Will Atomic revolutionize your workflow?

Ben Moss.
September 17, 2015
Will Atomic revolutionize your workflow?.
Atomic is a new breed of design app, that bridges the gaps left by traditional artwork applications like Sketch, or Photoshop. It launched yesterday, after four months of public beta testing, during which time over 30,000 designers put it through its paces. As web designers, our role is to design interactive experiences, so it’s crazy that our tools focus on creating fixed states, and leave interaction and animation to the imagination. Atomic attempts to refine your workflow; from one that’s dictated by the machanics of production artwork, to one that’s governed by creative processes. Instead of drawing a picture of how a design might look, Atomic previews how a design will behave. Atomic enables a more effective process, making it more collaborative, more iterative, and more focused on user experience. As the lines between web and native apps blur, tools like Atomic will help designers communicate a creative vision far more effectively than a flow chart mocked up in Sketch. Atomic allows you to design without code. Whilst that’s a contentious point, Atomic isn’t exporting production code, so provided the designer understands the capabilities of the medium there are no negative ramifications. [pullquote]Atomic enables designers to get more creative, and effectively communicate their ideas[/pullquote] For those old enough to recall, Atomic works much like Flash 4, when interactions could be applied with a control panel. It runs in the browser, with no plugin to install, allowing you to share your work by sending out a simple URL that can be opened on any device. Anyone can be invited to collaborate, or comment on a design. A full history is included so you can experiment without fear, and you can even fork designs to move in a new direction. Atomic is one of the first wave of new tools that enable designers to work with experiences, rather than static layouts. It isn’t for production artwork, it’s for the rapid iteration of ideas. Atomic enables designers to get more creative, and effectively communicate their ideas to clients and teams. Currently free to trial for 30 days, Atomic usually costs between $15 and $35 per month.

Ben Moss

Ben Moss has designed and coded work for award-winning startups, and global names including IBM, UBS, and the FBI. When he’s not in front of a screen he’s probably out trail-running.

Read Next

10+ Best Resources & Tools for Web Designers (2024 update)

Is searching for the best web design tools to suit your needs akin to having a recurring bad dream? Does each…

3 Essential Design Trends, April 2024

Ready to jump into some amazing new design ideas for Spring? Our roundup has everything from UX to color trends…

How to Plan Your First Successful Website

Planning a new website can be exciting and — if you’re anything like me — a little daunting. Whether you’re an…

15 Best New Fonts, March 2024

Welcome to March’s edition of our roundup of the best new fonts for designers. This month’s compilation includes…

LimeWire Developer APIs Herald a New Era of AI Integration

Generative AI is a fascinating technology. Far from the design killer some people feared, it is an empowering and…

20 Best New Websites, March 2024

Welcome to our pick of sites for March. This month’s collection tends towards the simple and clean, which goes to show…

Exciting New Tools for Designers, March 2024

The fast-paced world of design never stops turning, and staying ahead of the curve is essential for creatives. As…

Web Tech Trends to Watch in 2024 and Beyond

It hardly seems possible given the radical transformations we’ve seen over the last few decades, but the web design…

6 Best AI Productivity Apps in 2024

There’s no escaping it: if you want to be successful, you need to be productive. The more you work, the more you…

3 Essential Design Trends, February 2024

From atypical typefaces to neutral colors to unusual user patterns, there are plenty of new website design trends to…

Surviving the Leap from College to Real-World Design

So, you’ve finished college and are ready to showcase your design skills to the world. This is a pivotal moment that…

20 Mind-Bending Illusions That Will Make You Question Reality

Mind-bending videos. Divisive Images. Eye-straining visuals. This list of optical illusions has it all. Join us as we…