InVision App is a digital product and design platform which lets you create prototypes of almost everything online. Right from creating a prototype of a website which works online or how it is going to look when you design it for mobile devices. The best part is that you can create interactive prototypes that will help your client understand what is going to happen when somebody interacts with their website or app. Here is our InVision review.
InVision Review
Apart from creating prototypes, animation tools, and vector-based designs, the most robust feature of the InVision App is that it allows you to work with remote teams. If your organization is spread across the globe, you can easily collaborate with them.
Once you signup with them, which is free, you have two significant options. The first lets you create Spaces where you can pick up a predefined template and start prototyping. The second option is to download their software — Craft Plugin for Sketch & Photoshop and the InVision Studio.
1] Spaces for Cloud Design and Collaboration
These are no-nonsense online designs where you can pick up a sample or add your sample, and start working with it. So, for example, for website design, you get four pages, which include homepage, archive, contact, and Article. They are images, and you can then start adding clickable links to navigate from one place to another. It is more effective than sending a bunch of screenshots or making a video of the design.
You can do the same with your set of designs that you created using any other tool. So, for example, if you are using Photoshop, use the Craft Plugin, and you can sync and upload the design right from there.
2] InVision Studio
This is a free software that you can use to create an offline design and syncs with the InVision account. It supports vector-based drawing, flexible layers, animation transition, and micro-interactions. When you start fresh, I would suggest picking an example to understand the layers concept clearly.
Since you need to use the InVision account to use this tool, you instantly get access to the cloud. You can change the design using this tool, and sync it to the whole team. Team members can sync to the latest version, and if they find something that needs a fix, it can be rolled out.
Pros of InVision
1] Clickable Prototype
It is the first step to any design, and InVision implements it beautifully. You can use the Spaces to create a working prototype that one can click to navigate around a page. It also supports Hover states, which allows you to add menus and tooltips. Once done, you can send it to the client to collect feedback, and then fix what is needed. It saves a lot of time when finally developing the product.
When you’re designing for mobile, the prototype supports gestures. That’s an enormous help given that many clients would need a design that works well on smartphones.
2] Free Design Tools
If you wish to design from scratch, you can download InVision Studio. To sync existing files from Sketch or Photoshop, you can use the Craft plugin. This gives the designer incredible freedom to design!
3] Collaborate
When working with a team, you can draw the design and collaborate in realtime with others. Any changes made by the team members are notified, and you can quickly rollback when needed. It maintains a version history of files, actions making it possible to go back to the point of time where design performed well.
You can switch to dedicated comment mode, click on the part of the page where a change is necessary, and add your comment. Your Team can look at all the numbered comments, and reply to them one by one.
What’s important to note is keeping your projects and ideas safe while you collaborate over the Internet. Remote teams often rely on public Wi-Fi, be it at the cafe, airport, or a hotel room. Public networks are often unencrypted and create an easy avenue for cybercriminals to intercept users’ traffic and steal information. If you don’t want sensitive company data to be compromised, encourage your team to use a VPN when connected to a public Wi-Fi. Paid VPN providers, like ExpressVPN, will make sure your internet traffic is encrypted.
Cons of InVision
This software is a bit slow to start and even shows a lag when using it, at times. Another thing is that it doesn’t offer plugin support. This is crucial in the development of any software – and interests many users and developers.
Verdict
InVision might not be the most powerful tool on the market, but it is the best tool for prototyping if you have to collaborate with a team. Further, we would strongly suggest you use a reliable VPN. It will make sure encrypts your internet traffic and protects your team’s projects and sensitive data from being compromised by hackers. It is only applicable when you are using InVision to collaborate for a design building or project.
