Versioning tools for creatives
The worst day for a designer is when a digital file on which a lot of time and effort has been spent, gets lost or corrupted.
A designer develops and shares items for each design, then receives comments, edits and re-shares. As a result of this process, several copies of the same file are produced, which is difficult to manage. To manage this process, works are classified by numbering files, but this method is incomprehensible because you cannot add notes to what you have changed. In addition, some projects may require the collaboration of multiple designers on the same file at the same time. It is difficult to merge these changes because the designers must visually compare different files and decide which to eliminate.
Sometimes you have the impression that the previous version was superior, but you don’t have a backup file. If you’re working with a Photoshop file, you’ll need to open and close some layers in order to revert the file.
Thanks to advanced systems like GitHub, Gitlab and SourceTree; software developers have a wide range of options for version tracking and control in their workflows. Git is an industry standard, and developers cannot imagine writing a single line of code without it.
Why is the version control system so important?
A version control system keeps track of all your changes. It saves and backups these changes for each version. There is no need to be concerned about any files or entries that you have modified, shared or collaborated on using an available version control system.
This is more than just preserving a change history; it transforms your entire workflow as follows:
• Multiple people can work on the same file at the same time.
• Everyone has a local storage unit where they can view all their history.
• It automatically saves all changes, including who made them and when they were made.
• It enables you to revert to any previous version.
• Different types of work can be completed and merged with the main file as needed.
• There is no need to be concerned about rewriting a file or losing a change.
• It enables you to transfer changes to the entire team and organize work.
UI and UX designers who collaborate with software developers are unable to incorporate a version control system into their workflows, despite the fact that they require one. The main reason is the large file sizes. Unlike code files, design files take up more space. To work with design files, Git’s large file storage extension (LFS) is required. All versions are saved to a remote storage location and have no effect on Git’s performance.
However, Git is insufficient to address the designer’s issue. There is no easier way to visually compare design files; they cannot be compared as code lines. You will also need to learn Git instructions or workflows.
Despite its benefits, Git is no longer the only option! For several years, good options such as Pics.io and Folio, which are built on the logic of Git and appeal to designers, have been available. These tools require little training, but when we look at versioning tools like Abstract, Sympli and others, we see that they support Sketch files only. It is important to remember that a designer may use more than one tool, despite the fact that Figma has surpassed as a UI/UX design tool today and Sketch only works on MacOS.
Version control is extremely useful. So, what is the solution for designers?
Snowtrack, a beta version that I discovered several months ago, is one of the latest solutions. Snowtrack is a version control software that allows you to visually track your work. It’s designed to help you manage your work by supporting various 2D/3D illustration and design file types and is simple to use. It rose to prominence because it is free and supports a wide range of file formats.
It is integrated easily into your existing workflow. You can open, scan and analyse your projects on a well-designed interface.
It’s extremely easy to get started: After creating a project and dragging and dropping files, you can begin versioning quickly.
• Snowtrack allows you to track project changes and revert to previous versions with a single click. It displays your main file and its branches in the same way that Git does.
• It enables you to work freely without putting your critical project files at risk.
• You can check on your visual assets and working files with a static or interactive preview.
Design versioning tools - Compare
A version control system is required for error-free design workflows. Choosing which tool to use depends entirely on the needs of your project. I’ve tried to compile a list of current options for you below.
If you can’t read the details, you can try this one:
(As of February 2022, Medium no longer supports resizing options for images, sorry. It’s not user centered design choice!)
Please leave a comment if you know of any other versioning tools or if I provided incorrect information.
Final thoughts
In comparison to all the alternatives, I believe Snowtrack is an excellent versioning tool for freelance designers who work alone on a single computer and do not work in a team. When the cloud storage system (currently under development) is available, it will become one of the tools that will rank near the top for design teams due to the file formats and properties that it supports.
“Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth.” — Rumi
Thanks for reading!
