Balsamiq vs InVision

2020. InVision refreshes its Design System Manager



InVision, the design service, is introducing an innovative Design System Manager that provides teams with enhanced flexibility and control over the creation and maintenance of their design system. The updated features include the capability to import reusable design elements in bulk and directly upload native Sketch libraries to the InVision DSM. This empowers design system owners to effortlessly create and manage their libraries in Sketch and seamlessly transition them to InVision. Additionally, the new DSM enables one-click updates for all libraries during a company's rebranding process, eliminating the need to individually delete and replace each design asset. Instead, the entire design system can be updated simultaneously.


2019. InVision acquired design file versioning startup Trunk



Online design software provider InVision has completed the acquisition of Trunk, an Australia-based company exclusively dedicated to file versioning for designers. While GitHub has revolutionized version control for developers, allowing them to track changes, experiment with separate branches, and collaborate seamlessly by merging branches, designers have not been granted the same level of convenience. Typically, designers find themselves spending a significant amount of time searching through lengthy email chains in pursuit of the latest attachment version. The Trunk team will now concentrate their efforts on Studio, InVision's design tool, which was introduced approximately a year ago. With the launch of Studio, InVision showcased its ambition to transcend being a mere collaboration tool and aspire to become the design world's equivalent of Salesforce.


2018. Prototyping tool InVision is valued at $1.9 billion



InVision, the design startup aspiring to become the Salesforce of the design industry, has officially reached unicorn status by successfully closing a $115 million Series F funding round. This latest investment brings the company's total funding to $350 million and values InVision at $1.9 billion. InVision initially emerged in 2011 as a straightforward prototyping tool, allowing designers to create interactive experiences without requiring direct involvement from the engineering team. These prototypes could then be shared with various teams, including engineering, product, marketing, and executives, for collaboration and approval. Over the years, InVision has expanded its scope to cover the entire design process, offering a comprehensive collaboration suite called InVision Cloud, enabling the involvement of every team member in the design process. Additionally, they introduced Studio, a design platform aimed at competing with industry giants like Adobe and Sketch. InVision also developed the InVision Design System Manager, a centralized solution for design teams to manage their assets and implement best practices effectively from a single location.


2018. InVision deepens integrations with Atlassian



InVision has enhanced its integration with Atlassian products including Confluence, Trello, and Jira, enabling users to conveniently view and share InVision prototypes directly from within these applications. This integration acknowledges the collaborative nature of design and development teams that frequently utilize both InVision and Atlassian products. With this expanded integration, designers now have the ability to share their InVision Studio designs and prototypes seamlessly within Jira, Trello, and Confluence. InVision Studio, introduced in the previous year, presents designers with a compelling alternative to Sketch and Adobe.


2018. Balsamiq Mockups improves navigation, offline access



The prototyping tool Balsamiq Mockups has introduced a range of new features that enhance navigation, editing, and exporting capabilities with Moqups. Notably, there are two significant changes to Pages: Pinned Pages and Page Thumbnails. Pinned pages enable users to prioritize their most frequently accessed pages by pinning them to the top of the Pages Panel. Furthermore, the export function now has its dedicated button and introduces a valuable new option: the ability to export an offline version of the Viewer. With the Export to HTML feature, users can download a fully interactive prototype that can be viewed without an internet connection, making it suitable for environments with more restricted access, such as behind-the-firewall intranet servers. Additionally, Balsamiq Mockups incorporates several other improvements, including smarter forms, color replacement on pages, enhanced SVG support, image cropping, and a blur filter. These updates collectively enhance the user experience and expand the tool's capabilities.


2018. Design tool InVision gets an app store



InVision, the platform aspiring to serve as the operating system for designers, has introduced an app store and asset store within InVision Studio. This means that users of InVision Studio can now conveniently access their frequently used apps and services directly from within the design tool. Additionally, these users will have the ability to explore and acquire icons, UX/UI components, typefaces, and other resources within Studio itself. Although Studio is still in its early stages, InVision has established a strong lineup of initial app store partners, including Google, Salesforce, Slack, Getty, Atlassian, and more.


2018. InVision acquired design visibility tool Wake



Online design platform InVision has recently acquired Wake, a design tool specifically focused on enhancing design visibility within organizations. Wake enables companies to share design assets and monitor the progress of ongoing design projects, such as screen development, logo creation, and other design elements. Notably, design team leaders and company executives can provide feedback and prioritize specific design initiatives through upvoting. Wake's seamless sharing capability sets it apart from InVision, where designers need to take additional steps to upload their prototypes. While Wake will maintain its independent operations under the InVision umbrella, certain tools will be integrated into the core InVision product. Additionally, as part of the acquisition, Wake will introduce a free tier for its services.


2017. Prototyping tool InVision gets $100 million



InVision, the collaborative design tool, has revealed the successful completion of a Series E funding round, securing an impressive $100 million. The company recently introduced InVision Studio, a comprehensive platform aimed at competing with Photoshop and Sketch. This powerful tool equips designers with everything they require not only for effective collaboration with their peers but also for crafting original designs. In addition to this milestone, InVision has also acquired Brand.ai, a cloud-based asset management solution that facilitates the efficient organization of design teams at a large scale. Remarkably, InVision has experienced significant success over the past six years, with more than 70 percent of its user base consisting of individuals who are not directly involved in the design team.


2017. InVision takes on Photoshop with new Studio



InVision, the company renowned for its collaborative prototyping tool, has stepped into the realm of full-stack design with the introduction of its own competitor to Adobe Photoshop - Studio. This design tool directly competes with industry giants like Adobe Photoshop and Sketch, empowering designers to create and edit their work seamlessly before effortlessly transferring it to the InVision cloud for collaborative efforts. Studio has been purposefully crafted with the contemporary designer's workflow in mind. Notably, the sophisticated animations synonymous with InVision are now accessible within Studio at the design level, enabling designers to breathe life into static screens without requiring coding skills. Moreover, the tool boasts a responsive design feature, allowing designers to effortlessly preview their screens across various screen sizes without the need for manual recreation tailored to each individual device that customers may utilize.


2016. Collaborative prototyping tool InVision raises $55M



Collaborative prototyping and design tool InVision has successfully raised a Series D funding round of $55 million. While InVision does not have specific plans for the newly acquired funding, they intend to strategically pursue acquisitions as appropriate. Over the past year, the company has already acquired five smaller design tools, primarily through acquihires. With over two million registered users, InVision has gained significant traction, with 70 percent of the Fortune 100 utilizing their platform. Notable technology giants such as Facebook, Apple, and Disney are among their prominent clients. While design teams are typically the initial adopters of InVision, the tool often gains traction across the entire organization, attracting users who are not directly involved in the design process. For instance, individuals like a company's CFO might leverage the tool to provide feedback on specific payment flows, previously exclusively handled by developers.