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Show HN: Konty – A Balsamiq-alternative lo-fi wireframe tool for modern apps

konty.app

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Re: Show HN: Konty – A Balsamiq-alternative lo-fi wireframe tool for modern apps

#121

Post by netghost »

estsauver wrote: post #74
olivierduval wrote: post #71

Something always bothered me: why using "sketch-like hand-drawn pencil" like style for that kind of tools ? I understand that "wireframing" is some kind of "brainstorming" tool, so it is used with a pencil and a whiteboard in a meeting room and require to draw/erase fast iteratively... so it's the "right" tool for this job... But as soon as you use a computer instead of a pencil, why not have a "realistic" and "clean…

The reason that I've heard used repeatedly is that a shocking percentage of folks who aren't Technology producers can't separate visual quality from "doneness" of a project. If you show some business folks something that looks like it works, they'll mentally update the project to "Nearly done!" and then everything else after that becomes "Unreasonable delays."

A slightly different take.

If everything is either an obvious sketch, or pixel perfect you can get decent feedback, but a design that is just a little off in jarring ways will distract people from the functionality or design intention.

Re: Show HN: Konty – A Balsamiq-alternative lo-fi wireframe tool for modern apps

#123

Post by hexfish »

jksmith wrote: post #116

Dig it. I use Balsamiq all the time. Some challenges when using Wine, so I have to open a cringey Klaus Schwab windows machine. Would be great if this app showed Linux some love.

> a cringey Klaus Schwab windows machine

Say what? haha

Re: Show HN: Konty – A Balsamiq-alternative lo-fi wireframe tool for modern apps

#124

Post by itslennysfault »

dewey wrote: post #77

The submitted url links to this, still works but just fyi: https://konty.app/http://localhost:4321/

It's weird everything after the slash seems to be ignored. You can type anything and it still goes to the home page. funky.

Re: Show HN: Konty – A Balsamiq-alternative lo-fi wireframe tool for modern apps

#126

Post by hermitcrab »

nprateem wrote: post #53
niklauslee wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you for your feedback. I'm thinking of the paid version. I would like to offer it much cheaper than balsamiq, probably. Additionally, we'll be offering strong discounts for early users.

You should consider a one time, lifetime payment. As a solo dev working on occasional side projects I just wouldn't even consider something on a subscription, and $140 (balsamiq's one time fee) is about $100 more than I'd pay. My alternative is a graphics app I already own. Follow what Affinity did (cheap and one-time) and you'll sell to a lot of people like me who would otherwise give it a miss. Save your subscripti…

Do not give free upgrades for life. You will almost certainly regret it. Many people have made this mistake. https://successfulsoftware.net/2008/09/08/should-i-give-free...

Re: Show HN: Konty – A Balsamiq-alternative lo-fi wireframe tool for modern apps

#127

Post by hermitcrab »

Brajeshwar wrote: post #12
JakaJancar wrote: post #11

Love it! I always liked Balsamiq, it really forces you not to obsess about the pixels too much, but it was so slow/bloated/buggy, like something from the Java on desktop era. This is much smoother!

Well, yes, it was from the Flash era. It started in Flash/Flex. I love it and used it for a very long time. Huge respect for Peldi (Balsamiq founder).

IIRC the desktop product was rewritten and is still being updated.

Re: Show HN: Konty – A Balsamiq-alternative lo-fi wireframe tool for modern apps

#128

Post by Groxx »

estsauver wrote: post #74
olivierduval wrote: post #71

Something always bothered me: why using "sketch-like hand-drawn pencil" like style for that kind of tools ? I understand that "wireframing" is some kind of "brainstorming" tool, so it is used with a pencil and a whiteboard in a meeting room and require to draw/erase fast iteratively... so it's the "right" tool for this job... But as soon as you use a computer instead of a pencil, why not have a "realistic" and "clean…

The reason that I've heard used repeatedly is that a shocking percentage of folks who aren't Technology producers can't separate visual quality from "doneness" of a project. If you show some business folks something that looks like it works, they'll mentally update the project to "Nearly done!" and then everything else after that becomes "Unreasonable delays."

There is definitely this, but also: if it looks "refined", people start getting attached to what they see, and it affects how they react to the final product.

Any change from that haphazard throwaway with nice colors is suddenly a change they have opinions about, because it feels like a change.

If you show them something that's obviously not what will ship, they don't get as attached.

---

This is also partly a "most people don't understand the design process" thing, and just how much reworking and restarting is generally necessary to get an actually-good end result. If they see hundreds of mockups (or even sketches), they'll wonder why you haven't made hundreds of products, rather than those being merely tools used to think along the way.

Re: Show HN: Konty – A Balsamiq-alternative lo-fi wireframe tool for modern apps

#130

Post by replete »

Gomockingbird was the best at this (for my purposes), but they decommissioned and didn't open source it like they said they would.

Balsamiq was next best and I use it still, but has a cumbersome user interface with enough friction that it gets in the way.

I tried using Excalidraw for a while, for my dislike of using Balsamiq, but for wireframing even with libraries it was too fiddly.

Just tried out Konty and it feels like an upgrade to Balsamiq for sure, and is clearly inspired by Excalidraw. Great work

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