Product Overview of InVision
InVision is a comprehensive, cloud-based digital product design platform designed to support the entire design process, from brainstorming and designing to testing, collaborating, and delivering. Here are the key features and functionalities that make InVision a powerful tool for designers, developers, and businesses.
Core Components
InVision comprises several interconnected tools, each serving a specific purpose in the design workflow:
- InVision Studio: A prototyping and animation tool that allows users to create advanced, vector-based screen designs quickly. It features flexible layers, an infinite canvas, and the ability to create interactive prototypes without writing code. Studio supports animation features like transitions, gestures, and timeline editing.
- InVision Cloud: A platform where users can connect, store, and share their complete product design workflow. It facilitates collaboration and feedback collection across the design process.
- InVision Freehand: A collaborative tool that enables real-time collaboration on an infinite canvas. It is ideal for brainstorming, wireframing, and creating design concepts with team members.
- InVision DSM (Design System Manager): A library where users can store and control brand and UX components, ensuring consistency across designs.
- InVision Craft: A plugin that integrates with Sketch, allowing users to update designs directly within InVision.
Key Features
Prototyping and Animation
InVision allows users to create high-fidelity, interactive prototypes. You can link multiple artboards into a single animation, create swipe triggers for parallax animations, and mirror prototypes to your phone for real-time testing.
Collaboration
One of InVision’s standout features is its robust collaboration capabilities. Users can collaborate in real-time using the “Live Share” feature, which enables multiple designers to work together on a project simultaneously. This includes the ability to get instant feedback, share designs, and work on a single mouse pointer to make changes in real-time.
Design Management
InVision offers tools to manage and organize projects effectively. The platform allows you to order all your projects on a single screen, creating a private portfolio for easy access. The “Details” tab helps in arranging and assigning screens, creating to-do lists, and tracking project progress.
Client Presentations
InVision facilitates effective client presentations through its “Tours” feature. This allows you to take stakeholders on a virtual tour of your prototype, highlighting key components, features, and design decisions. It also supports demonstrating changes and revisions made since the last cycle and collecting feedback.
Integration and Compatibility
InVision integrates seamlessly with other design tools such as Sketch, Adobe Photoshop, and Google Drive, Box, and Dropbox. This allows users to import designs from various sources and work on them within the InVision environment.
Mobile Prototyping
InVision supports both desktop and mobile prototyping. You can create mobile prototype slides controlled by gestures, add animations and transitions, and ensure responsive design for different screen sizes and shapes.
Additional Functionality
- Moodboards and Inspiration: InVision allows users to collect inspiration and show design versions for review and feedback through moodboards.
- Versioning and Syncing: The platform provides syncing and versioning tools to manage different iterations of a project, ensuring that all team members are on the same page.
- Feedback and Communication: InVision enables clients to leave comments directly on the designs, streamlining the feedback process and enhancing communication between designers, developers, and stakeholders.
In summary, InVision is a versatile and powerful platform that streamlines the design process by offering a suite of tools for prototyping, collaboration, design management, and client presentations. Its integration with other design tools and robust collaboration features make it an essential tool for designers and development teams.