Why ProtoPie is my favorite prototyping tool of all time

Amy Yang
2 min readDec 3, 2020
Source: https://protopie.io

An intuitive mental model

The basis for the tool is super simple and intuitive. You select an object, add a trigger, and assign a desired response. The properties for these interactions are highly customizable in terms of parameters and animation effects. With 25 different triggers and 17 response types, the possibilities for what you can create are virtually endless. You can explore the definitions, properties, and examples of these interactions on their site here.

https://www.protopie.io/learn/docs/getting-started

Logical conditions

In addition to these static interactions, ProtoPie also allows you to build conditional actions. Think of it as “if, then” statements for different interactions. This is a really powerful feature that follows a logical workflow once you know the capabilities. It can be challenging to learn the functions on your own, so I highly recommend checking out DesignCode’s channel on Youtube for a great collection of tutorials. With his comprehensive videos that include the visual asset files, you can follow along and learn the basics in no time.

How to easily create a toggle interaction using conditions

Dynamic interactions take it to the next level

Have you ever wished that your prototypes could respond to user input like a real app? Formulas make it possible to prototype functions that are dynamic (rather than having a fixed value), depending on user input. I can’t tell you how much my mind was blown when I first found out about this powerful feature. Now you can accurately mimic real life interactions like a working app. Here is a great example of how you can use variables for adding up total costs in a retail app.

Using variables to prototype a real-time shopping experience

With ProtoPie, your outcome is sure to be a hi-fi prototype that is as close to the real deal as it gets! Better yet, the platform is built with collaboration in mind. It’s designed so that handoff to developers for implementation is a seamless process for everyone involved. I know I can’t wait to see what kind of awesome pies I’ll be able to create with this!

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Amy Yang

Product designer based in LA 🌞 Tweeting @amyyang0110