almost 6 years ago from Spencer Bittle, Designer
Which is your team using, or if you are freelancing, which one are you using?
If you are still stuck using Sketch, don't comment saying your still using Sketch please. :)
I want your thoughts on XD or Figma.
If you are still stuck using Sketch
Jeez.. It's like you want an argument about Sketch VS Figma / XD
FOR ME, there is no argument. FOR ME currently I'm working with Figma and XD. Sketch just didn't do it for ME.
I'll just leave this here: https://www.designernews.co/stories/83210-large-files-causing-major-lag-in-figma
Something I experienced 100 fold while using Sketch... hoping Figma will actually dedicate to solve this problem. To clarify "large files" is in reference to UI Kits.
If you are still stuck using Sketch
Not a fan of your wording here. There's nothing wrong with Sketch...
I beg to differ. That language is perfectly acceptable for a buggy, over-priced app that introduces breaking changes with every version and has better alternatives.
Subscription based apps are less over-priced? There's a definite demand for users to own their software and not rent it from the company.
Free tier for individuals or small teams. You pay for the team features because it's worth it to be able to build living team components. Plus, Sketch is essentially subscription now anyway with yearly renewals.
While Sketch has its flaws and can be irritating at times, I prefer it over every other product I've tried. I don't consider it overpriced. I've only once experienced major issues with the release of a new version. Sketch needs to improve, but it is FAR from being the worst product you could use.
That's just my personal feeling. For me it was a great foundational step into UI design, and not much more. Lags, updates are terrible, service is unreliable, and it is just too dang slow. FOR ME. If it works for YOU, thats fantastic. :)
I'm still using Sketch
I'm still using Sketch
I am Spartacus!
Really wish Figma would launch a proper native version, got enough webapps in my life.
This. Thats my only problem with Figma, not anywhere as fast as sketch.
Not sure how it's all tied together. But on my computer Figma is much faster than Sketch
Case in point: Grab a complex group of elements (like a complete screen), hold alt and move to duplicate.
I find sketch to be quicker and snappier at this.
Whichever solves the problem. It's not the tool, it's the designer(s) behind it.
Stay focussed. The topic is not human or tool, it's tool A or tool B ;)
This isn't even a question. Figma is the only choice. More flexible than Sketch, and Team Shared Components allow you to build living atomic design systems. Plus they have a free tier.
Compared to XD though...
I agree, the free tier is major plus.
How is there any comparison? XD is a joke.
You think so? Why?
Lack of UI kits and inter-compatibility with the Sketch ecosystem. It was slow. Lacks rich symbol/component export and just feels clunky compared to Sketch or Figma. I do have to say it is a step up in UX from Illustrator or Photoshop.
Most of what you point out was probably true upon early release, but from my limited use of XD, it's blown me away.
I am also falling in love with Figma too.
If I am being honest, Sketch is on it's last leg. In 2 years, either (if not both for different reasons) Figma and XD will reign 100% of UI design.
Having Figma compatible with Sketch is an initial plus to get users over on their platform.
As a freelancer or individual designer I really don't see the collaboration being a plus (because of course not.)
With Figma the idea of it being in the cloud/browser is what appeals to me most. Eventually being able to go mobile.
With XD, to me, it's clean, relevant, and like you said a nice refresh from using other CC apps.
I like many, am stuck in a limbo. Just curious on others opinions.
Thanks for yours Jon.
After the last update, I think Sketch is stronger than ever.
Now, you can export from Sketch to live version (with breakpoints for responsive) in 1 click, which is a game changer for fast prototyping IMHO.
And this is just the first step. We can expect something great anytime soon.
In 2 years, either (if not both for different reasons) Figma and XD will reign 100% of UI design.
MEH. Not for everyone or everything. 100%? Remember that these are all tools with different capabilities and that different ones will be used in different circumstances. (Different different different! hah!)
In other words: Right tool for the right place, and in some places, MS.Paint will be the right tool!
Great point!!
Yeah, that's where I am also.
I need a tool to get away from Photoshop I currently use. I have tried a bit both of Figma and Xd, but not sure whether I should focus on any, though.
Xd is still far from perfect, but it is backed by Adobe, so I suppose it may catch up relatively fast. What troubles me most atm is that it lacks handoff capabilities (which is my #1 need from the new tool). Figma on the other hand has some sort of handoff capabilities but seems a bit risky choice. It is not widely adapted by the community (not as much as Sketch of even Photoshop) and I fear that using it for business work may tie me with a file format that will not be able to be used on any other software...
Maybe I should wait a bit more, to see how things will go, but I need to get away from Photoshop soon!
Stuck in that limbo, too :)
XD Has been out in beta version for a year, while new products run by small teams have invaded the space and destroyed any momentum XD had. Their roll out is too slow, and the early release turned a lot of people off.
If XD isn't launched by fall they are dead in the water. Many designers already have enough trouble deciding between Sketch and everyone else, and is just gaining steam. Their largest issue is Mac only, which is why the other apps gain a lot of their userbase.
I understand your concern on whether to commit to one or the other. Right now I am balancing both, because I am not sure which one yet. Test their capabilities for different projects, and see what works best. Nothing wrong with that! :)
XD does have UI Kits for Apple iOS (including watchOS), Google Material, and Microsoft Windows.
Lack of UI kits
The current beta of XD includes a number of kits, and we are working to expand the list. Are you any particular kits you are looking for?
Forgot you had kits. That's rad. How about symbols/components. Basically anything to create a shared team library of atomic design components?
Symbols are in the Mac beta, and coming soon for the Windows beta. You can see an early implementation of here:
https://youtu.be/dn_9u1qtQ8s?t=477
As far as a shared team libraries, that is something we are spending a LOT of time thinking about, including around shared style guides. Would be interested if you have any specific thoughts / needs in this space. Would be useful to share with the team.
Nested symbols are a start. The way Figma has Team Libraries is a very compelling setup. Basically nested symbols can be shared to a team library. When anyone pushes a change to a team library item they can be pulled into any design files using the team component.
1st joke. You can't underline text in XD, a fundamental task in UI design.
We use Figma for several reasons.
1) Great for collaboration between team 2) Great for reviewing with PM and developers 3) Framer Integration 4) We've uploaded our component library in it and creates seamless transition from our UI designers to work with our developers 5) Cross platform and web based
I'm still using Sketch. I am commenting, saying that I still use Sketch. I am sorry, I know that was very inappropriate. I shouldn't have used the word "still", as it implies that Sketch is not industry standard. Pls. 
Neither will help you design better things in you case. It's not about the tool.
At work, I use Figma. The main reason is because at home I use Sketch, and this is the closest tool to it that I can use on Windows. Figma has been absolutely great for me at work.
I just had the Beta of Adobe XD installed yesterday, and (on Windows at least) it's just not a tool I can use seriously. I just started creating a design and wanted to group some shapes together, then I wondered "where's the layers panel?!" - Googled it - it doesn't exist on Windows yet. Deal breaker. Why ship it on Windows with such a basic, must have feature missing?! I could try it on my Mac at home, but I have Sketch and am totally happy with it.
Just wondering, why did you mention "If you are still stuck using Sketch..."? It seems as though a lot of the industry is moving this way, and I don't see it being replaced by Figma or XD (in my area anyway).
"where's the layers panel?!" - Googled it - it doesn't exist on Windows yet. Deal breaker. Why ship it on Windows with such a basic, must have feature missing?!
Gareth, thanks for the comments. We completely agree with you that layers is pretty core functionality for a design tool. This is one of the reasons XD is still in beta (and not a 1.0).
As far as layers in the windows build, you should be seeing that in the public beta really soon.
I look forward to giving it another try with the Layers panel! :-)
Hey Gareth! I totally agree with you on why Adobe felt the need to ship XD on windows with such poor support. That is absolutely pointless. Having used XD solely on Mac, I can tell you that it is quite awesome.
In regards to my 'harsh' comment, I believe the reason the industry is giving Sketch such a bad rap is because of ALL the bugs and problems that people are facing.
FOR ME personally service was terrible, and I hated having to install 20 plugins and using 3 different services outside of Sketch to get one job done.
Sketch most defiantly is not bad, in fact it is quite good. It helped me get started, but from the get go I knew I wasn't going to stick around.
Right now, it seems toggling Figma and Sketch together is working great for you. That's what's most important anyway. :)
Yeah. I think having one app to get the job done is ideal. But there is always a danger that when an app tries to do everything, that it becomes a bloated, complicated mess. I like Sketch (and Figma), because it's lightweight and simple to use.
How come? :)
Love the speed, love the repeat grid tool, love being able to drag and drop images to populate a grid. Being able to wire up prototypes within the app is such a time saver. There's still some features to be desired for sure, but I think it's a great tool.
OKAY THANKS DONE! (Close topic please)
What do you have to say Dirk! XD or Figma?? What's your thoughts?
Use neither myself!
Small team, end up going straight to HTML/CSS/JS or mocking up in Photoshop. Tend to use Axure for quick brain-dumps on long forms etc. because it works pretty well for what I want to do!
I work on a lot of legacy apps too (maintenance and squeezing in as many bells and whistles as possible) and we've just not been able to re-do anything ground-up.
Bit of a pity, since of course I'd love to do some portfolio-level work (6 years at this company and I hardly have any to show for) but it's so much fun trying to squeeze a tremendous amount of capabilities out of this little resources. It's a puzzle!
(Pardon the side-track!)
Thats awesome Dirk! Do what you gotta do!
Almost all of my best design work takes place in Trello.
My current favorite usecase for Figma is branding. From ideation to designing to presentation, everything stays in one big canvas. During ideation, everyone can drop in assets, reference images, sketches, inspirations, moodboards, sitemaps. After directions are defined, each designer will "claim" a corner and start designing away in their direction. As the designs evolve, the moderator/design lead, would re-organize things & build the presentation.
Adobe XD looks like the XD emoticon lol
This is my favorite thing about XD (not a user though). I really wonder if the branding team thought about that.
Still using Sketch
FIGMA + Code RULES!
Login to Comment
You'll need to log in before you can leave a comment.
LoginRegister Today
New accounts can leave comments immediately, and gain full permissions after one week.
Register now