First impressions of Axure software

I’ve spent the afternoon installing and reading about Axure web prototyping software. It takes Visio functionality to the next level, by adding the ability to define and output complex interactivity and AJAX-style controls.

Axure takes Visio functionality to the next level by adding the ability to define and output complex interactivity and AJAX-style controls

You work in an interface that is similar to Visio’s - but you can definitely tell that the software is specifically designed for web prototyping. Whereas Visio is a planning and diagramming software that allows you to do architectural layouts etc., Axure is built from the ground up to enable you to plan web sites in an engaging and accurate way.

This offers an intriguing possibility for me - that of creating interactive mockups of web sites as a part of my IA. I’ve always worked by producing flat, 2D documents that describe the interactivity that should occur with descriptions and a variety of page layouts. I have become extremely fast with Visio over the last couple of years and am quite used to communicating ideas for interactive systems in 2D media.

But Axure really looks like it could be the good IA software I’ve been waiting for. More updates to follow.