You never know when your wireframing tool can come in handy. Today I used my wireframing tool to help a friend with a landscape design dilemma. A long and narrow garden is a challenging task for an inexperienced gardener. With a few clicks I came up with a mockup of a garden, with trees, flowerbeds and a terrace in the places where they seemed to fit best. Of course, I could have just explained my vision of it, but creating a mockup which could be modified in the course of the discussion was way more convenient. My friend was surprised and pleased with the result.
I received a few comments on my previous blog on using wireframing tools for non-UI design, one of which was that it is “too nerdy”. While I agree that using a wireframing tool instead of a floor planner or for landscape design may be nerdy, I can give you many convincing reasons why it is a good choice. The main one is the familiarity. I know the wireframing tool I use better than the back of my hand because I create wireframes daily as I am responsible for UI design at work. I know exactly what the possibilities and limits of my wireframing tool are. For me it takes a minute to come up with a sketch.
If I was to learn to use a completely new tool for every sketch that I wanted to make in life, then I would probably lose a lot of time. Similarly, if I was a master of MS Word I could have attempted to use it for all purposes, however, I believe it would be less convenient. Wireframing tools intended for UI design are more multifunctional. When it comes to making a simple layout I just can’t think of anything handier to use!