Boost your Sketch efficiency with these plugins
I remember after seeing a demonstration of Sketch, I decided to buy my first Macbook Pro. Yes, just for the design tool. It’s crazy when I think about how different the price was six years ago for the computer and program. For me, it was such a revolution compared to the Adobe Suite. To make user interfaces, Photoshop is overkill and far too wieldy compared to Sketch or Figma. And if I had several programs open at the same time, it sounded like a plane taking off.
Rather than get into religion by comparing Adobe and Sketch, I will give you my list of Sketch plugins I use most in my daily workflow. Plugins: they are your best friends. That I hope you will find these ones just as useful.
Improve your speed : Work efficiently
Runner
Think of it as OSX’s native keyboard Spotlight. Runner is exactly the same thing, but inside Sketch. For me it’s number one on the list, this will completely change the way you navigate in Sketch. It’s great to have everything available by keyboard shortcut.
Several that I like are “Create A Symbol”, “Collapse All Groups”, and all the rest that I can access with [ CMD + ‘ ]
Distributor
Sketch plugin, as its name suggest, that distributes selected objects vertically or horizontally with a specified spacing. It’s so convenient!
Split Shape
Practical for creating different shapes in the same space. You can manage your columns and lines with the gutters and margins that define them. It’s very nice and pairs well with Distributor.
Icon Font and Repository
Icon Font allows you to quickly have on hand icons when making wireframes or in other ideation phases. Be careful though: if you share your file, be sure to vectorize your icons first. Not everyone has this plugin installed, so therefore your icon may not appear if it remains as a font. The second link is a repository for fonts to make Icon Font work.
Clipboard fill
If you’re struggling with background images, my tip for you is to try Clipboard. It’s easy to quickly put visuals that are adjusted just right.
Managing my colors
Stark
This plugin is very important for making inclusive design and particularly ensuring accessibility. Us designers love to have the latest Macbook, have beautiful screens and make shades of gray. Do you see what I’m talking about? Notions of basic contrast. This plugin is perfect for choosing the best colors.
Chromatic Sketch
A palette generator that starts with you defining two colors, and then it starts creating my different shades for my primary and secondary colors for a total of 9 colors to match. I always use this when experimenting and creating my palettes.
Prism
As you know, presenting our work occupies 15–20% of our time. Prism does this for your colors, with a selection of automated color pallet templates. Gotta love it !
Correcting bad habits
Cleanup Useless Groups
Bad habits are hard to lose. To relocate elements or other modifications, I tend to create and recreate groups. Now to clean up my document, all I have to do is click on the plug in, and it’ll do it for me automatically.
Plugins linking to other tools
Zeplin, Craft, Realtime Board
To synchronize my work like everyone else, Zeplin and Invision are an integral parts of my workflow. They allow me to transfer my designs to developers and clients while providing a open space for exchanges. Realtime board is a good solution for centralize communication. I have a slight preference for Zeplin because of its popularity with developers with whom I then can work, faster and easier to find solutions.
Abstract
“One place to version, manage, and collaborate on your Sketch files.”
Abstract is the solution to Sketch file management that I have been looking for for a long time. A git for designers, what more can you ask for? There is an adjustment period to understand the mechanisms — especially when working with several designers. But it’s worth hanging on to!
Principle
Despite all the prototyping tools that coming out every day, Principle is my favorite. I find it simple, easy to understand and full of possibilities for new interaction. It allows you to push the level of your prototyping further than the simple click-through model.
Fun Side
Looper
Produced by Sures Kumar
If you follow me on Dribbble, you know that I love to make shapes without waiting for anything: I test, adjust and repeat. Looper responds perfectly to my needs. The geometrical possibilities are endless — have fun! I love the work of Sures Kumar, I recommend you to follow him. His work is a big inspiration and my motivation.
It is never said enough: it’s not the tool that makes the designer. With all the tools on the market, we don’t know where to turn. I’m convinced that it is in our thinking and our ability to explain our work and our methods as designers that will make people more able to understand the way we work. Involvement and understanding what design really is to produce wireframes, artboards or prototypes will always lead to a solutions and you will find.
So why would an article on Sketch be the solution to your problems? Because for me, Sketch is the tool that meets my needs and standards, and that has changed the way I work. I love to search for new plugins and find the “best practices“ to share.
I’m currently testing other plugins like “anima” and more, but waiting to see if it’s really useful for me before writing about them .
But what about you? What other plugins you are using? Or perhaps entirely other solutions, like Figma?
Thanks to my partners of crime, Nathalie and Peter.
