Our success as UX designers rests on our ability to synthesize and express the many diverse, often conflicting inputs, we gather from sources such as business and engineering stakeholders, user research, and data from analytics. At the end of the day, our goal is to find the pragmatic balance, opportunities, and innovation for the best user experience possible, regardless of the device or operating system that drives that device. To help us conceive, visualize, communicate, and document our vision, a specialized UX tool is invaluable.

Axure is considered by many to be the tool of choice for the UX industry worldwide because the company works hard to evolve the tool so that it supports the escalating demands on UX. The company listens closely to practitioners as it strives to balance a rich feature-set with complexity and cost, and has proven repeatedly that it is the right tool to help us in our demanding line of work.

The following chapters will introduce you to the wealth of features Axure offers in the context of real-life circumstances. As you read the book and get a better sense of how Axure might fit your needs, keep in mind that Axure is just a tool. There is no substitute to rigor, collaboration, and iteration to achieve a successful prototype that communicates our design for a product that will exceed the expectations of our clients and their users. The next chapter provides a comprehensive guide to Axure's user interface and various features.