Prototyping Software Comparison

Figma Make will make you a superhuman. But only if you know how to use it effectively. After 50+ builds, mistakes, and trial and error in Figma Make, here’s the ultimate list to help you build better products. "11 hacks I wish I knew earlier" for Figma Make ⚡️: 1️⃣. Attach Figma frames to guide Make Drop a design frame into the chat and anchor your prompt to it. Prompt: “Use this frame as the base. Add smooth scroll transitions between sections.” 2️⃣. Point + prompt in the preview Click directly on an element in the Make preview, then describe the change. Prompt: “Make this button sticky to the top on scroll.” 3️⃣. Break edits into smaller prompts Instead of re-describing the whole project, target a section. Prompt: “Improve spacing and hierarchy only for the pricing table.” 4️⃣. Force responsiveness explicitly Make can generate constraints and layouts with a single line. Prompt: “Make this page responsive for desktop, tablet, and mobile.” 5️⃣. Remix Make previews back into Figma Design Copy a snapshot of the preview → paste it into your Figma file for polishing. Prompt after paste: “Refine this pasted frame to match our design system.” 6️⃣. Publish straight to a live URL When you’re ready, prompt Make to handle launch. Prompt: “Publish this project to a shareable web link with a custom favicon.” 7️⃣. Collaborate in the same Make file Multiple teammates can prompt at once. Treat it like multiplayer. Prompt example during collab: “Add animations to the hero section while [teammate] finalizes footer layout.” 8️⃣. Attach reference images as inspiration Guide Make visually with screenshots, mockups, or mood boards. Prompt: “Match the style of this attached screenshot — use its color palette + typography.” 9️⃣. Prompt for prototype interactions Make understands flow instructions directly. Prompt: “Link the ‘Sign up’ button to the signup frame with a slide-in transition.” 🔟. Pre-handoff cleanup in 1 line Use the revert button whenever you need. Don't waste time fixing things that are broken—just go back and try again with a new approach. Be bold when you make changes! 1️⃣1️⃣. Final shipping checklist Before you ship, don’t forget: - Add title + description (SEO) - Upload a favicon + OG/social image - Connect your Analytics! Then hit publish. You can try here (sponsored by Figma): https://lnkd.in/gEvjTSbr Designers, save this. 🔖 *** If you found this useful, consider reposting ♻️ to your network and Felix Lee.

AI Prototyping Tools Masterclass: If you've been bouncing between v0, Bolt, Replit, and Lovable wondering, "Which one should I actually be using?" You're not alone. They all look impressive. But if you don’t understand what each one actually does best, you're just spinning your wheels. So, let’s break it all down: — ONE - The 4 Major Players (and What They’re Built For) Let me remind you, these aren’t just "tools" anymore. They’re fast-evolving cloud development environments And each one has a clear edge. 1. v0 by Vercel This one’s all about beautiful front-end design - out of the box. Clean UIs, polished interactions, and a $3.25B valuation behind it. Perfect if you’re spinning up a demo for stakeholders... And want something that looks amazing fast. Just don’t expect deep backend stuff without plugging in extras like Supabase. 2. Bolt Built for speed. The CEO told us the whole thing runs in the browser, no VMs & no lag. That's the reason it went from $0 to $40M ARR in just 6 months. If you’re testing ideas fast (think 10-minute prototypes), this is your tool. It’s flexible, but you'll need to connect things like a database yourself. 3. Replit This one goes deep. Founded by Amjad Masad and now valued at $1.16B, Replit gives you full-stack power. Built-in auth, built-in database, built-in deployment. If your prototype needs to function like a real product, this is the play. It’s not as slick as v0 or as lightning-fast as Bolt... But when it comes to handling real logic, Replit is in a league of its own. 4. Lovable Lovable is becoming the most loved "vibe coding" tool. Founded by Antonin Osika, and it hit $17M ARR in just 3 months. Honestly? It’s the easiest tool in the game, especially if you don’t code. Drag, drop, sync with Supabase. That’s it. No setup headaches. No complex environment. Perfect for non-technical PMs or anyone who wants to go... From idea to live prototype without touching a line of code. — TWO - ADJACENT TOOLS But wait, there’s a twist. These tools aren’t where AI prototyping stops. There are adjacent tools you’ll want to layer in depending on your skill level: If you’re just looking to generate quick code or play around with ideas: → ChatGPT and Claude work great. But if you want to build something real (and you can code): → Tools like Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, and GitHub Copilot are insanely powerful. A great flow in my experience so far? Start in Bolt or Lovable → Sync to GitHub → Then build deeper in Cursor. — I broke all this down in my latest newsletter drop: "Ultimate Guide to AI Prototyping Tools (Lovable, Bolt, Replit, v0)" If you want to understand how to actually use these tools and which one fits your workflow best, go here: https://lnkd.in/eRypMZQ8 It’ll save you weeks of trial and error.

One of the areas that excites me the most about AI is prototyping. I'm constantly trying out new tools so that I can share my experience. And I think what Figma has achieved with Figma Make is very impressive. But to achieve great results, you need to know when and how to use it. Figma Make excels at the following: - Prototyping complex interactions. - High accuracy when translating a design to code. - Coming up with ideas based on an existing design. I’ve used other vibe coding tools to go from idea to product as quickly as possible, without a starting design. But when it comes to high accuracy in design and prototyping complex interactions that would have taken ages with traditional prototyping, Figma Make can be incredible. Here are a few examples of where I use Figma Make instead of traditional prototyping: - Creating interactive components. - Complex interactions for web apps. - Advanced logic or data-heavy products. - Trying out different responsive approaches. - Anything that requires external libraries, such as data visualization. Nowadays, when I want to communicate an interaction idea to an engineer, I first try and do it in Figma Make. After testing it a few times, it becomes second nature. 1. Think of an interaction you want to prototype. 2. Send your design to Figma Make. 3. Describe and build. 4. Duplicate and try alternatives. In this carousel, I'll be taking you through my workflow and examples in detail. (Swipe to get started 👉) -- If you found this useful, consider reposting ♻️ Are you using AI prototyping in your workflow? And when? Let me know in the comments 👇
 #productdesign #uxdesign #ai #figmapartner

📕 Claude: Practical Playbook for Product Designer Anthropic Claude is quickly becoming one of the most powerful tools in a product designer’s toolkit: not just for actual coding, but for quick prototyping, design systems tasks, and UI refinement. I’ve put together a practical playbook based on real workflows I use in my daily work. 📱 Claude for Quick Prototyping 3 practical ways to use Claude for creating web and mobile prototypes and design assets (HTML/Tailwind prototypes, React components, CSS variables, Framer Motion snippets) → Helps you move faster from design intent to working, code-backed prototypes https://lnkd.in/dAWahFYw 🧹 Claude for Code Refinement 5 practical tips for improving AI-generated code quality (reasoning-first prompts, zoom-out → code → zoom-in, using constraints, diff-first refactoring, “boring code” principle) → Helps you get more reliable, maintainable, and production-friendly code https://lnkd.in/eQNNkZbf 🪄 Generate Animated Effects for the Web with Claude 6 practical UI animations you can generate with Claude (animated gradients, magnetic buttons, scroll reveals, skeleton loaders, progress indicators, subtle 3D card effects) with ready-to-use prompts → Helps you add polished, production-ready motion to interfaces without manually crafting complex animation code https://lnkd.in/efa4m3Sy 🎨 Figma + Claude for Design System Tasks 4 practical workflows for maintaining scalable design systems (Figma Variables tokens, extracting styles from UI, auditing variables, and generating internal documentation) → Helps you keep tokens clean, consistent, and documented without manual, error-prone design system maintenance https://lnkd.in/eFNK3Syf #UX #UI #design #productdesign #AI #aidesign #uxdesign #uidesign #designsystem #userexperience #claude

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.

Designing in Figma? If It’s Not Responsive, It’s Not Ready. I recently wrapped a client project where the desktop design looked amazing… until we previewed it on mobile. The fix? A rock-solid Responsive Design System in Figma. Here’s the Figma Responsive Design Guideline we used ✅1. Start with Auto Layout – Always It’s not optional. Use Auto Layout to make every component flexible by default. Padding, spacing, and alignment all adapt. ✅2. Use Constraints Smartly Set elements to scale, center, or pin depending on their function. This is key to making frames adapt across screen sizes. ✅3. Design for Breakpoints Create separate frames for key breakpoints (mobile, tablet, desktop). Utilize components to synchronize elements and eliminate redundancy. ✅4. Responsive Components Build atomic components with resizing in mind. For buttons, navs, and cards, test how they behave in different frame widths. ✅5. Use Layout Grids 12-column grids aren’t just for devs. They help maintain structure and alignment across all breakpoints. ✅6. Preview & Prototype Responsively Figma’s prototype mode now lets you simulate screen sizes—use it! It’ll show you what’s breaking before devs find out. Bonus: Developer Handoff = Clear Code-Like Behavior The more responsive and structured your Figma file, the smoother the handoff. Devs love when everything “just makes sense.” If you're designing without responsiveness in Figma, you're only doing half the job. Your users (and your dev team) deserve better. Drop your thoughts below — I’d love to hear your process 👇 #FigmaDesign #ResponsiveDesign #UIDesign #UXTips #ProductDesign #DesignSystems #FigmaTips #WebDesign #DesignProcess

I used to lose 3 weeks on a single project. Not because my copy was bad. Because my stakeholders couldn’t visualise the idea. But now I use Figma Make that has changed how I present ideas forever. Here’s the moment that made me go for it: I sent my client a Google Doc with the full landing page copy. They replied with a sentence I had heard dozens of times before: “I like it… but I just can’t picture how it all comes together.” That one sentence usually meant endless back-and-forth. • Revisions • Explanations • Mockups • Waiting on designers Weeks disappeared. Then a friend, who runs an AI agency, casually asked me a simple question: “Have you tried Figma Make?” That night I experimented with it. I took my copy… Described what I wanted in plain English… And let AI turn it into a fully clickable prototype. Just an interactive experience. The next client I sent it to clicked through the entire thing. They replied 3 hours later. That’s the difference between sending words and sending experiences. Today AI can turn ideas into prototypes faster than most teams can schedule a meeting. Here’s what that unlocks: → Ideas become tangible instantly → Clients understand concepts immediately → Feedback happens earlier → Decisions happen faster → Execution gets dramatically clearer A few ways creators and builders are using AI prototypes today: • Landing page previews • Product onboarding flows • Mobile app UI concepts • Pitch-ready product demos • Quick MVP validation When people see and interact with an idea, everything changes. Because prototypes reduce friction. And friction is what slows most ideas down. If you want better results using AI for prototyping, remember these: Do’s when using AI to create prototypes: ✅ describe flows clearly in plain language ✅ iterate quickly with multiple versions ✅ test prototypes with real users early ✅ validate usability before development ✅ use prototypes to communicate ideas visually Don’ts when using AI to create prototypes: ✖ don’t treat prototypes as final products ✖ don’t skip user testing and feedback ✖ don’t ignore design consistency ✖ don’t overload the prototype with features ✖ don’t assume AI understands vague instructions The biggest shift AI brings is simple: • Ideas → prototypes in minutes • Prototypes → feedback in hours • Feedback → better products faster The gap between thinking and building is disappearing. And tools like this are accelerating that shift. Curious to hear your thoughts: Do you think AI will revolutionise early-stage product design workflows? Comment below 👇  #FigmaPartner 

Want to turn a fuzzy idea into a prototype you can present, test, and even pitch to investors? There’s no one-size-fits-all tool for prototyping—especially for startup founders and designers trying to move fast. But choosing the right tools early can make all the difference. Here are some advanced prototyping tools that can help you go from idea to functional MVP: ✅ Play — Best for iOS app design and prototyping. Play lets you design and ship apps, and even build AI-enabled experiences and prototype with real data. ✅ ProtoPie — Create high-fidelity, interactive prototypes for mobile, web, wearables, and even automotive UIs. Great for user testing complex flows. ✅ Lovable & Bolt — These AI-powered tools help you build functional MVPs without writing much code. With a bit of prompt engineering, sound understanding of code and product thinking, you can quickly generate usable app prototypes. ✅ Bravo Studio — You can make fully functional native apps for iOS & Android ✅ Framer — Perfect for building beautiful, functional websites with speed. Their recent AI update makes launching a site for your product faster than ever. Relume is also worth checking out. ✅ Figma— Figma’s native prototyping continues to improve, and the upcoming features like Figma make look promising. It’s still one of the fastest ways to mock up and share a product idea. At the early stages, you don’t need a fully built product. Prototyping tools let you test assumptions, gather user feedback, and pitch to investors—without burning six figures on development. Got a favorite prototyping tool I didn’t mention? Drop it in the comments 👇

I'm starting to use v0 by Vercel, and it’s blowing my mind. It lets me spin up visual designs and prototypes using a chat interface. A big part of my work involves meeting with clients, understanding their challenges, and visualizing potential solutions before we move into the 'build' phase. I don’t think this replaces the importance of thoughtful design, but this tool is super effective for use cases where a quick POC is needed. After a meeting, I can take my notes, use ChatGPT to generate a PRD or design requirements doc, and then use v0 to produce designs. These drafts can be presented to the client for feedback and handed off to our designers as a starting point. I think the real value of great design lies in the UX— understanding the client's problem, listening closely, and translating those insights into solutions. It's not just how it looks. With v0, we can move much faster on initial prototypes, freeing up more time to focus on critical thinking for net-new designs or redesigns. Below are a few mock ups of the voice journaling app we've been thinking through building ourselves.

Since some of you requested it, let's compare Webflow vs Ycode and see which platform works best for you. 👇 No-code platforms are redefining how we build websites and applications. But Webflow and Ycode cater to different needs. Here’s a detailed breakdown to help you decide which platform fits your goals: Ease of Use ✅ Webflow: Perfect for designers. Its interface is feature-rich and feels like professional design software. However, it has a steeper learning curve for beginners, especially those unfamiliar with design workflows. ✅ Ycode: Built for simplicity. The intuitive drag-and-drop editor lets you create data-driven web apps without coding. Ideal for non-technical users building functional dashboards or workflows. CMS Capabilities ✅ Webflow: A powerhouse for managing dynamic content. With its custom CMS fields, it’s great for blogs, portfolios, and eCommerce stores. Its ability to connect with tools like Airtable or Zapier makes it highly flexible for marketers. ✅ Ycode: Focused on relational databases. It excels in CRUD operations, making it a better choice for creating portals, directories, or apps requiring complex data relationships. Pricing ✅ Webflow: Website plans start at $18/month, with options like the $29/month CMS plan for content-heavy sites. Its business and enterprise plans cater to growing businesses and high-traffic websites. ✅ Ycode: More affordable for small-scale projects, with Pro plans at $12/month and team plans at $25/user/month. Templates ✅ Webflow: Over 1,000 polished templates for every industry, from creative portfolios to corporate websites. Each template is fully customizable and responsive. ✅ Ycode: Fewer options but tailored to app functionality, like admin panels and dashboards. Great for prototyping. SEO Tools ✅ Webflow: Built for search engines! From custom meta tags to auto-generated sitemaps and canonical tags, it ensures your website ranks well. ✅ Ycode: Basic SEO tools are available but not as advanced. Its focus is more on app workflows than on-site optimization. AI Integration ✅ Webflow: AI-powered tools speed up layout creation and automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time for creativity. ✅ Ycode: Leverages AI for logic-based workflows and debugging, making app creation seamless for functional projects. Webflow is the ultimate choice for crafting visually stunning, SEO-optimized websites with creative flexibility, while Ycode excels in building functional, data-driven web applications with seamless workflows and robust logic. Your choice depends on whether design freedom or app functionality is your top priority. P.S. Which platform aligns with your next project—Webflow or Ycode? Share your thoughts below!