Version control is a digital asset management system that allows different team members to organize files over time, track changes, and work on the same files without interrupting others’ work progress. It also enables team members to revert changes and go back to earlier versions of a file. (Onejohi, 2020). As a graphic designer, saving different versions of the same file in my local drive as work progresses, and sharing final versions with coworkers and collaborators, has been my version control practice throughout my career.
This week we have been introduced to GitHub, a version control system (VCS) and cloud service that helps developers manage their code (Hello World – GitHub Guides, 2020). After reading a few articles and comments from other students and trying to use the tool, I can summarize some benefits, challenges, and solutions from the designer perspective:
Benefits:
The increasing collaboration between designers and developers continually evolves; therefore, professionals must adopt new ways to enhance these communications and positively impact their partnership. (Nousis, 2017)
- Version control is a valuable skill to learn, especially for designers who aspire collaborate with developer teams
- Version control facilitates cross-team collaboration between designers and developers
- Track changes throughout the development process
- Easy access to early versions of the same file
Challenges:
Often, VCS have user interfaces that can be confusing for designers as well as limitations for file sharing/storage (Gehman, 2017)
- Many graphic designers may find the process of learning how to use GitHub challenging, mainly because of the coding component – glad I’m not alone in this boat –
- At a glance, unfriendly UI
- Because design files are usually heavier, the designer who decides to use GitHub would have to rely on other apps to manage their files
Solutions:
There are several market options for graphic designer-friendly VCS, and whether it is an app or a plugin, allow designers to incorporate version control into their practice. Here, a few examples of alternative version control systems:
- From Abstract website: ‘True version control for design teams.’ Allows teams with different components to communicate and build assets, share progress, request approvals, etc. Move projects from design to development faster and more efficiently. https://www.abstract.com/designer-developer-handoff
- From PICS.IO website: A visually appealing app that allows personalizing the account look to match your company’s visual branding. ‘Allows to monitor the team’s performance, asset security, integrate with designers tools and track changes on digital files.’ https://pics.io/version-control
- From Git Sketch website: ‘A Git client built right into Sketch. The plugin improves the review process by exporting an image for every part of the design. Every team member can quickly see what the next iteration will change through Github’s interface.’ https://mathieudutour.github.io/git-sketch-plugin/
From my perspective, it is very important to keep an open mind to learn new skills that will provide a return of investment once I integrate into the real-life job market. I understand that learning and mastering these types of software won’t occur in one day. Still, given my goals of becoming a desirable asset for app development companies, I need to acquire more skills. Considering the different options in the market for version control, I think introducing other ‘more friendly’ version control systems is a good starting point for building up my skills and growing in my professional development.
Banner image by Astrid Arismendi, 2021. Created for decorative/informative purposes.
References
Gehman, Chuck. 2017. ‘What’s the Best Control for Designers’ Perforce. Available at: https://www.perforce.com/blog/vcs/version-control-for-designers [accessed 11/8/2020]
GitHub Guides. 2020. ‘Hello World – What is Git Hub’ Available at: https://guides.github.com/activities/hello-world/ [accessed 11/8/2020]
Nousis, Ioannis. 2017. ‘Designers who Git. It’s worth it!’ Medium.com. Available at: https://uiux.blog/designers-who-git-its-worth-it-2cf85877a70b [accessed 11/6/2020]
Onejoh. 2020. ‘What is version control?’ Medium.com. Available at: https://medium.com/@onejohi/what-is-version-control-94ef1b6defcf [accessed 11/7/2020]
Green, Tim. 2017. ‘5 Great Version Control Software for Graphic Designers’ Somewhat Creative. https://www.somewhatcreative.net/design/5-great-version-control-software-for-graphic-designers/ [accessed 11/8/2020]
Supernova. 2020. ‘What is Design Version Control and Why does it matter?’ Medium.com. Design+Sketch. Available at: https://medium.com/sketch-app-sources/what-is-design-version-control-and-why-does-it-matter-6cc96fb502da [accessed 11/8/2020]
Astrid Arismendi Diaz 