Question

My company has some software which we use to acquire data and interact with some hardware. If we wanted to put a mockup on a website which allows the user to get a feel for the UI (gather some data, change some settings etc.), what are some good methods to do so?

I m thinking either some clever javascript or flash. I ve done some JS before but only to style elements of a page. I did some stuff with flash about 8 years ago and found it really fiddly.

So my questions; Are javascript/flash reasonable solutions for this or is there something better. What is likely to be the simpler/quicker route? Is there a better way to achieve the end result?

[Edit] The demo doesn t need real data, just some fake/dummy example stuff is fine.

Answer 1

I believe you dont require actual backend connectivity and just need some dummy data. Few days back I participated in a session on Flash Catalyst. By using flash catalyst, you can create functional UIs. More details you can find in their site.

If you want a demo app with actual backend connectivity, then , I think, flex/flash is good selection. If its javascript, you need to take pain of testing it in all browsers.

Answer 2

Javascript/Ajax. Flash based sites and demos I find very clunky. This would be more than adequate to create a demo, it would even be possible to have it non-ajax based and have local test data within Javascript files. Although creating such a demo interface might be challenging as you have only changed the styling of the page with Javascript, as you say.

The other simpler option is just to create a video, with a voiceover, showing the system and its different features. Not only is this a nice option because it would be easy to produce, but it will also aid in tutoring the user into how to use the system and discovering useful features.

Answer 3

I dont want to sound like an evangelist, but with Adobe Flex you can create awesome UIs practically right out of the box, and cross-platform. Check the Flex Sample Applications page on the Adobe website and see if it s something like that what you re looking for.

Designing an GUI in Flash might get too cumbersome, so if you don t need all the graphic/animations, that s what Flex is there for!

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