There’s a category of “plain text” or “ASCII” diagramming and UI design tools:

Mockdown – works immediately on the web, even on mobile

Wiretext – works on the web, but desktop only

Monodraw – a Mac app

I believe these are used by people who prefer intentionally limited visual choices, for low-key diagramming to put in source code, and – increasingly – as an entry point to gen AI.

They’re so interesting from the standpoint of this blog:

Fun to see a contemporary take on something that peaked between 1970s–1980s – you can look up TUIs and Turbo Vision if you want – but (just like Mario the other day ) now with modern sensibilities, performance, web access, mouse and trackpad affordances, and so on.

It’s interesting simply as an exercise in constraint. I believe constraint practice will become more and more important as computers become more and more capable. It’s already useful to constrain yourself in order to make things easier for you.…