The Ridiculously Simple Guide to Sketch App: The Absolute Beginners Guide to Designing Websites and Apps with Sketch App

By Scott La Counte

UI and UX for the non-designer!

Three years ago, I was in a predicament.

I was in a Startup Accelerator (which is a business program for startups, which usually ends with you pitching your idea to investors), and pivoted very early in the program. Problem was, I was neither a coder nor designer. I was

• Language: English
• Publisher: SL Editions
• Release date: Jul 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781629179261

Book preview

Introduction

I Got An Idea...

Three years ago, I was in a predicament.

I was in a Startup Accelerator (which is a business program for startups, which usually ends with you pitching your idea to investors), and pivoted very early in the program. Problem was, I was neither a coder nor designer. I was just a guy with an idea for a business.

The idea of sitting in front of an investor—many whom likely wouldn’t be the most tech-savvy people—and trying to explain the idea was daunting.

In writing, there’s an old phrase: show, don’t tell. But how do you show something when you have literally hours before meeting with someone who could potentially give you the funds you need to succeed?

In a word: Sketch!

Sketch gave me the ability to quickly mockup my idea so that when I met with investors and advisors, I wasn’t telling—I was showing them. And they were impressed. It clicked with them more than words could. Many believed that what they were seeing was already done and working.

So What is Sketch?

Adobe used to be king. Anyone who wanted to work in UX or UI had to be well-versed in tools like Photoshop and Illustrator.

This changed in 2010 when a small company named Bohemian Coding released Sketch App. The native Mac OS app (yes, unfortunately, you must use a Mac to run the software), became a favorite for designers. Unlike Photoshop, which, as the name implies, was originally developed for photos, Sketch App was built with web and mobile development in mind.

Also, unlike Adobe software, which charges monthly fees to use the software, Sketch charges a flat fee for using the software: $99. Unfortunately, this is