. 

Marvel

Best uses: Prototyping, user testing, and developer handoff

You can use Marvel to create quick and simple wireframes, prototypes, or more complex designs. One of the hallmarks of this tool is its developer handoff features, which can create automatic specs to make it easier to pass work from designers to the team who will create it. Marvel also has an integration with Sketch, allowing you to leverage Sketch’s tools for collaborating and designing without sacrificing Marvel’s dev handoff. 

Proto.io

Best uses: Drag and drop prototyping

Proto.io is a tool for building prototypes with a suite of collaboration tools. Proto.io offers drag-and-drop tools, including templates, patterns, and other digital components to help you create a prototype faster so you can get feedback and rapidly iterate designs. You can also build high-fidelity designs with Proto’s suite of tools. 

Webflow

Best uses: Designing and building websites

Webflow is a tool for designing and building websites that automatically supplies the code to your components, allowing you to create a website without coding experience. Webflow also offers integrations with marketing tools to help you manage your website once you’ve finished. While Webflow’s main focus isn’t on prototyping, it can help web developers go from ideation to a finished project. 

Who should use prototyping tools?

Many creative professionals use prototyping tools for proof of concept and feedback before proceeding with their projects. Some examples of careers that use prototyping tools include UX/UI designers, product managers, and developers. 

UX/UI designers

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $86,797 [1]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 8 percent [2]

As a UX/UI designer, you will help create the look and feel of a design project. You will also consider how the user will use the item and how to make their experience more enjoyable or easier. You will use tools like wireframing and prototyping to explore design ideas and collaborate with other members of your team. 

Product managers

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $124,900 [3]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 8 percent [4]

As a product manager, you will be responsible for the design, creation, and marketing strategy for a product. You may represent digital products like software or websites, or you can be a product manager for other types of tangible goods. In this role, you will lead a team and help set the direction and strategy for design, how the product will be introduced to customers, and every other component of releasing a new product. 

Software developers

Average annual salary in the US (Glassdoor): $104,303 [5]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2023 to 2033): 17 percent [6]

You will design, create, test, and maintain software projects as a software developer. In this role, you will use prototyping tools to explore the initial design and create a product you can show stakeholders to get feedback on. The role you play in the development process will depend on how large your team is and the kind of development project you’re working on. 

How to choose the best prototyping tools

With so many tools available, it’s worth considering your needs to determine which is the best prototyping tool for your project. A few factors to keep in mind include: 

• Ease of use: If you are new to prototyping tools, you will want to find a user-friendly program. This will help you focus on your design while you build your skills with the program. 

• Project needs: Some projects require simple, low-fidelity tools, while others need highly realistic (high-fidelity) tools that model how an object will function. Others include collaboration tools to make it easier to work with a team. You can choose the prototype tool that allows you to access the features you’ll need. 

• Cost: Another factor that might influence which tool you use is the cost. You can choose from affordable options with fewer features to more advanced solutions or offerings for a higher cost. You may also find free trials so you can explore prototyping tools with no obligation.

Learn about using prototyping tools on Coursera.

Prototyping tools help you draft your ideas and get feedback faster for rapid iteration and collaborative design. If you want to learn more about using prototyping tools or explore other components of software or web development, you can learn the skills you’ll need on Coursera. With the Google UX Design Professional Certificate, you can learn a suite of skills to start an entry-level job as a UI/UX designer.