Sketch Could Replace Illustrator. I Have Mixed Emotions.

Thomas Decker
Sep 2, 2018 · 3 min read
New Trend to Follow // Nostalgia Holding Me Back

Having grown up playing with Microsoft Paint and building up to PhotoDraw, Adobe Illustrator was my first true introduction into graphic design. While everyone else may have started with Photoshop, I’ve always appreciated the open playground design approach found in Illustrator.

I always found Illustrator to be perfect for simply getting ideas out there; for stretching ideas in new ways that can’t be done on paper. My entire design experience, really, has shifted and conformed to the limits & boundaries of the Adobe Illustrator interface. In many ways, I’m stubbornly proud of this. That is, until one day, I figured I’d give ‘ole Sketch out for a try.

My experience with Sketch has been turbulent. Being short on time as is, I realizing that learning a new program is gonna be a slow drip. The thing with Sketch, though, it’s pretty damn straightforward. In a lot of ways, it just takes hides the (lesser-than) necessary Adobe functions, replacing them with more commonly used tools.

The interface is, in itself, very dissimilar to Adobe Illustrator, not just the light vs. dark skin but the overall way information is presented to the user. I’m not going to pretend that I know what all the buttons in the AI sidebar do, and that’s just the point. I’ve been mastering Illustrator the majority of my life, yet I still haven’t found a need to use many of the features and functions because truthfully there are just a lot of ways to skin a cat.

With Sketch, the Bohemian Coding company really cut the fat out of the AI system and delivered a largely open-sourced design platform with a ceiling that hasn’t yet been realized by many. As a web designer, I find obvious comparisons between Sketch and WordPress, based on the ability to code, create, and download plug-ins directly into the program, giving the designer full customization over the interface, giving entirely new dimensions of specializations from animation to app prototyping straight web builds, the future is sparkling for Sketch.

With design teams constantly needing to refine communication, collaboration and quality assurance, Sketch provides and incredible starting point for communication plug-in integration with big-name programs like TeamWork, Slack, etc.

Vector Image Created with Illustrator (05/24/14)

This type of transparency and openness is set to revolutionize the design industry starting with client communication, built on a strong collaborative foundation, and provide a breathable environment ripe for innovation and creativity.

Being a vector-based graphics program, I love the ability to easily illustrate and create images and elements with incredible detail. Taking a blank canvas and creating something out of nothing is a truly incredible feeling.

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