10 Tips for Improving Efficiency with Axure

Introduction

Axure is a good way to quickly design prototypes, test products and get market feedback. Although Axure is just a tool. However, tools will also affect the efficiency of product development and communication. Imagine how to repair a car without a wrench, by hand?

I have summarized 10 tips to improve the efficiency of using Axure：

1. Using no more than 5 common widget libraries.

On the one hand, people have selection difficulties. Too many widget libraries will increase the burden of selection, and users can’t remember all the widgets in the widget library; When new and old widgets are mixed, the prototype becomes a hodgepodge, which is deeply hated by UX/UI designers. On the other hand, Too few component libraries may not be enough for multiple projects. Therefore, it is better to apply 5 common widget libraries and adjust it according to specific needs.

2. Custom a widget library

When entering a new project, the biggest problem is that there is no prototype and widget library for the project, all prototypes need to be redesign.
With a general widget library, it is not enough. In case of large projects, it is also necessary to customize the widget library for the project, and encapsulate the general widgets (menus, icons, controls) and general interactions (interaction motion, form verification, no-data state) of the project, so as to facilitate other members of the project and subsequent successors to reuse and improve design efficiency.

3. Master the skills of using Axure prototype tools

In the process of using Axure, mastering some skills can help us speed up the project progress and improve the efficiency of UX / interaction design. Here are some skills often use.

Tip 1: Page Settings

In the page style setting on the right panel in Axure RP, you can adjust the position of the prototype. If the setting is centered, you can center all the generated prototypes in the browser. You can also set the color of the background or upload the background picture.

Tip 2: Automatically Generate Sitemap
If you need to display the structure of the whole site in the tree, Axure RP has a quick method: in the page navigation area, right-click the trunk you want to generate the stiemap, and then select generate flow diagram to automatically generate the sitemap in the form of diagram. Click each control on the diagram to go to the corresponding page.

Tip 3: Padding
The distance between the content and the border of a widget can be set by “Padding” in the style panel of Axure PR. In the following image, there are two rectangles, one with no padding and the other with padding.

Tip 4: Radius
The radius in the widget style panel can set the radius and its application range.

Tip 5: Border Visibility
In the style panel of a widget, you can set the visibility of the borders.

Tip 6: Alignment and Distribution
In the toolbar, you can set widgets alignment and distribution: select multiple widgets and select the alignment method. Using the distribution, you can quickly distribute multiple widgets equally.

Tip 7: Pin Dynamic Panel to Browser
The “Back to top” button you often see in the website can be implemented with a dynamic panel. Right click the dynamic panel, click — pin to browser, and then set the pinned position.

Tip 8: Set Selection Group Name
When designing multiple label switching and only one label can be selected at the same time, you only need to select all the labels and right click to assign a gourp name to the lables, then only one label can be selected.

Tip 9: Use components to reduce repetitive work
Some widgets commonly used in a project, such as Header and Footer, can be made into components for next use.

Tip 10: Use repeaters to set duplicate widgets
Some commonly used widgets, such as some pictures, will be very convenient if they are implemented with repeaters.

These are all 10 tips, If you have any questions and suggestions, please leave a message.

#axure widgets #ux design #Axure templates #Axure tutorial #Axure

Well Joe @AxureBoutique, a technical writer and teacher, focuses on Axure prototype design and product design.