"new" visio options (was RE: [Sigia-l] RE: VISIO - indexing wireframes)

[David Heller]

For me the wireframing tool has to fit the category of "thing" I'm
designing.
When wireframing content web sites, I agree that a page tool like InDesign
or even Quark has huge value. But if I'm doing an interactive application
where what is more important is re-use of components than text layout then I
prefer a tool like Visio where I can build a re-usable and transportable
object library.

I'd like to however, throw into the mix two tools that people may not be
thinking about from Macromedia Studio MX 2004 (that last year denotation is
an important part of the puzzle).

Fireworks & Flash both have the ability to build a library with.
And now Flash has features that make it a breeze to create "paging" like
features while at the same time having animation, interactivity, and
annotated layering.

I'm seriously considering doing all of my app wireframe development to be
done using these two tools.

Issues that I need to figure out are around printing (if necessary). I know
Flash can print, but does the new slide/screen feature allow for (per
screen) paging? What I've been doing in Fireworks is do my designs there,
and bring them into a paginated tool. I create each screen in its own
"frame" (frames can share layers which is helpful) and then I can create
addenddums in layers. 

What I don't like about these solutions over Visio is that wireframes are
supposed to be low-fidelity and designers like myself have very poor
discipline when it comes to not making things look "just so". So we end up
spending too much time playing around w/ perfecting the look of our
wireframe when we are in tools like fireworks, inDesign and Quark (or
illustrator for that matter) when Visio just makes it so easy to throw
around boxes and text and it has a great component library included as well.
It just makes it easier to keep controled.

Oh! Fireworks also has a "style" manager too so you can repeat text styles
(or object styles). 

-- dave

-----Original Message-----
From: sigia-l-admin at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-admin at asis.org] On Behalf Of
Pradyot Rai
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2003 1:04 PM
To: brett at luxaco.com
Cc: sigia-l at asis.org
Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] RE: VISIO - indexing wireframes

> I actually have found that visio is more difficult to use creating 
> wireframes, I have moved to using Indesign, which is much more 
> flexible and  allow for nicer and more complex designs.
>
> It works a lot like illustrator, but with the ability to have 
> mulitiple page  layout like Quark. You can setup master pages with 
> certain elements that  will carry over the whole document, this way 
> you save a tremendous amount of  time making global changes.

Gooood point. Thank you.

I have no knowledge of Adobe Indesign, though, with my past experience with
PageMaker, I was wondering that Pagemaker (?) caould have been better tool
for the kind of wireframing I am dealt with at the moment. Visio is
difficult and lacks some common-sense features.

Anyway, does Indesign allows you to create indexes without trouble? Or you
have to be wizard to know how to do it? Actually Visio too, allows a lot of
functionality with Macros, but I am far from voodoo and black magic.

Thanks again.

Pradyot Rai
eBusiness, Fannie Mae
Washington, DC 20016-2892
office. 202 752 1855
Cell.   240 472 0432
Fax.    202 752 7501



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