UI Mockups and Wire Framing
I am not, strictly speaking, a UX designer. Every developer creating software with a User Interface should be familiar with some basic UI design concepts, and definitely needs to be aware of UI limitations on the application’s targeted device platforms, so I make it a point to think through my software designs to see what makes sense and what does not.
I often find that once I’ve sketched out some basic pages and screens for applications I’m designing, the imagined results often include hidden flaws that need to be corrected before coding the user interface can begin.
There are many professional tools and applications for wire framing, and some are better than others. I find one of the quickest and most efficient means of creating the wire framing essentials is to use a sketchbook and, when needed, some drawing aids such as straight edges and templates.
