Jumpchart Emerges From Beta
Jumpchart, a website architecture builder, has just announced that they have shed their beta status. What is Jumpchart? Jumpchart is a way to make the basic architecture or frame of your next website, site map, or interactive project. It is a WYSIWYG online editor that simplifies the process of creating the basic framework of a website, especially when it is a collaborative effort. Basically, you could use Jumpchart to show a client or boss a very rough estimate of what their website might look like. That way you could nail down where the content will go before the graphical design begins.
You begin by creating a new project with a single page. You can add text and most anything that you could using HTML, but Jumpchart has simplified it. For example, to create bold text you would surround your text with asterisks (*some bold text*). Each type of text or form input has it’s own method of inputting that is usually nothing like the HTML equivalent. Luckily, there is an easy reference always available.
To create more pages, you simply click the “Add Page” button. The whole process is very simple. One of the best features is the ability (and absolute ease) with which you can export your project. You can either export just a single page or the entire project. The export spits out a folder of validated XHTML, CSS, and javascript files of the website architecture you just designed. You can see a very rough example of what a page made in Jumpchart may begin to look like here.
I am impressed with the design of Jumpchart. But only the basic, highly restricted version, is free. The free version limits you to ten pages per project, 1MB of disk storage, and two maximum users. They have a total of four tiers of service pricing that range from free to $50/month. If you are constantly making website mock ups, this service just may come in handy.
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This article was written by John Kolbert on October 20, 2007 and filed as Reviews, Tech News. Get the latest articles by subscribing to the RSS feed. This article, including images and attachments, is property of John Kolbert and is not to be republished or translated without prior written permission.
Very handy, indeed - I LOVE IT :) although I think I will stay with the free account for now