Ask HN: Review our UI mockup tool, ScreenSketcher

http://www.codingrobots.com/screensketcher/

by dchest • 16 years ago

25 45 16 years ago

dchest9• 16 years ago

We acquired this product a while ago from TwoDesk Software (http://www.twodesk.com/), improved it, and releasing the new version today. I know, we're going to a kind of established market (think Balsamiq), but we just love native applications, and we think that making mockups is a good fit for a native app, and there's a market for a native Windows tool.

It's written in Delphi, so it is fast and tiny (1.3 MB). Every mockup element is drawn by code, so it scales well (you can resize and zoom in and out), and there's "automagical" grouping: e.g. when you put a button inside a box, if you move the box, the button will be moved as well.

What do you think about our prospects in this market? Any suggestions on the app itself?

oscardelben• 16 years ago

I can't try it because I don't have a windows machine, but I think you don't have to worry too much about competition because as you said you love the product you are building. Maybe you could play around with price instead, if you are going to target regular users.

pbhjpbhj• 16 years ago

So how is it different to Balsamiq? You're £4 cheaper at the moment (£47 vs £51) though you've hidden the price on the website. Balsamiq is available as a desktop application (via AIR) - not strictly "native" but who is going to notice.

Your website looks nicer than theirs FWIW.

uggedal• 16 years ago

The artifacts created with this tools looks exactly like those created with Balsamiq...

giu2• 16 years ago

And although there are tons of fonts you could choose to use, they've chosen Comic Sans, which is also used by Balsamiq...

dchest9• 16 years ago

My fresh Windows XP installation doesn't have any fonts other than Comic Sans that look similar to sketch style writing. What font would you suggest?

corruption• 16 years ago

Napkin look and feel for java predates them both by years. Balsamiq doesn't have a trademark on hand drawn ui's.

dchest9• 16 years ago

These are drawn in code, so any similarities with Balsamiq are probably not intentional. This is because both our product and Balsamiq try to simulate hand-drawn lines :)

csomar• 16 years ago

1. Encourage your visitors to download the product, put more screen shots that looks dynamic and interesting (may be a slide if you wish).

2. Good size 1.3 MB

3. product

- I can only resize objects horizontally, the button should have a vertical resize.

- Why drag and drop to add the object when I have already selected it?

- Let me chose a selected tab (you selected the first one)

- I can zoom, that's good, but why doesn't it display percentages, how can I know the real size?

- Why shall I purchase the software, if when I click done (when exporting images for examples), it does export it? I mean your trial version is broken, hackers don't need to pirate your software!

Overall it's not bad, but why pay $60 for it, while I can get a 100 time better software from Microsoft (design + web + encoder : expression suite) for $150??

prices here http://www.microsoft.com/Expression/products/Purchase.aspx#P...

and product here http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/SketchFlow_Over...

Considering the features and comparing it to sketch Flow: $9 or $12 are good.

pistoriusp• 16 years ago

I'm on a Mac, so I can't review your application. Most of the developers that I know are on *nix/ OS X. We're in different circles; I'm sure you'll have clients.

I don't really see why a person would want to use a desktop application instead of a web based application like Balsamiq. I honestly believe that the next step to improving Balsamiq would be to stop using Flash.

(Edited to provide more clarification than just: "I'm on a mac.")

thenduks• 16 years ago

I don't have a single peer using Windows either. As a fellow escapee of the windows world you may be interested in a (non-flash) alternative to balsamiq called Mockingbird (http://gomockingbird.com/). It uses the Cappuccino framework (so that's 'Objective-J') like 280slides -- that means you'll need Firefox 3.6 or Chrome probably, but I know you're already on top of that :)

dzlobin• 16 years ago

Seconding mockingbird, It's awesome.

old-gregg• 16 years ago

I don't really see why a person would want to use a desktop application instead of a web based application

Heh, maybe because it works? And works everywhere?

rksprst3• 16 years ago

Balsamiq seems to have more features that are important + being a native app is not an advantage unless you are equal on all other fronts.

Besides for that it looks like a nice "copy" of balsamiq. Because your products are so similar, I think the best way to drive customers is to make your product significantly cheaper than balsamiq.

dchest9• 16 years ago

Thanks for your feedback! This is why we posted here. What features do you like to see that are important?

As for pricing, I think it's the last differentiator companies should think of, and it's the easiest to change (in software business, at least).

rksprst3• 16 years ago

In terms of features: more stencils (iphone elements, other little elements that balsamiq has), I find it easier to edit button text in balsamiq vs going to the properties area, ability to make a button clickable and go to another sketch, ability to add different icons, import images, and ability to share sketches to mac users/online (this is important personally... I use a PC my co-founder uses a mac... we couldn't use your app to work on wireframes together)

Quarrelsome• 16 years ago

I agree on the native front. I'd prefer to be online so I can collaboratively create these mock ups with either members of the team or the customer themselves.

The preference would be real-time too.

subbu• 16 years ago

being a native app is not an advantage unless you are equal on all other fronts.

I disagree. Adobe Air apps can't be as fast as native apps. While using Balsamiq (which is an Adobe Air app) I can feel the slowness. The mouse moves slower. Also, scrolling is not smooth compared to native scrolling.

rksprst3• 16 years ago

I agree with you that native apps are usually better. But, I'd rather have a slower adobe air app then a native app that is missing important features (like ability to collaborate with co-workers regardless of platform).

DanBlake• 16 years ago

What advantages does it have over mockflow.com ( collaborative web based balsamiq competitor ) or even over balsamiq itself?

petervandijck3• 16 years ago

Mockflow is slower and too complicated. Balsamiq of course is awesome, but competition is good in this space. It can still get a lot better.

revorad• 16 years ago

1. Love the fast native desktop app feel.

2. You cannot just say "any similarities with Balsamiq are probably not intentional". Your mockups look identical. If you want to keep it that way, then as rksprst suggested, compete directly and make it cheaper. Show the comparison on your buy now page.

But you also say "As for pricing, I think it's the last differentiator companies should think of...". Your software doesn't show that. What differentiates you from your competitors? For your specific market i.e. mockups, the look and feel is important. You can't afford to be a copycat there. I'd say, go the opposite route to Balsamiq. Make it funky, make it stand out. Charge more.

3. Feature requests: Rotate objects. Export as PDF. Unlimited undo.

4. Get rid of those annoying popups asking me to buy. If you want to sell, then sell properly. Make a video, buy ads, market your product. Don't make the user's life painful.

Your target market is developers. And the one word you don't want them to be thinking when using your app is "SHAREWARE".

dchest9• 16 years ago

I'd say, go the opposite route to Balsamiq. Make it funky, make it stand out. Charge more.

I agree with you. For the first version our differentiator that it's a native app, but not offering more features (or fewer, but targeted for specific audience), is pretty weak, but it's just the beginning.

Thank you!

maxklein2• 16 years ago

I like it. Nice website, native apps are fast. A suggestion: Allow different widgets to be importable, so that I can do windows styles apps, mac style apps, etc.

markkanof• 16 years ago

One little nitpick...is the screenshot on the main page supposed to be a joke. "Launch at mario's" as opposed to "Lunch at mario's". Sorry if I'm just being one of those guys that ruins the joke.

0hoo2• 16 years ago

Hi, I'm a co-founder and developer of this application. Maybe I have an obsession about "launching" for a while. (and I'm not English native too.)

Sukotto2• 16 years ago

Looks nice. However, it looks exactly like balsamiq. That being the case, why should I buy the challenger (you) over the incumbent (them... with a track record)?

I think it would be a good idea to make your app look different in an interesting way.

nitpick: You spell "lunch" as "launch" in your screenshot.

0hoo2• 16 years ago

Hi, I'm a co-founder and developer of this application. Maybe I have an obsession about "launching" for a while. (and I'm not English native too.)

Anyway thanks for your feedback.

cwilson2• 16 years ago

I've got a few issues:

1. It's Windows only. I do not personally use Windows nor do I have a single peer developer, designer, or project manager (the ones who would primarily be using this for mockups) who uses Windows. It's all Mac in the web dev world these days. A web app or a native Mac app would have been very nice here. As it is I will never use your product.

2. From what I do see, it looks exactly like a number of competitors.

3. You're not doing anything to make this the mockup tool I would use over other established mockup tools out there. Is your niche here that it's Windows? If so... I don't really know what to say.

I'm really curious as to why there is this current trend of mockup tools being created. Do we really need a dozen clones of each other out there? Why is no one innovating in this space and just releasing just another carbon copy every single time?

dchest9• 16 years ago

HN has a lot of developers who don't use Windows (me too, I'm a Mac developer, in former life a Windows developer). However, it is not the case that most web developers use Macs, and certainly not outside of US. But forget web developers, how about Windows developers?

As for innovation, my opinion is that it doesn't come out of blue. Sit and think about some innovative idea, then implement it? This doesn't work, or at least, this doesn't work for me. What works for me is that I refine something over and over again, and then, accidentally, there will be a thing that people will call "innovative." As pg noted in one of the essays, a lot of ideas come while writing an essay, not thinking of writing it. This is what we are aiming for, and this is why we're releasing this version today, and not sitting and thinking of what innovative things we can do. Innovation will come with iteration. This is why I can assure you that we're not aiming to create pointless clones, I hate them too. This is just the beginning.

Thanks for your feedback, which is very useful for us!

cwilson2• 16 years ago

I actually completely agree with your definition of innovation and that's exactly how I think about it.

What I would ask you is, how have you guys innovated with your definition in mind? When I said I saw no innovation I meant that I literally saw a carbon copy of a dozen other products out there. Do you take in mind those other products as part of that refinement cycle you mention? If so, how is yours the next step in refinement and what has changed or become more streamlined?

I understand this may be your goal moving forward, but I still see it as a bit silly to start at the same exact point as a dozen other startups and hope that you'll somehow beat them in a race of iterating and in turn innovating.

Why should I use your product over theirs?

Sukotto2• 16 years ago

It's nice to see some competition in this space. Good luck guys.

NEPatriot• 16 years ago

I would try to market this at the "idea" guys in order for them to make their product more than a crazy idea.

The angle I see is: make it something they can put in front of developers who they want to recruit as founders or design firms for estimate purposes. Plus you can save money because the designer doesn't have to wireframe your stuff from scratch.

petervandijck3• 16 years ago

Awesome. I am an information architect and I've used almost every tool out there. It's simple, and that's awesome. Needs some serious thought about what NOT to include (as you'll get 1000s of feature requests). Love that it's fast and installs fast. IF you can create an efficient way to share/discuss pages, you are adding value that no other app in this market has nailed (afaik). Feel free to ping me to discuss :)

petervandijck3• 16 years ago

Here's a thought: make the download free, add an online (simple!) sharing service (to share with teams and annotate/comment, behind a simple password), and charge a small subscription fee for that. Say 9$/month per team (unlimited users), or a graded pricing (9$/m for up to 6 users, 49$/m unlimited team/users) will get you the same price as the app in 7 months or less, and more after that (depending on churn of course). Keep the download app free. Then improve the app a little, but don't add lots of features. (DO add iPhone stencils, and small UI improvements like editing inline instead of in a popup box).

hakan2• 16 years ago

Somewhat off-topic question: what are you guys using for your forums? Did you build it yourself or are you using a packaged solution? They're very nice.

dchest9• 16 years ago

It's bbPress (http://bbpress.org/).

hakan2• 16 years ago

Cool - thanks a lot!

dpcan• 16 years ago

I purchased this program way back when you did the promotion post to the Business of Software forum and I've been using it regularly ever since. It's so much more responsive than Balsamiq and I absolutely LOVE it.

EDIT: I just read your blog post, and it looks like you took over this product from the original creator of whom I purchased it from. I hope you allow us to upgrade if you'll be maintaining it better.

dchest9• 16 years ago

Nice to see ScreenSketcher users here! I'll post details about upgrades tomorrow.

guiseppecalzone• 16 years ago

I'm a big fan of demo videos. I like to see something in action before I download anything. That in the works?

Ask HN: Review our UI mockup tool, ScreenSketcher

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