Original post by Allison Burnett January 12, 2019
There are a few tools that I picked up through either my work or studies that have become indispensable for me. My two top picks would be Canva and Balsamiq. I love both tools so much that I pay personally for my own subscription to each of them. I’ll give a brief overview of each tech tool below: Balsamiq: Balsamiq is an intuitive, user-friendly tool that is used to create lofi sketch-like mock-ups when developing new user interfaces for mobile apps or websites. I was introduced to this tool many years ago when I was at Canada Post and our team was redesigning the epost.ca website, and it’s been a go-to app for me ever since.Balsamiq is great for creating initial wireframes for web or mobile applications as it strips out visual details that can take the attention of users – e.g. colour, logos, images, etc. It’s important to get feedback on these elements in designing user experiences as well, however, in the early stages, you want to gather feedback on the layout and user interface design, and not the bling! I also find that that sketchy interface elements put non-technical users at ease – it feels very much like you are doing a whiteboard session, versus looking at technical documentation. Finally, it’s an easy tool to learn and use! I’m not super tech-y myself, but the functionality is very intuitive.Although this is a tool for designing mock-ups, I have also used it to help explain concepts when facilitating a session, or I’ve transferred models from whiteboard sessions to Balsamiq for future reference, and so I can also add on to them in a future meeting or workshop.When teaching a digital marketing course several years ago, I introduced this tool to my class to help them build their digital marketing toolkit as well! High recommended.Example of a simple Balsamiq mock-up I have created:
Canva: Canva is another essential tool that I use for many different purposes! Canva is a publishing tool that allows you to create professional looking images/graphics, infographics, and templates easily and quickly. In the Mobile Technology category, I saw another post about Adobe Spark, which I think is a similar tool. I’ve also tried using it, but I think because I was already very comfortable on Canva.Using Canva, you start by identifying what you are wanting to design. From there, Canva presents you with different templates you can use as a baseline. Once you select your template, you then proceed to modify it to suit your need – you can change graphics or import your own, change colours, add text, etc.I’ve used Canva to produce a variety of materials both professionally and personally- from Twitter images, website banners, web page images, infographics, posters, invitations, etc. The tool makes it easy to incorporate professional looking visuals in classrooms, workshops, and work environments. Another highly recommended tool! There’s even a mobile app that you can use, so it’s accessible on-the-go from your mobile device too!Example of Canva artifacts I’ve created:
I chose to include this in our Mobile Technology resources because throughout this course I have gained a love for creating and designing infographics. Canvas is a great place to create this eye-catching and visual appealing informative resources to share with other students or use them in your classroom. I teach grade 4/5 and I would have loved to have the chance to make infographics with students, that will be next year’s plan! I love how Canvas is free and you can create many different poster, banners, cards, and more. When we switched over to online learning I used Canvas to upload my Bitmoji and use one of their banners to add to my Google Classroom. Canvas is a fun and alternative way to represent one’s learning.