InVision - Detailed Review
Creative Tools
InVision - Detailed Review Contents
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InVision - Product Overview
InVision Overview
InVision is a leading platform in the creative tools category, specifically focused on product design and collaboration for digital products.Primary Function
InVision’s primary function is to facilitate the design, prototyping, and testing of digital products. It is built by designers for designers, aiming to streamline the entire design process from brainstorming and wireframing to final product delivery.Target Audience
InVision caters to a diverse range of users, including:Designers and Creative Professionals
Those involved in graphic design, web design, user experience (UX) design, and product design.Product Managers and Developers
Individuals responsible for bringing digital products to market, who use the platform for feedback, collaboration, and product development.Startups and Small Businesses
These entities benefit from InVision’s user-friendly interface and affordable pricing to create prototypes and validate ideas quickly.Enterprise Clients
Large organizations that require advanced features, security protocols, and scalability for their complex design workflows.Key Features
InVision offers several key features that make it a valuable tool for its users:Prototyping
Users can create interactive and clickable prototypes without writing any code, allowing them to test and refine their designs.Collaboration
Team members can leave comments directly on designs, facilitating real-time feedback and collaboration. This includes features like virtual post-it notes and the ability to share designs with stakeholders.Design System Management
InVision helps keep designs organized by allowing users to save and reuse design elements such as buttons and colors.User Testing
The platform enables users to watch real people interact with their designs, providing valuable insights into user experience.Integration
InVision integrates seamlessly with other tools like Sketch, Slack, and more, ensuring a smooth workflow.Project Management
Features like the InVision Board and Workflow tools help manage projects through screens, to-do lists, and activity tracking.Client Presentations
InVision Tours allow users to take stakeholders on virtual tours of their prototypes, showcasing the UX and features of the project.Conclusion
Overall, InVision is a comprehensive tool that supports every stage of the design process, from initial brainstorming to final product delivery, making it an essential resource for designers, product managers, and developers across various industries. InVision - User Interface and Experience
User Interface of InVision
The user interface of InVision is crafted with a focus on ease of use and intuitive design, making it an invaluable tool for UX/UI designers.Ease of Use
InVision is known for its user-friendly interface that does not require deep design knowledge to operate. The learning curve is relatively short, allowing users to quickly achieve their design goals. The dashboard is organized in a way that shows the exact order of design screens, making it easy to manage and present designs.Intuitive Design
The platform is developed by designers for designers, ensuring that the tools and options are streamlined for top-notch user experience. InVision embodies simplicity and ease, enabling creators to develop easily clickable prototypes and mockup designs with minimal effort. The drag-and-drop functionality and the ability to upload wireframes that are automatically transformed into prototypes make the design process efficient and effortless.Collaborative Features
InVision facilitates in-depth collaborations and feedback mechanisms, which are crucial for UX/UI design. Clients can provide feedback directly on specific elements of the design, such as buttons, shapes, or graphics, without needing to understand design terminology. This feature allows for multiple threads of feedback, enhancing the collaborative spirit of the design process.Project Management
The interface includes streamlined project management tools. Designers can track the progress and timeline of their projects, set due dates, and use color labels for enhanced visibility. The Activity tab allows product owners to check the project’s progress, and the Details tab enables the arrangement and assignment of screens and the creation of to-do lists.Cross-Platform Experience
InVision allows designers to tweak the size and resolution of frames according to different devices, making it indispensable for mobile adaptations. Designers can create mobile prototype slides controlled through gestures like double-tapping, screen dissolve, swiping, and sliding, ensuring responsive design across various screen sizes and shapes.Additional Features
InVision offers several additional features that enhance the user experience:- Streamlined Integration: Easy integration with other designing tools and software like Sketch or Photoshop.
- Live Freehand: A tool for quickly and collaboratively sketching out ideas and interfaces.
- Animation: Easy addition of animation layers through swipe transitions, timeline editing, and automatic layer linking.
- Mood Boards and Style Guides: The ability to create mood boards, brand boards, galleries, and style guides.
- Remote Team Collaboration: Direct live communication through the project account, eliminating the need for managing conversations through different portals.
Overall User Experience
The overall user experience of InVision is highly positive, with users praising its speed, ease of use, and the simplicity of its UX/UI tools. The platform’s ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously, its cloud storage for easy access, and its collaborative features make it a valuable asset for designers and teams working on digital product design. In summary, InVision’s user interface is designed to be intuitive, easy to use, and highly collaborative, making it an excellent choice for UX/UI designers looking to streamline their design processes and enhance their project management capabilities. InVision - Key Features and Functionality
InVision Overview
InVision is a comprehensive design and collaboration platform that supports the entire design process, from brainstorming to delivery. Here are the main features and functionalities of InVision, particularly focusing on its creative tools and any integration of AI.All-in-One Design Platform
InVision Studio is a central tool that combines design, prototyping, and animation capabilities. It allows designers to create high-fidelity prototypes quickly and efficiently, making the workflow clutter-free and organized. This platform supports vector-based design, responsive design, and pixel-level precision, which is adaptive to various screen sizes and shapes.Prototyping
InVision enables rapid prototyping by allowing users to link multiple screens together to create interactive prototypes. This feature is enhanced by the ability to add animations and transitions, such as swipe transitions, screen dissolves, and timeline editing. These animations can be applied easily without the need for extensive rework, making the prototyping process smoother.Animation and Motion
The Motion transition feature in InVision Studio automatically links matching layers between source and destination screens, animating the differences. This tool is unique in that it allows designers to design, prototype, and animate on the same platform, streamlining the design process.Collaboration and Feedback
InVision offers several collaboration tools, including Freehand, which is an infinite, collaborative space for teams to work on design ideas in real-time. Freehand allows users to add artboards, images from Sketch and Photoshop, co-draw sketches, and share feedback through comments. This feature facilitates live collaboration, enabling teams to work together seamlessly and gather feedback from stakeholders and clients.Design Systems and Libraries
InVision Studio integrates with the Design System Manager (DSM), which is a library where designers can store and manage components, ensuring consistency in brand and design style. This feature allows for easy sharing and collaboration on design systems, making it easier to maintain a unified design language across projects.Project Management
InVision provides tools for managing projects through screens, allowing users to arrange and assign screens, create to-do lists, and track project progress. The Activity tab helps product owners monitor the project’s status, set deadlines, and use color labels for enhanced visibility.Client Presentations
The InVision Tours feature allows designers to take stakeholders on a virtual tour of the prototype, presenting the UX, listing project features, and addressing any queries. This feature helps in justifying the design approach and demonstrating changes or revisions made since the last cycle.AI Integration
While the primary creative tools of InVision do not heavily integrate AI, there is an example of AI integration in a different context. However, this is not directly related to the creative design tools but rather to a specific application in optics:INVISION FIT AI
This is an application in the field of optics that uses AI to improve the process of fitting frames and ordering lenses. It employs computer vision algorithms and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to enhance the automatic detection of frame boxes in photographs, reducing the need for manual adjustments and saving time. This example illustrates how AI can be integrated into specific InVision applications to optimize processes, but it is not a part of the main creative design tools.Conclusion
In summary, InVision’s creative tools focus on providing a seamless and integrated platform for design, prototyping, animation, and collaboration, with features that enhance efficiency, communication, and the overall design process. While AI is not a core component of these creative tools, it is used in specialized applications like INVISION FIT AI to optimize specific tasks. InVision - Performance and Accuracy
Introduction
To evaluate the performance and accuracy of InVision, particularly in the context of their AI-driven creative tools, we need to look at several aspects of their technology and methodologies.Automatic Incident Detection (AID) – Accuracy and Performance
InVision’s Automatic Incident Detection system, though not directly related to creative tools, provides insight into their AI capabilities. This system demonstrates high accuracy and low false alarm rates, especially in challenging environments such as open-road sections. Here, InVision’s AID achieves less than 0.03 false alarms per camera per day, which is a significant indicator of its performance and accuracy. This is made possible by a camera-based 3D map of the environment, which enhances situational awareness and allows for precise geo-localization, speed, size, and acceleration tracking.Design Maturity and Integration
InVision’s design maturity study highlights how companies integrate design thinking into their processes. While this study is more about business outcomes and design practices rather than the performance of specific AI tools, it indicates that InVision values comprehensive and integrated design approaches. Companies with high design maturity, as per InVision’s study, see better outcomes in terms of cost savings, revenue, and brand position. This suggests that InVision’s tools are likely designed with a focus on integration and user-centered design, which can contribute to their overall performance and accuracy.Limitations and Areas for Improvement
One of the limitations noted in InVision’s design maturity study is the potential bias in the data collected. The study was based on a survey of over 2,200 organizations, but there is a concern that the data might be skewed towards InVision’s own clientele, which could affect the generalizability of the findings. This highlights the need for more diverse and unbiased data collection methods to ensure that the insights are representative of a broader range of users.General AI Performance Metrics
When evaluating AI-driven tools, metrics such as accuracy, precision, and recall are crucial. While the specific metrics for InVision’s creative tools are not provided in the sources, it is important to consider these factors in any AI-driven product. For instance, accuracy alone does not tell the whole story; precision and recall also play significant roles in assessing a model’s performance. Ensuring that these metrics are monitored and optimized is essential for maintaining high performance and accuracy.Conclusion
InVision’s AI-driven products, such as their AID system, demonstrate strong performance and accuracy, particularly in terms of false alarm reduction and precise object detection. However, when it comes to their creative tools, there is limited specific information available on their performance metrics. The emphasis on integrated design practices and user-centered approaches suggests that InVision’s tools are designed to be effective and accurate, but more detailed metrics would be necessary to make a comprehensive evaluation. Addressing potential biases in data collection and ensuring diverse user feedback are areas where InVision could improve to provide more reliable and generalizable insights. InVision - Pricing and Plans
InVision Pricing Overview
InVision offers a clear and structured pricing model to cater to various needs and budgets, particularly in the creative tools and design industry. Here’s a breakdown of their plans and the features associated with each:Free Plan
The Free plan is an excellent option for individuals or small teams. Here are the key features:- Free forever: No cost involved.
- Up to 100 active users: Suitable for small teams or individuals.
- 3 Freehands: A limited number of Freehands, which are collaborative drawing tools.
- Integration and Platform: Access to InVision’s platform and integration capabilities.
- Unlimited Public and Private Spaces: You can create as many public and private spaces as needed.
Pro Plan
The Pro plan is geared towards cross-collaborative teams and offers more advanced features:- Pricing: $9.95 per user per month when billed monthly, or $7.95 per user per month with annual billing.
- Up to 200 active users: More users can be added compared to the Free plan.
- Unlimited Freehands: No limit on the number of Freehands.
- Integration and Platform: Full access to InVision’s platform and integration capabilities.
- Unlimited Public and Private Spaces: Create as many spaces as needed.
Enterprise Plan
This plan is for larger organizations with complex needs and security requirements:- Pricing: Custom pricing; interested parties need to contact InVision directly for a quote.
- Unlimited Active Users: No user limits, making it scalable for large teams.
- Advanced Team Management & Security: Includes enhanced security features, Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities, and priority support.
- Unlimited Freehands and Spaces: Full access to all features without any limits.
Additional Considerations
- Discounts: InVision offers discounts for long-term contracts and tiered pricing plans, which can be negotiated based on the number of users and planned growth.
- Free Trial: While not explicitly mentioned, the Free plan serves as a perpetual free option, allowing users to test the platform extensively before committing to a paid plan.
InVision - Integration and Compatibility
InVision: A Comprehensive Tool for Creative Teams
InVision, a prominent tool in the creative and design industry, is known for its seamless integration with various other tools and its compatibility across different platforms and devices. Here are some key points regarding its integration and compatibility:
Integrations with Design Tools
InVision integrates well with popular design tools such as Sketch and Photoshop. This integration allows designers to import files directly from these tools into InVision, streamlining the design review process. For instance, users can import graphics from Photoshop and Illustrator into Adobe XD, which is often used in conjunction with InVision, although Adobe XD itself is also considered an alternative.
Collaboration and Project Management Tools
InVision supports integrations with several collaboration and project management tools. These include Slack, Jira, Confluence, Trello, Asana, GitHub, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft Teams. These integrations help in enhancing team collaboration, managing tasks, and ensuring that all stakeholders are aligned throughout the design process.
Real-time Collaboration
One of the standout features of InVision is its real-time collaboration capability. This allows multiple users to work on a project simultaneously, regardless of their location. This feature is crucial for maintaining efficiency and ensuring that all team members are on the same page.
Cross-Device Compatibility
InVision enables designers to create prototypes that work seamlessly across various devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This ensures that the design is responsive and provides a consistent user experience on all platforms. The tool supports multiple device testing, which is essential for ensuring that designs are optimized for different screen sizes and orientations.
Feedback and Inspection Tools
InVision allows for the collection of feedback directly within prototypes, which streamlines the design iteration process. Additionally, the “Inspect” feature ensures that the development team has all the necessary information to implement the design accurately. This feature is particularly useful for maintaining consistency and accuracy across different stages of the design process.
Compatibility with Other Platforms
InVision is a web-based platform, making it accessible from any device with a web browser. This web-based nature ensures that it can be used on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, without the need for specific software installations.
Conclusion
In summary, InVision’s strong integration capabilities with other design, collaboration, and project management tools, along with its cross-device compatibility and real-time collaboration features, make it a versatile and effective tool for creative teams.
InVision - Customer Support and Resources
Contact Information
For immediate assistance, you can contact InVision’s customer service using their toll-free number: (877) 932-7111. Additionally, you can reach out via email for various inquiries, including customer service, legal, privacy, and media-related questions.
Support Hours and Channels
InVision provides support through multiple channels. Their support team is available Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm EST for billing, sales, and customer service inquiries. For technical support, the hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm EST. Even outside these hours, email and ticket support are available 24 hours a day for critical problems.
Online Resources
- Help Center: InVision has a comprehensive help center where users can find answers to common questions, tutorials, and guides to help them get started and resolve issues on their own.
- Support Request Form: Users can submit a support request form on the InVision website, which allows them to describe their issue in detail and receive assistance from the support team.
Specific Support Types
- Technical Support: For technical issues, users can visit the support forum or log in to the client area for assistance. This includes troubleshooting and resolving technical problems.
- Product/Service Information: If you have questions about InVision’s products or services, you can fill out a general inquiry form, and the support team will respond accordingly.
Additional Resources
- Community Support: InVision likely has community forums or support groups where users can interact with each other, share tips, and get help from peers who may have encountered similar issues.
- Knowledge Base: While not explicitly mentioned, many companies in the creative tools category maintain a knowledge base or FAQ section that users can access for quick answers to common questions.
By leveraging these support options and resources, users of InVision’s creative tools can ensure they receive timely and effective assistance to address any issues or questions they may have.
InVision - Pros and Cons
Advantages of InVision
InVision is a highly regarded tool in the creative and design collaboration space, offering several key advantages:Effective Communication and Feedback
InVision simplifies the design proposal process by allowing users to upload and update their projects directly. Clients can leave comments on the design, enhancing communication and feedback.Team Collaboration
It is a valuable UX and UI collaboration tool, enabling users to create high-fidelity prototypes using screens, hotspots, and triggers. Features like moodboards help in gathering inspiration and presenting design versions for review and feedback.Organizational Capabilities
InVision allows users to organize all their projects on a single screen, acting as a private portfolio. It also features a useful Craft plugin for Sketch, which updates designs efficiently.Comprehensive Feature Set
The platform offers a range of features including prototyping, collaborative work through Freehand, and spec sharing using Inspect. This makes it versatile for both novices and professionals.User-Friendly Interface
InVision is praised for its user-friendliness and minimal learning curve. Its integration with Sketch via the Craft plugin makes the workflow highly efficient.Real-Time Collaboration
Features like Freehand enable real-time collaboration, allowing teams to sketch out ideas and interfaces collaboratively. This facilitates quick feedback from both team members and clients.Disadvantages of InVision
Despite its numerous benefits, InVision also has some notable drawbacks:Browser-Based Limitations
Users must work in the browser and upload their designs, which some find inconvenient. Additionally, special characters and diacritics in filenames are ignored, disrupting automatic sorting of screens.Artboard Management
Managing artboards within InVision can be challenging, potentially slowing down the design process, especially for projects with over 30 screens.Lack of Significant Updates
InVision has not seen many significant improvements or additions recently, which can limit its appeal over time.Limited Design Features
While excellent for prototyping and collaboration, InVision lacks robust design features, requiring users to rely on other tools for actual design work.High Cost
The cost of InVision can be prohibitive, especially for individual consultants or contractors. There is also a monthly fee to archive projects if a user decides to stop paying.Performance Issues
Some users have reported occasional performance issues and slow loading times, which can disrupt workflow and hinder productivity. By considering these pros and cons, users can make an informed decision about whether InVision aligns with their specific needs and budget. InVision - Comparison with Competitors
When comparing InVision to its competitors in the creative tools and prototyping category, several key features and alternatives stand out.
Unique Features of InVision
- High-Fidelity Prototyping: InVision allows teams to create high-fidelity prototypes in real-time, which can be tested and iterated upon quickly. This feature is particularly useful for product teams looking to turn ideas into visual designs and interactive experiences.
- Collaboration Tools: InVision streamlines the design process with robust collaboration features, including the ability to view and comment on shared designs, access a library of templates and assets, and collaborate in real-time.
- Advanced Animations and Transitions: InVision Studio, part of the InVision suite, enables teams to create complex animations and transition effects, as well as responsive prototypes without writing code.
- Design System Management: InVision DSM is a design system manager that allows teams to store and control all their brand and UX components, ensuring consistency across designs.
Alternatives to InVision
Adobe XD
- Features: Adobe XD offers content-aware layout, components and component states, 3D transforms for AR and VR, shareable libraries, auto-animate, and voice prototyping. It is known for its performance and ease of use, making it a strong alternative for app and web designers.
- Collaboration: Like InVision, Adobe XD has robust collaboration features, including real-time collaboration and shareable libraries.
Axure RP
- Features: Axure RP is best for advanced wireframing and prototyping. It offers detailed, interactive prototypes with conditional logic and dynamic content, making it a good choice for complex design projects.
- Collaboration: While not as real-time focused as InVision, Axure RP does support collaboration through shared projects and version control.
Figma and FigJam
- Features: Figma is renowned for its UI design and prototyping capabilities, similar to InVision. FigJam, a part of Figma, is ideal for brainstorming and user journey mapping. It offers real-time collaboration, live cursors, and video conferencing integrations.
- Collaboration: Figma and FigJam are highly collaborative, allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously, which is a key feature that aligns with InVision’s collaborative ethos.
Miro
- Features: Miro, which acquired InVision’s Freehand, is excellent for brainstorming and ideation. It offers digital whiteboards, real-time collaboration, and pre-built templates for mind maps and flowcharts.
- Collaboration: Miro’s collaboration features include live cursors, chat, and video conferencing integrations, making it a strong alternative for teams that need to brainstorm and ideate collaboratively.
UXPin
- Features: UXPin is another tool that offers high-fidelity prototyping and design capabilities. It includes features like design systems, collaboration tools, and integrations with other design platforms.
- Collaboration: UXPin supports real-time collaboration and has a strong focus on design systems, which can be beneficial for teams looking to maintain design consistency.
Other Considerations
- InVision Studio vs. Competitors: InVision Studio’s ability to create vector-based screen designs quickly and its infinite canvas make it a powerful tool. However, tools like Adobe XD and Figma also offer similar capabilities with their own unique features.
- Cost and Accessibility: InVision offers a free plan with one prototype and unlimited collaborators, which can be a significant advantage for small teams or projects. Other tools, like Adobe XD and Figma, also offer free versions or trials, but their pricing models may differ.
In summary, while InVision stands out with its high-fidelity prototyping, advanced animations, and robust collaboration tools, alternatives like Adobe XD, Axure RP, Figma, FigJam, and Miro offer compelling features that might better suit specific needs or preferences of different teams.
InVision - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about InVision
What are the key features of InVision?
InVision offers a wide range of features that make it a powerful tool for designers and teams. These include presentations, prototype creation, digital whiteboards, wireframing, planning, and feedback management. It also allows for real-time collaboration through features like Freehand, where teams can draw and add text to projects simultaneously. Additionally, InVision integrates with tools like Sketch through the Craft plugin, enabling seamless design updates.How does InVision facilitate collaboration?
InVision is highly focused on collaboration. It allows teams to work together in real-time using features like Live Share, where designers can collaborate across the globe. You can share links for live collaboration, conduct conference calls, and even control a single mouse pointer to make changes to the design together. This real-time collaboration helps in getting instant feedback and advice on projects.What are the different pricing plans available for InVision?
InVision offers several pricing plans to cater to different needs. The Free plan is free forever and includes 3 Freehands, integration and platform features, unlimited public and private spaces, and up to 100 active users. The Pro plan is priced at $9.95 per user per month (or $7.95 per user per month on an annual plan) and includes unlimited Freehands, public and private spaces, and up to 200 active users. For larger enterprises, custom pricing is available upon request.Can I use InVision for prototyping and animation?
Yes, InVision is excellent for prototyping and animation. InVision Studio, part of the InVision suite, allows you to create advanced, vector-based screen designs and interactive prototypes. You can link several artboards into one animation, create swipe triggers for parallax animations, and even mirror prototypes to your phone. It also supports timeline editing and automatic layer linking for animations.How does InVision help with project management?
InVision provides several tools for project management. You can manage your project through screens, arrange and assign screens using the Details tab, and create to-do lists for feedback and requirements. The Activity tab helps in tracking project progress, setting due dates, and using color labels for enhanced visibility. This makes it easier to organize and track the progress of your projects.Can I integrate InVision with other design tools?
Yes, InVision integrates well with other design tools. For example, you can import Sketch files directly into InVision Studio. It also supports integration with platforms like Google Drive, Box, and Dropbox, making it easy to load and manage your designs from various sources.What is InVision Freehand, and how does it work?
InVision Freehand is a feature that allows for real-time collaboration on an infinite canvas. It starts with an interactive demo to show you how to use it. You can send a collaboration link to team members, and they can draw and add text to the project in real-time. This feature is particularly useful for brainstorming sessions, design planning, and feedback collection.How does InVision support client presentations?
InVision offers features like InVision Tours, which allow you to take stakeholders on a virtual tour of your prototype. You can present the UX, list out the project’s features, and guide users through key components of the project. This helps in justifying your design approach and gathering feedback from clients effectively.Can I create mobile prototypes with InVision?
Yes, InVision supports mobile prototyping. You can create mobile prototype slides that can be controlled through gestures like double-tapping, screen dissolve, swiping, and sliding. It also allows you to add animation and transitions to your mobile prototypes, making them interactive and responsive.Does InVision offer any free trials or free plans?
Yes, InVision offers a free plan that is free forever. The free plan includes 3 Freehands, integration and platform features, unlimited public and private spaces, and up to 100 active users. Additionally, if you need to create more than one prototype, you get six days of free access to create unlimited prototypes before needing to upgrade.How does InVision handle versioning and syncing for collaborative projects?
InVision helps in syncing and versioning by allowing you to store different iterations of your project. This is particularly useful for global teams collaborating on a single project. You can work on a remote system and later sync the changes without much hassle, ensuring that all team members are on the same page.