Book Image

Balsamiq Wireframes Quickstart Guide

By : Scott Faranello
Book Image

Balsamiq Wireframes Quickstart Guide

By: Scott Faranello

Overview of this book

<p>Balsamiq Mockups is an easy to use, engaging tool for anyone looking to strategize and brainstorm ideas around product design and information architecture. With Balsamiq, you can strategize, create, prototype and present your ideas clearly and effectively to audiences large and small.<br /><br />"Balsamiq Wireframes Quickstart Guide" is a fast paced and easy to follow instructional book that gets you up and running quickly while challenging you to be the best you can be using the tool. With this book in hand, it will take only minutes to present an idea on screen.<br /><br />Wireframing is one of the key steps of effective user interface design and architecture. Finding the right tools to get your thoughts onto the page quickly and clearly is vital to your success. This book will have you on your way in no time. "Balsamiq Mockups Quickstart Guide" will walk you through the entire application in a fast, simple and engaging way. You will be presented with wireframe samples, exercises and real-world examples that will engage, challenge and enable you to become an expert wireframer and Balsamiq user. Whether you are looking to communicate ideas to your team, a client, a product manager, an IT developer, or if you are wireframing for the fun of it, this book is for you. By the time you are finished, you will have mastered the tools to do whatever your mind can think up. The rest is up to you.</p>
Table of Contents (13 chapters)

Creating a symbol


To create a symbol, there are just a few steps to take, a few new tools to learn, and a few important things to remember. So, let's dive right in by turning one of the elements already in your wireframe project into a symbol. Perform the following steps for doing so:

  1. 1. If it's not already open, select project_mockup_1.bmml from the balsamiq_project_files folder and open it.

  2. 2. Select all the elements in the header area by clicking-and-dragging the mouse around the entire section, as shown in the following screenshot:

    You can also select by pressing Shift while clicking on each piece of the header.

  3. 3. Once everything is selected, turn the header into a group, by pressing Command + G/Ctrl + G.

  4. 4. The Property Inspector will appear, indicating that it is now a Group, as shown in the following screenshot:

  5. 5. Give your new group a name by typing it into the Name textbox in the Property Inspector. For example, you can name it wireframe_header, as shown in the following screenshot...