Ultimate Wireframing Toolbox

Dear readers, we are so excited to show you what we have been up to for the last week! We’ve been working on the Wireframing Toolbox list, in which we have tried to combine all the tools that there are out there available for IAs, UX designers, web developers, etc. Prototyping market is indeed a crowded one, and making the right choice is hard. We’ve heard you and started working on a unified directory of wireframing and prototyping solutions of all sizes and colors.

Today we present the first version of the list with 20 companies included. CIO Happy Hour would like to thank all those companies, who have helped us with this project: we couldn’t have done it without your support!

However, there are still more very useful tools out there in the wild that need to be tamed. We invite companies that are on the list to participate in the initiative. If you are a dedicated user of a product and know everything about it – welcome aboard!

Marcin Kowalski with JustProto shared 10 codes that will allow to get the extended 60-day JustProto Trial. We are handing those to first 10 people, who will collaborate with us on one of the products that is still missing from our Ultimate Wireframing Toolbox list. What is more, Michael Bosin with Coutline told us that while still being in a closed beta, they will open up for any of the designers, who would like to try their product. Try emailing Michael and ask nicely for an invite.

Please share a word about our Ultimate Wireframing Toolbox and let us know if you have any ideas on how we can improve it!

We’ve been really busy here for the last two weeks. Wireframing marathon is rolling smoothly and attracts quite a lot of attention. However, you can always make something better and we’ve compiled two helpful monitoring tools for you to keep an eye on wireframing and prototyping topics around the web. What is more, we are now all ears to your ideas at GetSatisfaction, added nice Facebook sharing button and Facebook Page (there are lots of  FB folks here), and created LinkedIn Group, so you can have a meaningful conversation with other pros.

Twitter search:
Twitter can do wonders when you ask it correctly. On the right you can see a stream of tweets related to wireframing that contain useful links. Plunge into it from time to time to grasp what’s hot on Twitter and what people are sharing. The direct link to wireframing twitter search:
http://bit.ly/wireframingtwse

FriendFeed Group:
After playing with twitter for a while, it appeared that there are far more places that people share info on wireframing and prototyping, and this content is good. We’ve used Yahoo! Pipes to create an RSS feed that sucks lots of information from trusted sources, removes duplicates and gives you a clean nice result. Yahoo! Pipes are editable, so if you’d like to tweak it and enhance with more resources you are welcome.
What an RSS feed is when you can’t comment and share it with others? Right! We’ve created a group CIOHH: Wireframing on FriendFeed that is also nicely displayed on the right, so you can track new items when you are on our website as well. Group is open for all, so go ahead – add your own great news or suggest resources we should add.

GetSatisfaction:
We’ve mentioned on Twitter earlier this week that we are even closer to you now. CIO Happy Hour Team will be glad to answer any questions you have and discuss your creative ideas on GetSatisfaction. See this grey Feedback button on the right? Click it any time you have a suggestion or a praise – we will take action as soon as possible and, best of all, everybody else can see your input and engage!

Facebook:
It appeared that there are many visitors, who come to CIOHH from Facebook. We adore our readers, and to make it easier for you FB fans, we’ve installed a one-click sharing button. There is also a CIO Happy Hour page on Facebook as well – drop by and say hi when you have time :).

LinkedIn:
As CIO Happy Hour resource spins around professionals it was a natural decision to settle on LinkedIn as well. New connections you can make with the help of LinkedIn do matter – it’s a brilliant opportunity to meet with great minds in your niche.

One more thing! We do need your comments and participation to make CIO Happy Hour truly what it should be – a conversation platform for professionals. Next time you are around, drop us a comment or even two :)

See you later this week with more interviews with wireframing market leaders.

We are opening this week with a set of initial interviews we have prepared for you!

Please meet Baard Overgaard Hansen, country manager Scandinavia with Pixum and Stephane Carrez – head of Planzone’s R&D Department and Architect. These teasers will let you grasp the idea behind our project and we hope become an integral part of CIO Happy Hour. You, as a reader, are an immerse complement of our platform and your comments, questions and feedback are essential.

You might notice that next round of interviews will a bit different – we will be presenting companies operating in one business domain (more info on this next week). Organizing companies in a pack brings a great possibility to analyze market trends, offers and direction its heading to. Don’t forget, we are speaking with real people, who know the market well and will unveil their thoughts and vision of the niche evolution. That will be also a great opportunity for you to ask your own questions you’ve had for a long time!

You have great ideas and comments. We know you do. Share your thoughts with us!