Sketch Prototyping Overview
12 Days of Sketch | Day 12
Linking Screens
Sketch has a prototyping feature built in. Once you select an object, group, or symbol you have the option on the right panel to select your target for the link. You also have the choice of a handful of simple transitions, including animate from the top, bottom, right and left.
For stationary elements such as FABs and navigation, you can select the option “Fix position when scrolling” to get a more realistic feel when previewing on device.
Viewing
Sketch Mirror can help you get a more realistic look at what your designs will look like on a device. Simply, install the Sketch Mirror app, connect to the same WiFi as your computer that you are designing on, and mirror. This can help you to make clearer decisions in regards to type size, contrast and color. Sketch also allow you to fix the position of certain layers—that way the tab bar and the nav bar stay in a consistent location when you scroll. One callout on Sketch Mirror, however: if designing on an artboard that is larger then the device you are viewing it on, the text, images and layers scale down to fit.
Sharing
If you need to share your design or prototype with a client or co-worker, Sketch makes it easy. In the top left of the toolbar, there is a button to send your artboards to Sketch Cloud. This uploads the document to the web and gives you a shareable link. You can set permissions so that others can view, comment or even download the entire Sketch file from that link. Super helpful for getting feedback!
Animation
Here are a few animation plugins that can take your prototype to the next level. Anima, Flinto, and AnimateMate.
See 12 Days of Sketch, Day 7 for more on Anima and other great plugins!
For more complex animations or animations that don’t need to be part of the interactive prototype, we typically transition over to After Effects.
Summary
Thanks for being a part of our 12 Days of Sketch! I hope you enjoyed these articles and learned a few things along the way.
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