Real-time, easy creation of wireframes, mockups & prototypes | FluidUI Review

Introduction

With so many applications available today, it may be safe to assume that UX/UI designers have a field day while creating and improving their products. However, considering not every tool out there offers the desired efficiency needed for every project, identifying the most suitable app before getting started is even more crucial. Regardless of your expertise matching the requirements of your project and the features of a given tool is perhaps the best way out. Among the numerous versatile wireframing apps that designers can choose at the moment, Fluid UI has continued to grab the attention of many designers.

What is Fluid UI?

Fluid UI is a smart design tool equipped with an array of reliable features suitable for real-time creation of wireframes, mockups, and prototypes for mobile apps. Built for simplicity and effective communication, this application provides all it takes to translate pure concepts and ideas quickly to real visible designs. It is based entirely online, is powered by HTML 5, and relies on a simple and intuitive interface to allow superior usability. Fluid UI dates back to January 2011 when the first version was released to help designers, entrepreneurs, developers, product managers among others unlock their creative potential.

Features

Interface

Fluid’s user interface is very clean and sharp and is essentially tailored to provide for powerful full-screen prototyping experience. It anchors a wide range of building blocks including navigation elements, clipart icons, system bars among others that help in the rapid creation of stunning prototypes. The interface can link, clone, and pages and components. It also puts at the disposal of the user a wide range of useful transitions, gestures, and animations that can be adopted at will on mockups. And there is more, it boasts of drag and drop capability meaning you can execute actions using a simple mouse and touch gestures. Users who want to enjoy native performance boost can install the handy desktop client.

Rapid prototyping

Fluid UI opens doors to fast, easy, and fun prototyping. Offering a comprehensive set of pre-built UI kits and interactive elements, it spares nothing necessary to support both high and low fidelity prototyping. Within minutes you can turn what in the mind to a visually stunning prototype thanks to the ready resources availed by Fluid.

Collaboration

Collaboration is one essential aspect of design work and Fluid UI provides every avenue for teams to work together. Its framework is tailored to enable clear communication hence users not only share and receive feedback but they can also work on the same component of a project all at the same time. With it, you can turn ideas into prototypes in seconds and share them with colleagues instantly. Fluid’s epic collaborative makeup aids group work through features such as cloud storage that allows unhindered availability of shared content, simultaneous broadcast of changes, the ability to lock pages when making changes, and instant video calls for direct discussions and user testing.

Mobile testing

Apart from the streamlined interface, Fluid UI has a free Fluid Player app that allows users to test their mockups on actual mobile devices and tablets.

Prototypes can also get tested on the browser, saved in HTML format, a PNG file or printed page and shared across platforms where users can interact with them remotely and share their experience.

Built-in Libraries

If you are building prototypes from scratch Fluid UI comes with over 2000 ready-made components for both iOS and Android mobile devices. You can pick UI widgets from material design, iOS, Windows, and wireframe libraries according to your needs.

Upload existing assets

Fluid UI’s upload function makes it an even more prompt and versatile builder. The reliable HTML5 interface makes it hassle-free to bring into designs already existing assets in just a few clicks. Better yet you can save uploaded assets into the personal library for future reuse.

Beautiful animations

The tools range of animations such as pop in, fade in or flip not only add power to prototypes but help beautifies the presentation.

Page Linking

The page linking feature serves to communicate how pages relate and show the ScreenFlow. By adding links to the mockups relating them with reviews and feedback equally becomes seamless.

Reviewer mode

This allows users to request others to click through their prototypes, discuss, and add comments that can be seen by all. It also opens a new front to feedback management since from here it’s possible to respond and resolve arising issues before proceeding with development.

Access Anywhere

This application stores all the work in the cloud so you can always have access at your convenience. Log in via the desktop app or browser and instantly get to your prototypes.

Pros:

• Impressive navigation speed and response time
• Offers plenty pre-made UI widgets
• Supports a variety of device types and formats
• Great collaborative framework
• Flexible and user-friendly
• Good fit for device independent prototypes
• Manageable overhead
• Produces professional-looking output

Cons:

• Lacks multiple image upload support
• Not very efficient for high-fidelity prototyping

Pricing plans

Fluid UI is available under free trial and premium pay plans as follows:-

Solo

• $8.25 per month annual billing or $15 paid monthly
• 1 user
• 5 projects annual subscription or 3 projects monthly
• Unlimited pages and uploads
• All libraries

Pro

• $19.08 annual billing or $25 per month
  1 user per month
• All features in solo plus
• 10 projects
• Add gestures and animated transitions
• Share via web and mobile
• Interactive video presentations
• Export screens, screen flows, and HTML
• Comments and feedback

Team plan

• $41.58 per month annual billing or $55 paid monthly
  4 users
• Unlimited projects and pages
• No Limit on uploads
• All libraries
• Design interactive app prototypes
• Add gestures and animated transitions
• Share via web and mobile
• Interactive video presentations
• Export screens, screen flows, and HTML
• Comments and feedback
• Add up to 4 extra teammates
• Real-time collaboration

Conclusion

Fluid UI is by many standards a suitable for beginners and professionals whether working individually or as a team. Its invaluable list of features makes it sufficiently reliable for building, sharing and collaborating on prototyping projects.