Web design tools are very important because they are meant to make the work of a designer easier and more effective. They come with tons of tools that will take you in every step of web design, therefore designing becomes easy and less time consuming. The world of web design tools is not static; it keeps changing as the technology advances and new tools that are better are introduced in the industry, which are designed to make the work of designers even better. Both Figma and Sketch are very popular web design tools in the world of today and each of them has a lot to offer to web designers, but they differ in so many ways.
Since its launch in 2009, Sketch has gained a massive following because of some of its features, which sets it apart from other web design tools in the market. It has for instance incorporated CSS logic into the app, which makes it easier for designers to convert designs into CSS. It is also popular for speeding up web design and development.
Figma on the other hand is the first interface design tool to be based in the browser. This is what makes it easy for its users to create software. There are so many other benefits that come with the fact that it is web-based for instance, you will not have to worry about uploads, downloads and versions. The other great benefit it offers is that designs created using Figma are highly likely to be iterative.
Everything about Figma is extremely responsive and works like it is expected to. The software itself is very powerful, just like Sketch’s. It only lacks some symbols, overrides and plugins that can be found in Sketch. Its every document and version exists on its server, which is why the task of iterating is effortless and less worrying. Figma files can be shared easily with others.
People who have been using Sketch for a long time are not yet ready to switch to a new web design tool especially those who care more about their workflow. This will trump their comparison of how much they are missing out with the new tool, which is Figma. If you have a tight deadline, it is easier to stick to the design tool you are used to, than take some time to learn a new tool. Learning a new tool could mean great delays especially if you have a lot on your hands. These designers do not have much to lose, because Sketch has some great features that are missing in Figma, which are very important in designing. These are for instance:
• Full online editing.
• Plugins and integrations like Zeplin.
• Symbols for reuse and encapsulation of objects.
• Layer and text styles for reuse and encapsulation of style.
• Some more refined effects like multiple blur styles among others.
• Sketch files can be imported to Figma, but Figma cannot export to Sketch.
However, when it comes to smaller, more contained projects, Figma is the best tool to use. This is because it does about 80% of what Sketch is capable of doing for you and a lot more of the amazing stuff you will not be able to do with Sketch. Figma has some of the most useful features that you will not get in Sketch. These are what will give you an easy time when designing your websites, a lot of designers today find themselves attracted to Figma more than to Sketch. Some of its best features include:
• Vector networks: – with Figma, you will no longer have to fix with polygons and polylines because vector networks are very intuitive and just what you need for the job. You will only draw and the existing network will help you achieve what you desire.
• Grids and constraints: – this tool uses simple concepts of grids and constraints in order to make possible complex and resizable layouts. You will not be able to achieve this with Sketch. Grids in this case are a replacement for Sketch’s Slices.
• Figma works better on web applications- it actually works faster on smaller designs when compared to Sketch.
The comment feature
The comment feature for Figma is inbuilt. If you are working in a team, team members can pin comments to your designs with ease, then you will receive notifications when there are comments and replies requiring your attention. Once you are done with all of them, hit resolve to hide that thread. With Sketch, you need to download a plugin or to use Zeplin in order to add comments to your designs. Zeplin offers a more interactive solution, which includes assets and specs delivery. Good thing is that Zeplin is also web-based; therefore, it can work for Windows and Mac. There are other plugins you might need when working with Sketch.
Figma for the future
Figma design tool has been developing quickly and trying to offer something better to today’s web designers. Its features speak a lot about how it compares to Sketch, for example its shared assets and styles feature. It is a tool that is aimed for truly massive collaborations. For many web designers, real-time collaborations are a game changer. It helps a lot to be able to design with a fellow designer, engineer or client in real time. It will also save a lot of time in communication as well as execution. Not all designs need collaboration though, but it helps a lot to know that the possibility is offered by a great design tool.
With this possibility, you can quickly work alone and then you can invite others to view or even edit your design when it is still in progress. You can invite anyone you want, whether they are signed up or not. The recipients will not need to install anything to see your design, because they are working with a web-based tool.
Figma works on Windows, Mac, Linux and on mobile devices as well, though only for viewing on mobile devices.
