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Making Website Mock-Ups in Linux?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the web-site-storyboards dept.

The Ubiquitous Web Designer asks: "I am trying to design a rather complex web page and am wondering if there are any tools which will allow me to make non-functioning mock-ups of each page so that a programmer can work from them. Obviously, it's hard to use the GIMP to make radio buttons, check-boxes, data entry fields, and so on. Can something help me design a page without much knowledge of HTML, or am I better off just doing it with paper and pencil by hand?"

5 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. Nvu by Sodki · · Score: 5, Informative

    Try Nvu, it's good enough.

    1. Re:Nvu by Richard_at_work · · Score: 4, Insightful

      His point was that you use the WYSIWYG editor to create the initial mockup, see how it looks and feels, and then code it from hand - you throw out the WYSIWYG editors code entirely, all you are after is the visual 'OK' before starting the actual coding yourself.

      Personally, I *always* mockup in Fireworks prior to doing anything. Get the look and feel of the site perfect, then handcode the html. Its significantly easier to move around something in a graphics package or WYSIWYG editor than it is in handcoded html, especially if you are doing it a dozen times an hour.

    2. Re:Nvu by TheOtherChimeraTwin · · Score: 4, Funny

      I have to disagree. The best way to create a non-functioning web page is to use Frontpage which is only available on Microsoft Windows.

  2. just the thing by greenguy · · Score: 4, Informative

    Inkscape is perfect for this sort of thing. I've used it many times.

    --
    What if I do the same thing, and I do get different results?
  3. Paper Prototype instead by kognate · · Score: 4, Informative

    Please do not do what you've asked about doing. Instead, pick up a copy of Paper Prototyping at http://www.paperprototyping.com/ then read it, and then you will save yourself a huge amount of time (much more than the time you take to understand the concept).

    Your users will thank you.