Axure RP Interactive design software Use tutorial

Interactive prototype design software axure Chinese Course--Introduction

Introduction (Introduce)

An important task for product managers in the Internet industry is to conduct product prototyping (Prototype design). And the most basic work of product prototype design is to combine annotation, a large number of instructions and flowchart drawing frame Diagram Wireframe, the complete and accurate presentation of their product prototypes to UI, UE, program engineer, market personnel, and through communication meetings, and repeatedly modify prototype until final confirmation, Start putting into execution.

There are many kinds of software tools for product prototype design, I wrote this tutorial Axure RP, is the Taobao, Dangdang and other domestic large-scale network company's team in the promotion use of the prototype design software. At the same time, this software is also widely circulated in the Product manager circle. The reason why Axure RP has been recognized and promoted, precisely because of its simple operation and use, in line with the product manager, interaction designers need.

Before we talk about Axure RP, let's take a look at the product prototype design, now roughly what tools can be used, and their pros and cons.

• paper and pen :
  Simple and easy to get, the difficulty of getting started is zero. Powerful in the production of instantaneous creativity and record, strong in the document real-time discussion and modification. But Fidelity is not high, it is difficult to describe the page flow, more difficult to describe the interaction information and procedural requirements details.
• Word:
  It's difficult to start with. Can draw wireframe, can draw the page flow, can use annotation and text explanation. But it's not good for interaction, and it's not conducive to presentation.
• PPT:
  It's difficult to start with. Easy to draw frames, easy to annotate, express interactive processes, and be good at demos. But it is not good for large document expression.
• Visio:
  Features are relatively complex. Good at drawing flow chart, frame drawing. Not conducive to annotation and large length of the text description. Also not conducive to interactive expression and presentation.
• Photshop/fireworks:
  The operation difficulty is relatively big, easy to draw the frame diagram, the flow chart. Not conducive to the expression of interactive design, not good at text description and annotation.
• Dreamweave:
  Difficult to operate, the need for basic HTML knowledge. Easy to draw frame diagram, flow chart, expression interaction design. Not good at text description and annotation.

These tools are often used by product managers, but fundamentally, these tools are not to do prototype design special tool, the need for different product development objectives, different stages of development, choose different tools to use, to achieve the purpose of expression, communication.

For example, the use of paper and pen, more suitable in the product creative phase to use, can quickly record lightning-like ideas and inspiration, can also be used in the instant discussion of communication, through the graphics express their product ideas, timely drawing out, is the best way. Word is suitable for the use of text to express products in detail, the product details when used, pictures combined with text typesetting, is Word's best job. and PPT is naturally better when demonstrating. Visio can be applied to a variety of flowcharts, diagrams, and graphs to capture user needs. PS/FW is a tool for image processing, DW is the WYSIWYG web development software, these are the designer's skills, for ordinary product managers, need to spend too much energy to master.

In fact, every tool, every software, in the creation of its early days, software designers have given it a character, temperament. Because every tool is created to meet one aspect of human needs. For example, hoe is hoe soil, screwdriver is screw, iron is hot clothes. But different tools have their own areas of work, and in other areas it's not good at it. And the above software in the initial stage of creation, not to help the product manager, UE to complete the product prototype design, so they can not be prototype in this work. And Axure RP is the Internet products in the premise of Great Zhang, in order to meet the requirements of prototype design, came into being.

Axure RP helps web site requirements designers, quickly and easily create catalog-organized prototype documents, feature descriptions, interactive interfaces, and annotated wireframe pages, and automatically generate Web page files and Word documents for presentation to provide presentation and development.

That's right! The characteristics of Axure RP are:

• Quickly create annotated wireframe files and, depending on the time period set, the software automatically saves the document to ensure that the file is secure.
• Without writing any HTML and JavaScript statements, a single key generates an HTML prototype demo by creating documents and related conditions and comments.
• According to the design draft, a single key generates a consistent and professional prototype design document for the word version.

I believe that many people have aroused interest, but before I begin to learn, I think it is necessary for us to understand the short history of software, the company that created the software-axure Software Solutions, Inc., founded in May 2002, Axure RP is the flagship of this software company, January 2003 Axure RP First version of the online release, has been officially released to the fourth version, and I wrote to write here, Axure 5.0 Beta version has been officially provided download trial, although I have downloaded the use, but I think, Write a tutorial or should start from the stable version 4.6, as for the 5.0 version, we can accompany with the software growth.

Next I will combine the picture, several steps to share my understanding of axure,

First, interface and function
Second, the tool bar
Third, site map
Iv. components and methods of use
V. Reuse templates and Usage
Vi. Interactive functions and annotations
Vii. examples

Of course, in the process of writing, I will adjust according to the specific situation, as far as possible to do illustrations, easy to understand. The purpose of writing this tutorial, on the one hand for their familiarity and more understanding of axure, on the other hand, also spur their own blog site to improve their own www.2tan.net, but also hope to their humble strength, for the hope of learning axure friends to share a little experience. Because this is my first attempt to write a tutorial, will inevitably appear biased, but also hope that friends can not hesitate to enlighten, common progress.

For e-wen good friend attached to self-study axure RP several ways:

1. Open the software, press F1 to fetch the help document, and learn from the document.
2. login http://www.axure.com/au-home.aspx to view Flash video learning.
3. Log in to Axure blog http://axure.com/cs/blogs/Default.aspx to learn the latest information about the software.
4. Log in to the discussion group Http://axure.com/cs/forums/Default.aspx and participate in the discussion.