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Abstract

Abstract

Overview

What is Abstract?

Abstract, from the company of the same name headquartered in San Francisco, offers a collaboration tool for developers and others, featuring a version controlled master file set and approval workflow.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Abstract is a powerful tool that has effectively implemented version control, making it a key functionality for collaborative design …
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Don't use Abstract

3 out of 10
December 20, 2023
Incentivized
We use Abstract to keep the design team working without problems in our organization, leveraging branches in different projects and files. …
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Popular Features

View all 17 features
  • Versioning (5)
    8.0
    80%
  • Notifications (5)
    7.0
    70%
  • Discussions (5)
    7.0
    70%
  • Access control (5)
    6.0
    60%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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N/A
Unavailable

What is Abstract?

Abstract, from the company of the same name headquartered in San Francisco, offers a collaboration tool for developers and others, featuring a version controlled master file set and approval workflow.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Alternatives Pricing

What is Zeplin?

Zeplin, from the company of the same name, is a platform supporting collaboration in application development by engineers and designers by providing an API with popular collaboration, development and prototyping tools and creating a space where productions can be shared and reviewed.

What is monday.com?

monday.com Work OS is an open platform designed so that anyone can create the tools they need to run all aspects of their work. It includes ready-made templates or the ability to customize any work solution ranging from sales pipelines to marketing campaigns, CRMs, and project tracking.

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Features

Project Management

Project management software provides capabilities to streamline management of complex projects through task management, team collaboration and workflow automation

3.4
Avg 7.8

Communication

Features that allow team members to communicate about collaborative projects and keep each other informed of their opinions and progress.

7.1
Avg 8.0

File Sharing & Management

Features that allow collaborators to view, work on, and organize files.

7.2
Avg 8.1
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Product Details

What is Abstract?

Abstract Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Abstract, from the company of the same name headquartered in San Francisco, offers a collaboration tool for developers and others, featuring a version controlled master file set and approval workflow.

Reviewers rate Device sync highest, with a score of 9.1.

The most common users of Abstract are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(20)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Abstract is a powerful tool that has effectively implemented version control, making it a key functionality for collaborative design projects. Users appreciate the ease of learning and using Abstract, although the higher price point may not be affordable for everyone.

The software facilitates collaboration within the team, allowing for easy sharing and modification of master/template files. With Abstract, multiple designers can work on the same project in real-time, improving productivity and iteration. It serves as a collective repository for design software source files like XD and Sketch, providing essential features for a design team's workflow, including sketch file versioning and remote collaboration.

Abstract helps in keeping design files organized and streamlining workflows between design teams. By enabling real-time collaboration and allowing designers to see each other's work, it brings accountability and transparency within the design team. The software also simplifies the process of sharing and versioning Sketch files among larger teams.

Compared to Github for designers, Abstract provides a reliable solution for finding and managing the latest versions of design files. Its ability to checkout and merge files with the work of other designers makes it a powerful tool. Abstract also enables easy feedback through features like the marque tool for selecting and commenting on specific parts of the design.

Additionally, Abstract is particularly useful for teams working in different time zones as it allows them to work together and roll back to old versions. It facilitates design collaboration, design/engineering handoff, and management of sketch pattern libraries. The software helps maintain version management of design files and allows teams to work on the same files in parallel.

Overall, Abstract solves the challenges of version control and collaboration in design teams by providing an intuitive platform that replaces other tools while saving costs.

Intuitive Interface: Users appreciate the intuitiveness of Abstract's interface, which simplifies tasks and makes them easy to accomplish. Multiple reviewers have highlighted this feature, making it a common sentiment among users.

Enhanced Collaboration: The ability to work on the same set of files in parallel with other designers is highly valued by users. This functionality enhances collaboration and allows for exploring different concepts without interfering with the master files. Several users have expressed their appreciation for this feature.

GitHub-Like Interface: Users who are familiar with GitHub or version control find Abstract's interface intuitive and easy to navigate. They appreciate the software's ability to maintain multiple versions of a project and request reviews before merging changes. Several reviewers have made comparisons between Abstract and GitHub in terms of its version control features, further highlighting their positive experience with Abstract's interface.

Complicated Branch Creation: Many users have expressed frustration with the branch creation feature in Abstract, stating that it is overly complex and makes it difficult to create branches for new projects. Some reviewers found the process confusing and time-consuming.

Issues with Manual Branch Merging: Several reviewers have encountered problems when manually merging branches in Abstract, resulting in various issues such as code conflicts and data loss. These issues have caused inconvenience and delays for users.

Technical Discoverability of Features: Some users, particularly those with less experience in branching, have found it challenging to navigate and discover certain features in Abstract due to their technical nature. They mentioned that the interface could be more intuitive and user-friendly for better usability.

Users recommend implementing processes for team members to follow when using Abstract to avoid chaos. They also suggest keeping an eye out for new releases from Abstract as it is still considered relatively new in the field. Additionally, users recommend Abstract for teams with multiple designers and for working with remote designers. They suggest watching YouTube videos to learn how to use Abstract effectively. Users believe that Abstract simplifies the way you work with your design team and keeps files well organized. Lastly, if you know GitHub, you will love Abstract.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-5 of 5)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
December 20, 2023

Don't use Abstract

Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Abstract to keep the design team working without problems in our organization, leveraging branches in different projects and files. We upload all the final deliverables there and create collections to show to stakeholders and to provide the handoff to developers.
  • branching
  • nothing else
  • collection management
  • collection sectioning and tags
  • software update
In my opinion, branching is really the only great thing about Abstract. but the software hasn't been updated in quite a while (2/3 years), I think all they do is bug fixing and handle performance issues. I believe the management of collections is extremely poor.
Project Management (7)
34.285714285714285%
3.4
Task Management
30%
3.0
Gantt Charts
30%
3.0
Scheduling
30%
3.0
Workflow Automation
60%
6.0
Mobile Access
50%
5.0
Search
10%
1.0
Visual planning tools
30%
3.0
Communication (3)
60%
6.0
Notifications
70%
7.0
Discussions
70%
7.0
Surveys
40%
4.0
File Sharing & Management (3)
66.66666666666667%
6.7
Versioning
80%
8.0
Document collaboration
60%
6.0
Access control
60%
6.0
  • negative impact
i haven't selected Abstract, it was imposed top-down. I much love Zeplin and all its amazing features.
35
UX/UI designers
3
i have no idea since all people do is create branches and collections
  • handoff
  • designer to developers collaboration
  • stakeholder presentation
  • none
  • sort and tag collections
  • flows and processes
as already explained this software only does branching... the rest is really poor and basic
Score 2 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
The Design, Product, and Engineering teams use Abstract as a point of design collaboration and design/engineering handoff. In addition, the Product Design team uses Abstract to facilitate a feature branch workflow—allowing team members to work on granular elements of larger projects—for Sketch files, design reviews, and management of Sketch pattern libraries. All communications within Abstract create a captured timeline of interactions that are useful for managers to see how projects progress through the design lifecycle.
  • Feature branch workflow
  • Design/engineering handoff
  • Design reviews
  • Pattern library management
  • Source of truth for UI design artifacts
  • People and permission management.
  • Sharing particular states (presentation, inspection, etc.).
  • New projects from templates.
  • Pattern library migration (new users).
  • Large teams with dedicated design operations support
  • UX managers that want a facilitated workflow for their teams
  • Disciplined teams of individual contributors that want to adopt a process in their UI workflow
  • Cross-discipline teams that want a central collaboration space for reviewing and critiquing UI artifacts
  • If your files are named "FOR-REALS_FINAL_FINAL_FINAL_Super-Important-Project (copy).sketch"
  • If you're managing multiple pattern libraries
Project Management (2)
80%
8.0
Mobile Access
70%
7.0
Search
90%
9.0
Communication (2)
85%
8.5
Notifications
90%
9.0
Discussions
80%
8.0
File Sharing & Management (3)
76.66666666666667%
7.7
Versioning
100%
10.0
Access control
60%
6.0
Advanced security features
70%
7.0
  • Abstract allows the design team to focus on specific roadmap features
  • Abstract allows individual contributors to explore without impeding production work.
  • Abstract allows visibility into cross-departmental work.
Abstract has a difficult learning curve. If a feature-branch workflow is new to you, then it will take some getting used to. They make a lot of updates to the interface and these feature releases get ahead of their documentation. They rely heavily on an excellent customer support team and are present on various Slack channels to help design professionals with issues.
The support team is great and will be your primary method for interacting with Abstract after onboarding. The onboarding team is even better and provides custom consultation to get you and your team going. The only issues I've had with support are complicated corner cases, but they have either resolved the issue or provided a workaround in every case.
Christopher Fritz | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
A great tool for our design department who use Abstract together with Sketch and Adobe. It is a great tool for collaboration and integration with the different design tools used. It's especially great as we have designers working across the pond who need to work together as a team from different time zones. It gives a good option to work in files and document the process together, with the option of rolling back to old versions.
  • Versioning for desginers
  • Collaboration between team members
  • Integrations only work on Mac.
  • You need to use a seat as admin, even though we're not daily users.
Our design department is indeed very happy with Abstract to solve their issues with regard to versioning and collaboration, etc. The admin side of the program is not that great. It's easy and simple, however, it would be nice to limit access more easily and maybe even link Abstract with our directory. The flexibility for accessing the work designers do can't be beaten!
Project Management (3)
76.66666666666667%
7.7
Workflow Automation
80%
8.0
Mobile Access
70%
7.0
Search
80%
8.0
Communication (4)
90%
9.0
Chat
100%
10.0
Notifications
100%
10.0
Discussions
80%
8.0
Internal knowledgebase
80%
8.0
File Sharing & Management (5)
78%
7.8
Versioning
100%
10.0
Document collaboration
100%
10.0
Access control
50%
5.0
Advanced security features
40%
4.0
Device sync
100%
10.0
  • Collaboration between offices has been made easier and saves time
  • Easy to get back to a different version.
I purchased and administer Abstract. It was requested by our design department who evaluated it.
Customer support seems to be fast at responding. We haven't had issues yet at least.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Abstract helps us maintain version management of the design files. It is especially useful for teams to work on the same files in parallel. The idea of using Git to keep your design resources up to date and working is brought to life by Abstract. It is one of the best tools for a designer to maintain and rollback to various versions of their design and nothing is ever lost.
  • Branch management for design files.
  • Good collaborative features like comments and sharing.
  • Asset exports are not as great as Zeplin and others.
  • Filtering within files.
Abstract is very useful for decently sized design teams, but might not be as useful for single designers. It is also only to be used within the design team for work management and sharing with anyone outside the design team is not advised. I personally find it useful to maintain archives of work in the cloud that I can access from anywhere. It also helps maintain a hygienic work structure.
Project Management (2)
75%
7.5
Mobile Access
70%
7.0
Search
80%
8.0
Communication (4)
67.5%
6.8
Chat
100%
10.0
Notifications
100%
10.0
Discussions
70%
7.0
Internal knowledgebase
N/A
N/A
File Sharing & Management (6)
66.66666666666667%
6.7
Versioning
100%
10.0
Document collaboration
100%
10.0
Access control
100%
10.0
Advanced security features
N/A
N/A
Integrates with Google Drive
N/A
N/A
Device sync
100%
10.0
  • Single source of truth for the team.
  • Could quickly get expensive with corporate accounts.
There are very few tools that compete with Abstract right now. I would say none of them are even close to this yet.
Good training tutorials. Responsive customer service if you are a corporate account holder.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Our product team uses Abstract in conjunction with Sketch for collaboration, file management, and versioning. It's imperative for us. Our team has three user experience designers and six user interface designers. So while we have a long to-do list, we are always working in groups on a single feature set from wireframing all the way to final designs for IT handoff.
  • Due to that, Abstract allows for robust versioning and file management without losing work. Before finding Abstract a few years ago, my team at the time had to carefully plan what features would be worked on and by who. Then make sure we don't have the same files open via Google Drive and clearly explain what artboards were changed and need to be addressed. It was a nightmare.
  • Abstract scans each of the Sketch files and looks for differences combine work and allows all of us to be working in one file at once.
  • Allows for collaboration within Sketch.
  • Allows for approval of work by team leads.
  • Frequent bugs between Abstract and Sketch.
  • Takes a lot of processing power and battery.
Abstract, to me, is a necessary addition to a large team using Sketch. Without it, file management and sharing designs updates are impossible. However, if you have a small team, it's not worth the money. For us, a team of 9, it's a lifesaver. Even more so, because we are not all co-located, and ability to share a link to a specific file/artboard is a needed workaround from pointing at someone's screen.
Project Management (1)
70%
7.0
Workflow Automation
70%
7.0
Communication (3)
80%
8.0
Notifications
80%
8.0
Discussions
90%
9.0
Internal knowledgebase
70%
7.0
File Sharing & Management (5)
62%
6.2
Versioning
100%
10.0
Document collaboration
50%
5.0
Access control
90%
9.0
Advanced security features
N/A
N/A
Device sync
70%
7.0
  • Saves time on file management
  • Keeps old, archived work
Cloud services help hold files that everyone can access. Absrtact is not that, this is unparalleled for Sketch users; this allows for multiple users to be in the same file and help guide them through conflicts if there are even any of them. Abstract is the only one here solving this issue. However, if you use something like Figma or Adobe XD, it has this same collaboration built-in.
Abstract by nature is complex and has to respond to whatever changes in Sketch. So there are frequent issues. Support can be slow to respond and are not always helpful, but they are quick to find and patch the bugs. Overall, it's not the best support, but it hasn't been detrimental.
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