Prototyping Software Comparison

Product leaders, stop hiding behind docs! If your team is still spending all their time in PRDs and product strategy docs, they're not operating in 2025. AI prototyping has literally changed the game. Here's how teams should do it: — THE OLD WAY (STILL HAUNTS MOST ORGS) 1. Ideation (~5% actually prototyped) “We should build X.” Cool idea. But no prototype. Just a Notion doc and crossed fingers. 2. Planning (~15% use real prototypes) Sketches in Figma. Maybe a flowchart. But nothing a user could actually click. 3. Discovery (~50% try protos) Sometimes skipped. Sometimes just a survey. Rarely ever tested with something interactive. 4. PM Handoff (~5%) PM: “Here’s the PRD.” Design: “Uhh… where’s the prototype?” PRDs get passed around like homework. 5. Design Design scrambles to build something semi-clickable, just so people stop asking “what’s the plan?” 6. Eng Start Engineering starts cold. No head start. They’re building from scratch because nothing usable exists. — WHAT HAPPENS - Loop after loop. Everyone frustrated. - Slow launches. Lots of guesswork. - And no one truly understands the user until it’s too late. — THE NEW WAY (THIS IS HOW WINNERS SHIP) 1. Ideation PMs don’t just write ideas. They prototype them. Want to solve a user problem? Click, drag, test. There. No waiting. No “someday.” You build it, even if it’s ugly. 2. Planning Prototypes are the roadmap. You walk into planning with a live flow, not a list of features. And everyone’s like: “Oh. THAT’S what you meant.” 3. Discovery Real users. Real prototypes. You send them a flow and you watch them break it. You’re not guessing anymore. You’re observing. 4. PM Handoff PMs don’t just hand off docs. They ship working demos alongside the PRD. No more “interpret this paragraph.” Just click and see it work. 5. Design Designers don’t start from scratch. They take what’s already tested, validated, and tweak it. Suddenly, “design time” is “refinement time.” 6. Eng Start Engineers don’t wait around. They start with something usable. If not, they prompt an AI tool to build it. And we’re off to the races. — If you want to see how AI prototyping actually works (and learn from expert Colin Matthews), check out the deep dive: https://lnkd.in/eJujDhBV

Discovering the Intersection of Design and Reality: Prototyping with Vision Pro and Figma. The realms of digital design and physical reality are often seen as parallel universes, seldom intersecting. However, emerging applications are blurring these boundaries, creating a sandbox where designers can play and innovate. One such marvel is a nifty application by @alexwidua known as Vision Pro. Harnessing the powers of Vision Pro with the intricate design capabilities of Figma, this app enables you to pluck frames straight out of Figma and position them in a 3D space. Imagine the possibilities - as you tweak and tune your designs in Figma, they morph and evolve in the 3D spatial scene in real-time. The seamlessness of this integration is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The magic lies in the live linkage between Figma and the 3D spatial realm. Every stroke, and every color adjustment in Figma, reflects instantaneously in the 3D scene. This live update feature turns the prototyping experience into an almost surreal endeavor. It's not just about viewing static designs; it's about witnessing your creations breathe and thrive in a 3D space. What sets this apart is the ease and the immediacy of the feedback loop. The instant gratification of seeing your designs take shape in a 3D environment accelerates the design process, nurturing a fertile ground for rapid iteration and innovation. As the digital and physical worlds inch closer, tools like Vision Pro are paving the way for a new era of design, where imagination is the only boundary. It's a glimpse into the future where design transcends screen boundaries, stepping into the spatial dimension. The fusion of Vision Pro and Figma is a testament to the boundless potential at the crossroads of design and technology. It's not merely a step forward; it's a giant leap toward uncharted territories, beckoning designers to explore, experiment, and excel. #DesignInnovation #3DPrototyping #VisionPro #SpatialDesign #EmergingTech #augmentedrealiy

Happy Friday, this week in #learnwithmz, let's explore how AI is revolutionizing product prototyping, from idea to interactive mockup faster than ever. I’m delivering an internal talk on this topic for my team, and thought it would be valuable to share some highlights here as well. 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐀𝐈 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 -Visily Transform text prompts, sketches, or screenshots into editable UI designs. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gcerJweq - Uizard Generate wireframes and mockups instantly from text descriptions. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/grdSadcb - Microsoft 365 Copilot Prototype ideas directly within your workflow using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. Great for early PRDs, visualizations, and cross-team brainstorming. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gB2PNq9k - V0 by Vercel Create full-stack web apps from prompts, integrating frontend and backend. 🔗 https://v0.dev/ - Bolt Rapidly build and iterate on AI-driven product ideas. 🔗 https://boltai.co - Lovable Design and deploy AI-powered products with minimal coding. 🔗 https://lovable.so 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧-𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 - NodeTool: Build and automate AI workflows without code. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gnnB_7UU - ReacType: Visualize and export React applications with drag-and-drop. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/geQbxbEC 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 - Speed vs. Precision: AI tools are great accelerators, but manual polish is still needed for complex workflows and specific needs. - Experiment often: The space is evolving fast; test, learn, and share back. - Check before you use: Always check your company’s policies on tool usage, especially when working with sensitive product data or proprietary designs. 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 A Guide to AI Prototyping for Product Managers by Lenny Rachitsky and Colin Matthews 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ge6nbzcr Which AI prototyping tools are in your workflow or on your radar? Drop your experiences or recommendations below 👇 #AI #ProductManagement #Prototyping #AItools #learnwithmz

As a Product Leader, I have been using Lovable frequently over the last few weeks and I love the adaptability and flexibility it provides and helps me think more completely about product/features. One advantage I find over the other options is how stable any of the created applications are on Lovable PMs, here's how you can use the tool as a superpower. Rapid Prototyping: - Transform ideas into working web apps in seconds by simply describing your vision in plain language (being more detailed helps but you can progressively add the details too). - Quickly generate functional, beautiful prototypes to validate MVPs and test concepts. Empower Your Team: - Enable non-technical team members to contribute directly, enhancing cross-functional collaboration. - Align on abstract ideas by converting them into tangible prototypes (even if you are trying to just rationalise an idea just for yourself, the tool works great!) Seamless Integrations: - Enjoy built-in support for Supabase for backend functionality and GitHub for version control. - Maintain complete code ownership and easily hand off projects as needed. Enhanced Design Workflow: - Leverage new Figma integration to convert design prototypes into fully interactive, testable apps. - Rapidly iterate based on real-time feedback using intuitive chat-based edits. Accelerated Time-to-Market: - Deploy and share your prototypes with one-click, ensuring continuous feedback and agile development. - Streamline your workflow to focus on strategic product decisions and customer validation. You must discover how Lovable empowers Product Managers to innovate faster, optimize resources, and lead a new era of product development. It is a game changer! PS: No, I have not been paid by Lovable or have any contact with their team

🌟 Big Update on VibeProto: Empowering Non-Tech Founders with AI-Driven Prototyping! 🌟 I’m very happy to share the latest advancements in VibeProto, a project designed to make prototyping accessible to everyone, especially my non-tech friends! Check out the video Here’s what’s new and why it matters: Session Storage: 🪣 A huge shoutout to Ashpreet B. CEO of Agno whose insightful tweet opened my eyes to the power of session storage. I’ve integrated Agno’s SqliteStorage into VibeProto, allowing users to save their chat sessions and generated code seamlessly. Now, you can pick up right where you left off no more starting from scratch! This is a game-changer for maintaining continuity in your prototyping journey, especially in production environments where session persistence is key. Enhanced Prompt Option: Better Results for Non-Tech Founders 🗣️ We’ve added an enhanced prompt feature to the chat interface. By prepending optimized instructions to your input (e.g., “Generate a high-quality script…”), VibeProto ensures the AI delivers more accurate and functional code. For non-tech founders, this means you can describe your idea in plain English like “A Python script to fetch YouTube transcripts” and get reliable, production-ready code without needing to know the technical nuances. It’s like having a coding junior in your pocket! Detailed Instructions: Bridging the Gap for Non-Tech Founders 🙌🏼 To make VibeProto truly accessible, I’ve included detailed instructions alongside the generated code. These step-by-step guides explain how to use the code, from installing dependencies to running the app locally. While this feature is a huge step toward empowering non-tech founders to bring their ideas to life, I’ll admit it still needs some work sometimes the instructions can be too technical, and I’m working on simplifying them further. Feedback welcome! 🙏 Built a YouTube Transcript Fetcher in Just 10 Minutes! 😱Checkout the video at the end Here’s a fun example of VibeProto in action: I used it to generate a Python script with the prompt “A Python script that gets the transcript of a YouTube video when I provide its link.” Within 10 minutes, I had a fully functional app using the youtube_transcript_api library! I simply copied the code, installed the dependency, and ran it with a YouTube link, bam 💥 , transcripts extracted! This speed and simplicity show how VibeProto can turn ideas into reality, even for those without a coding background. 🚀 What’s Next? I’m committed to making VibeProto the go-to tool for my non-tech friends. Upcoming updates will include multimodal input , real-time code analysis, support for more languages and even simpler instructions. Stay tuned. 💡 Follow me for more updates on VibeProto and to see how we’re breaking down barriers for non-tech founders in the world of AI and prototyping. Let’s build the future together!

I've discovered a product that will change the world. I’ve been a founder and done some product management, but I’m not an expert in product or engineering. I love trying out new tools, but I’ve always lacked the technical skills to build things myself. That all changes with Lovable. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been playing around with it in my spare time, and it’s been an eye-opener. Here’s what I’ve learned... What Lovable Gets Right: ✅ Generates code quickly – You can go from idea to working prototype in minutes. ✅ Understands complex codebases – It doesn’t just generate code; it can update multiple areas intelligently from new prompts. ✅ Fast prototyping – Perfect for iterating on ideas before committing serious resources. ✅ A Figma killer for web design – Instead of static design files, you get real, working front-end code, fast. Where It Needs Improvement: 🔸 Memory – Unlike ChatGPT, Lovable doesn’t retain much context from earlier messages in the conversation, which can slow down longer projects and sometimes you have to repeat yourself. 🔸 Guidance for non-technical users – If you’re not an engineer, setting up a project correctly is tricky. The "wow" moment is there for all users with the fast front-end generation, but if you’re building something meaningful, your data structure matters—and that’s where some upfront guidance would help. Tips for Getting the Most Out of Lovable: 💡 Start with a data structure plan – Use ChatGPT to draft a data structure document before jumping into development. 💡 Prepare before you build – The more thought you put in upfront, the smoother the process. 💡 Use ChatGPT as a coding assistant – When Lovable gets stuck, use ChatGPT to troubleshoot and refine solutions. 💡 Switch between tasks – If the AI gets stuck in a loop, refreshing the task can help it re-evaluate the problem from a different angle. Why This is a Game-Changer: Lovable opens up entirely new opportunities for founders, agencies, and businesses: 🚀 Agencies – Web development agencies should be using Lovable to demo ideas for potential clients. Expect to see Lovable-specialist agencies emerge soon. 🛒 Marketplaces – Don’t just offer your own services—build platforms that let others sell theirs, too. ☁️ Micro-SaaS - build smaller, niche but useful products. 💰 New business models – The cost of software creation is dropping, making it easier to launch new ideas without deep technical expertise. If you’re curious about building products faster, easier, and with fewer technical barriers, start exploring Lovable.dev today. Congrats to Anton Osika and the Lovable team on what you have built so far!

#Startups : “You Need A Technical Co - Founder” - An Outdated Advice for Startups ? Product Hunt and Calendly didn't have technical co-founders . Drivers : ** Availability of no-code / low-code tools for prototyping ** Incentivization of early engineering team members with #equity . Here is a list of no-code and low-code tools(not an exhaustive list) that startup founders with no technical background can use to build products and prototypes: Bubble: Bubble is a powerful no-code platform for web and mobile app development. Adalo: Adalo is a no-code platform for building mobile and web apps with a focus on design and user experience. Appy Pie: Appy Pie is a user-friendly no-code platform that allows you to create mobile apps, websites, chatbots, and more. OutSystems: OutSystems is a low-code platform for building complex, enterprise-grade applications. Mendix: Mendix is a low-code development platform with a strong focus on application development and deployment. AppSheet (now Google AppSheet): AppSheet, now integrated with Google, enables users to create mobile and web apps using spreadsheet data. Airtable: Airtable is a no-code database tool that combines the simplicity of a spreadsheet with the complexity of a database. Zapier: Zapier is an automation platform that allows you to connect various web applications and create workflows without coding. Integromat: Similar to Zapier, Integromat lets you automate workflows by connecting different apps and services. Coda: Coda is a no-code platform that combines documents and spreadsheets with interactive apps. Thunkable: Thunkable is a no-code platform for building mobile apps, and it's great for prototyping. Glide: Glide is a no-code platform that focuses on creating mobile apps from Google Sheets. Webflow: Webflow is a no-code web design and development platform that's perfect for creating responsive websites. Wix: Wix is a website builder that offers a no-code platform for creating websites and simple web apps. PowerApps: Part of the Microsoft Power Platform, PowerApps is a low-code tool for building custom business apps. Quick Base: Quick Base is a low-code platform for building applications and automating workflows. Appian: Appian is a low-code automation platform focused on enterprise solutions. Kissflow: Kissflow is a no-code platform for building business process automation and workflow applications. These tools vary in complexity and functionality, so it's a good idea to explore them to see which one best suits your specific needs and technical proficiency. Keep in mind that while these tools can help non-technical founders get started, building complex or highly customized applications may still require some technical expertise or the assistance of a developer.

💡Responsive grid system (+ tutorial & tools) Practical recommendations for UI designers & front-end developers for creating effective responsive grid systems: ✔ Define breakpoints Breakpoint is a specific screen size at which a UI layout adapts to provide an optimal viewing experience. Set breakpoints for common screen sizes (e.g., mobile, tablet, desktop). You can use breakpoints from Bootstrap as a reference (576px for mobile, 768px for tablet, 992px for desktop, and 1200px for large display) and adapt this system based on your specific audience & device usage analytics. Try to set breakpoints based on your content rather than specific device sizes. ✔ Set up a column grid Column grid organizes content vertically into columns. It’s primarily used to manage the layout of blocks of content and align elements horizontally. Decide on the type of grid based on the device and content. For example, a 12-column grid is standard for web design, 4-column grid works well for tablet, and 2 or single-column grid for mobile. ✔ Define margins and gutters. Margins are the space around the grid, and gutters are the space between columns. They help maintain whitespace and prevent clutter. Use consistent gutters for all mediums. ✔ Design for the smallest screen first, then scale up Designing for the smallest screen first, also known as the mobile-first approach, will maximize the chances that your UI will be both functional and aesthetically pleasing on all devices. By following a mobile-first approach, you will prioritize the content and functional elements of your solution. ✔ Scale consistently Use a consistent scale for spacing, such as 8pt grid system, to maintain uniformity across different viewports. ✔ Use fluid layouts with percentages When developing your UI, try to avoid using fixed widths. Instead, use relative units like %, vw (viewport width), or vh (viewport height). Using percentages for widths will ensure elements resize with the viewport. ✔ Use responsive units for fonts Use REM for font sizes to ensure scalability and EM for padding and margins to maintain proportionality. ✔ Use flexible images and media Consider using the srcset attribute for images to serve different sizes based on the device. Set images and videos to be responsive using max-width: 100%; and height auto. ✔ Content hierarchy Ensure the most important content is prominently displayed and easy to access on all screen sizes. Use size and scale—larger elements tend to draw more attention (i.e., use larger fonts for headings and smaller fonts for body text). Also, use the grid to strategically position important content. Elements placed higher on the page or in the center tend to be noticed first. 📺 How to design grid system in Figma: https://lnkd.in/dTPEpvRK ⚒️ Tools ✔ Interactive CSS Grid Generator https://grid.layoutit.com/ ✔ Mobile Screen Sizes: Repository of screen sizes and technical details for Apple devices https://screensizes.app/ #UI #design

I tried 10+ AI prototyping apps. Only one stood out. Here's why: Don't sleep on this tool. I tried the usual suspects (Lovable, Stitch, Make, Bolt, v0, etc.) But when I found Magic Patterns, I stopped looking. It had everything I needed for collaborative, AI-powered prototyping, especially in the early stages of the design process. Everyone’s debating which AI prototyping tool generates the best UI designs or code. Or they're showing off a random vibe coded app. But I think the real opportunity for product teams is being overlooked. Early-stage collaborative AI prototyping is where the magic happens. Fast exploration, shared context, real momentum. 3 Reasons why Magic Patterns excels at this: 1. Live AI prototyping with others = game changer Magic Patterns lets you invite people to a shared canvas. Review and interact with multiple prototypes in one view. Fork, remix, and build on ideas instantly. It’s multiplayer AI prototyping done right, perfect for my AI design sprint workshops. And perfect for product teams to rally around a problem and explore ideas. 2. Front-end focus, no backend noise You can explore flows and concepts fast, without getting distracted by databases or logic. Many of the hyped AI tools are focused on vibe coding complete apps. But for early-stage work you just need to quickly explore multiple ideas, iterate, get alignment, and test for feedback. For this purpose, Magic Patterns is exactly what I needed. 3. Thoughtful features that speed up your flow Magic Patterns is perfect for first-time AI prototypers. The beginner friendly interface and useful features like "Presets," "Inspiration," and "Polish", make it easy for anyone to experiment with purposeful ideas. Bonus Reason: Don't mistake Magic Patterns for a basic AI UI tool. There are advanced features and smart workflows I’ll show you that make this the most valuable tool I’ve added to my design process in years. I’m hosting a FREE live walkthrough next week where I’ll demo exactly how I use Magic Patterns inside my AI Design Sprint workshops, including best practices and the frameworks I’ve used in real sessions. This is a glimpse into how design, product, and engineering will work together in the AI era. Once you see it in action, you’ll want to run your next workshop this way. Come hang out. It’s going to be fun, useful, and maybe even a little magical. 🪄 Spots are limited. Drop “magic” in the comments or DM me to reserve your spot.

As a product leader, I’ve spent years refining product development cycles — from ideation to launch. But AI is forcing all of us to rethink the how. Recently, I’ve been diving into how AI can enhance prototyping, and tools like blot.new or V0.dev have genuinely impressed me. What have I learned? 🔹 Instead of static designs in Figma → we’re using blot.new to turn those into working UIs It accepts plain-text prompts and instantly scaffolds React components styled with Tailwind CSS. The UI output is clean, componentized, and ready to plug into a real product. 🔹 Product managers can write functional prompts directly No need to wait for handoffs. A PM can now write something like: “A form with email/password input and a login button, responsive for mobile” …and blot.new returns the actual code and live UI preview within seconds. 🔹 A/B tests without code deployments We can test variations of user flows or UI layouts directly in blot.new, collect early feedback, and refine before it ever hits the dev backlog. What this changes: ✅ PMs and designers are now more hands-on with execution ✅ Engineers spend less time on throwaway prototypes ✅ Idea-to-feedback loops are dramatically shorter This shift has been energizing. And we’re just scratching the surface. Curious if others are doing the same. How are you integrating AI into your product workflow? #ProductLeadership #AIinProduct #PromptDrivenDevelopment #PrototypingWithAI #blotnew #TailwindCSS #React #RapidIteration #LeanProduct