A successful Sketch collaborative model

Geoffroy Delobel
Central
Published in
3 min readSep 7, 2016

Update: Since this article was originally published, Abstract has been released and we have fully integrated it into our collaborative design workflow. Abstract solves many issues you face when working with Sketch as a team and I strongly recommend using it. But if your company policy prevents you from using it, please read on.

I dream of the day when we will synchronously collaborate in Sketch files like we do in Google Docs or Dropbox Paper.

Maybe this isn’t too far away, but in the meantime our design team has often run into issues while working collaboratively on Sketch projects. The problem is that everyone works in different files which makes it difficult to sync changes and to know which file is the most recent updated version.

During a recent sprint for a client at Central, we tested a new method inspired from Git’s branching models to manage our Sketch files. It’s not perfect but it made things much easier and understandable for everyone. It’s based on a mix of file-naming and organization rules and is quite straightforward to implement.

Start from a master file

There is only one master file for each core element of your project (e.g. Home.master.sketch, Account.master.sketch, etc).

The master file will always be your current up-dated version.

Create branches

Everyone who needs to work on something creates a branch file and signs it with his or her initials. The first step is duplicating the master file, or duplicating an existing branch.

The file is named corename.branchname.initials&version.sketch, for example: Home.New search box.GD01.sketch.

Start by duplicating the master file to work on a new feature.
Anyone working on other features can create new branches too. You can create version branches as you move forward.

Merging your changes

When you’re done, duplicate the master file and call it Home.MASTER.MERGING.yourinitials.sketch so everyone knows you’re merging your changes and that they should not touch to the master file! You can even appoint a team member to be the only one who can merge changes to the master file.

Create a temporary merging file to import your branch. People will notice someone is merging and won’t merge their changes at the same time. Also, if something goes wrong during the merge, you can simply trash the merging file and start over.

Manually import your changes into your merging file (yep, that’s not the fun part ;-). When that’s done, archive the original master file and rename your merging file as the new master (home.MASTER.sketch).

Then, move your branch files into a “Merged branches” sub-folder to keep your folder clean.

Home.MASTER.sketch now contains the latest version with all your changes.

With this simple method:

  • People no longer work in the same files at the same time.
  • You always know which file is the latest stable version and your working folder gives you an overview of ongoing branches and merges.
  • It’s easier to sync with tools like InVision! Just import the master and voilà!
  • Your changes are safely isolated until you merge them and you can merge changes later in the process.
  • You can easily keep a history of changes (and have backups) by archiving your master files.

We are curious to know how you collaborate in Sketch files. It’d be great if you could share your experience in the comments section below.

Do you find this way of managing Sketch files useful? If so, feel free to recommend or share this article.

Previous article from our blog: Talking with Nádia Ferreira: UX team of one at Take Eat Easy.

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Published in Central

We are Central. A close-knit and experienced team that helps companies design their websites, apps, and online products or services better and faster than they thought possible. http://central.team

Written by Geoffroy Delobel

Founder of Central and digital product designer. Making things you use easier to use.

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