Nick Finck

Nick’s User Experience Tools
Jun 8th, 2009

A very common question I get from colleagues who practice user experience and information architecture is about the tools I use during my UX/IA process.  Most of the time I answer with “the right tool is the one that works for you.”  Which is still very true, but what tools do I, Nick Finck, really use?  So I created this list.

This list is ranked first by price then by priority.  They are all specifically Mac-centric products (yes, I am aware of the tools Windows, but I use a Mac). What is listed here may not work for you (even if you are on a Mac). You may find a better tool for your needs, but I hope this list can at least be a good starting point for you and a little insight into how I work.  I decided not to include edge case tools for tasks that I don’t commonly do on most projects (i.e. that cool tool for creating controlled vocabularies, for example) but these are the core tools I use:

OmniGraffle Pro 5

$199.95

OmniGroup

OmniGraffle is a diagraming tool for the Mac.  It is my primary tool and worth every cent.  I use it to create wireframes, storyboards, sitemaps, flow diagrams, and sometimes even page description diagrams.  It is a very valuable tool to my work and has proven time and time again more efficient for me than any other tool I have tried for creating these types of deliverables.

iWork ‘09

$79.00

Apple

iWork ‘09 is a business software bundle created by Apple for the Mac.  It includes a document tool called Pages for creating documents such as page description diagrams, personas, usability test plans, content audits, and other research.  It also includes a spreadsheet tool called Numbers which can be used for creating content inventories, comparisons for competitive analysis, content maps or conducting data analysis.  Lastly, iWork also includes a presentation tool called Keynote which allows me to present my usability findings, expert reviews, information architecture, or just walk customers through my process.

Silverback

$49.95

Clearleft

Silverback is a simple usability testing application for the Mac.  It is very streamlined so there are not a while lot of features, but the point is that it gets the job done.  I have used a series of other usability testing suites and packages and found these other tools were spendy, overly complicated, provided features that made my job more difficult and often only ran on Windows.  I prefer everything I use to work on my Mac and be as simple as possible so I can focus on doing the work, and that’s exactly what Silverback allows me to do.

Information Architecture for the World Wide Web (3rd ed)

$26.39

O’Reilly

Every profession has its de facto bible, for Information Architecture this is it.  The book IAs have lovingly referred to as the Polar Bear Book has been through three editions and is considered the best core resource that no IA should be without.  I always have a copy of the latest edition at both home and work and find myself shuffling through its pages long after the first several readings. I use it as resource when I get stuck on how to do something.

Wireframe Sketch Book

$14.00

Konigi

When ever possible I prefer to sketch my ideas for wireframes ahead of time before I dive deep into OmniGraffle.  This is a simple wirebound sketchbook but it is compact in size and has preprinted pages with a grid and note area.  The book lays flat so its easy to sketch on and it is compact enough for me to feel comfortable bringing to and from meetings. I also really like how the printed grid and notes areas provide for more structured metadata which can be easily read as you flip through your sketches.

OmniGraffle Sketch Stencils

$10.00

Konigi

Sometimes I find that using OmniGraffle to show more sketch style work helps to communicate that there is flexibility in the wireframes and nothing they are seeing is really final and polished.  The Konigi OmniGraffle SKetch Stencils are a great add-on to OmniGraffle which increases my efficiency for producing sketch style wireframes.

Wireframe Icons for OmniGraffle

$10.00

Konigi

In addition to having a good stencil its good to have a solid set of icons that you commonly use in wireframes.  This icon set covers most of what I need when wireframing and help set context with the client as to what the finalized icons will somewhat like once the project enters the design phase.

Storyboard Notepad

$9.00

Konigi

Just like with the sketchbook, I also use a set of the Konigi notepads for sketching out ideas.  This one here allows me to sketch out various states of a system as a user interacts with it.  The page is pre-printed with 6 grid areas for you to sketch in.  Each area also has a space for notes.  These work great for AJAX interactions as well as sketching out iPhone apps.

Wireframe Notepad

$9.00

Konigi

Just like with the storyboard notepad I sometimes want a full sheet of paper to sketch out a wireframe especially for wireframes that have a lot of information on them.  The backside of these notepads also has a full page dot grid for additional sketching where needed, while the front side has a design grid for proper gutter sizes and all the details you’ll need to ensure your IA meets the needs of your designers.

OmniGraffle Wireframe Stencils

Free!

Konigi

While OmniGraffle is my primary tool for doing IA, I need a solid set of stencils to work with to increase my efficiency when wireframing out common interaction elements.  I have used several stencils from various places and even made my own but none seem to match up with the detail that was put into the Konigi Wireframe Stencils by Michael Angeles.  I use these stencils every day and would be lost without them.

OmniGraffle UX Template

Free!

Konigi

In addition to having a good Stencil in OmniGraffle its also equally important to have a good template.  The Konigi OmniGraffle UX Templates are a great starting point for customizing your own stencils to present your work in a professional way to your clients or decision makers.  There is a lot of extras packed into these templates that I couldn’t possibly describe but for me they work great as a starting place for crafting my own branded templates.