Craft by InVision is a powerful suite of plugins designed to enhance the design and prototyping process, particularly when used in conjunction with tools like Sketch and Photoshop. Here’s an overview of what Craft does and its key features:
What Craft Does
Craft allows designers to streamline their workflow by integrating advanced features directly into their design tools. It facilitates the creation of more realistic and interactive designs, prototypes, and collaborative environments.
Key Features and Functionality
Data
Craft’s Data feature enables designers to populate their designs with real, dynamic content. This includes generating lists, text, images, and even financial data, which can be sourced from various places such as pre-populated lists, web pages, or folders of images. For example, you can automatically generate country names, news headlines, or price ranges, making the design process more efficient and realistic.
Prototype
The Prototype feature allows designers to create clickable prototypes directly within Sketch. This involves setting up interactions between artboards, designating hotspots to link to different screens, and adding gestures and transitions. These prototypes can then be synced to the InVision web app for sharing and real-time feedback.
Sync
Craft’s Sync feature enables designers to schedule uploads of their designs to ensure that the team receives updates on a specified schedule. This helps in maintaining a smooth and organized workflow.
Stock
The Stock feature provides access to millions of stock images that can be easily imported and used in designs. This integration with stock image services like Unsplash simplifies the process of adding high-quality images to your designs.
Freehand
Freehand is a collaborative tool within Craft that offers an infinite, real-time workspace for teams to work on design ideas together. It allows users to add artboards or images from Sketch and Photoshop, co-draw, hand off control to teammates, and share feedback through comments. This tool is particularly useful for rapid ideation and validation of design concepts.
Design System Manager (DSM)
Craft integrates with InVision’s Design System Manager, which allows teams to create, manage, and share design elements and styles across the organization. This ensures consistency in design and makes it easier for teams to access and use approved components.
Installation and Use
To use Craft, you need to download and install the Craft plugin installer from the InVision website. The installer adds the necessary plugins to Sketch or Photoshop, and the CraftManager app helps manage and update these plugins. Once installed, you can access various Craft features directly within your design tool.
In summary, Craft by InVision is a versatile tool that enhances design efficiency, collaboration, and prototyping capabilities, making it an essential asset for designers working with Sketch, Photoshop, or other design tools.