Creating interactive prototypes is a vital part of the design process, enabling designers and developers to visualize, test, and refine ideas before committing to full-scale development. InVision, a leading prototyping tool, offers an array of features that make it easier to bring your digital product concepts to life. By allowing you to create high-fidelity, interactive prototypes, InVision helps bridge the gap between initial design ideas and final development, ensuring that your projects stay on track and meet user expectations. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of using InVision to build interactive prototypes, from setting up your workspace to collaborating with your team and gathering feedback.
Getting Started with InVision
Setting Up Your InVision Account
Before you can dive into building prototypes, you need to set up your InVision account. Signing up for an account is a straightforward process that starts with visiting the InVision website. You can choose between a free plan, which is ideal for small projects or teams, and various paid plans that offer more robust features for larger projects. After entering your basic information, such as your email and password, you’ll gain access to the InVision dashboard. This is where you’ll manage all your projects, access tools, and collaborate with your team.
The InVision dashboard is user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy to get started even if you’re new to the platform. From here, you can create new projects, organize your design files, and invite team members to collaborate. Familiarizing yourself with the dashboard’s layout and features will help streamline your workflow and ensure that you can quickly access the tools and resources you need as you begin building your prototypes.
Uploading and Organizing Your Design Files
Once your account is set up, the next step is to upload your design files into InVision. Whether you’re working with files created in Sketch, Photoshop, Adobe XD, or another design tool, InVision supports a wide range of formats, making it easy to import your work. Start by creating a new project within the dashboard, then drag and drop your design files into the upload area or select them from your computer manually.
After uploading your design files, InVision will automatically generate artboards that represent the various screens of your app or website. These artboards serve as the foundation of your interactive prototype. It’s important to organize these artboards logically, arranging them in the order that reflects the intended user flow. This organization not only helps you during the prototyping process but also makes it easier for team members and stakeholders to understand the structure of your design.
Building Your Interactive Prototype
Creating Hotspots and Linking Screens
With your design files uploaded and organized, you can start building your interactive prototype by creating hotspots and linking screens. Hotspots are clickable areas that simulate user interactions, such as tapping a button to navigate to a different screen. These hotspots are crucial for creating a realistic prototype that mimics the behavior of the final product, allowing users to experience the flow and functionality of the app.
To create hotspots, switch to InVision’s “Build Mode,” where you can easily click and drag to place hotspots on your artboards. Once a hotspot is created, link it to the appropriate target screen within your project. InVision also allows you to customize the transitions between screens, offering options like fades, slides, and pushes. These transitions help create a smooth and engaging user experience, making your prototype feel more polished and responsive.

Adding Interactions and Animations
Beyond basic screen linking, InVision enables you to add more advanced interactions and animations to your prototype, bringing your design to life. These features allow you to simulate complex user behaviors, such as scrolling effects, hover states, and animated transitions between screens. By incorporating these elements, you can create a prototype that more closely resembles the final product, providing a more accurate testing and feedback experience.
To add interactions and animations, utilize InVision’s “Motion” feature, which lets you define keyframes and transitions for various elements. For example, you can animate a button to expand when clicked or create a sliding menu that appears when a user swipes. These animations can be triggered by specific user actions, making your prototype more interactive and engaging. As you refine these interactions, it’s important to test them thoroughly to ensure they enhance the user experience without introducing unnecessary complexity.
Collaborating and Iterating on Your Prototype
Sharing Your Prototype for Feedback
Once your interactive prototype is built, the next step is to share it with stakeholders for feedback. InVision makes this process simple by allowing you to generate shareable links that can be sent to anyone involved in the project. Stakeholders can interact with the prototype directly in their browser, providing them with a hands-on experience that static mockups can’t offer. This interactive approach helps gather more actionable feedback and ensures that all team members are aligned on the design direction.
When sharing your prototype, you can control the level of access and interaction stakeholders have. InVision allows you to set permissions, such as whether viewers can leave comments or see specific versions of the prototype. Providing clear instructions and context along with the shared prototype is essential. This ensures that stakeholders understand what you are seeking feedback on and how they should navigate the prototype.
Gathering and Implementing Feedback
Feedback is a critical part of the prototyping process, and InVision’s built-in tools make it easy to collect and act on this input. Stakeholders can leave comments directly on the prototype, tagging specific elements or screens where they have suggestions or concerns. These comments are then collected in InVision’s interface, where you can review, respond to, and resolve them, ensuring that all feedback is addressed systematically.
After gathering feedback, you’ll need to implement the necessary changes to your prototype. This might involve redesigning certain elements, adjusting interactions, or refining user flows based on the feedback you received. InVision’s version control features are particularly useful during this stage, as they allow you to track changes, revert to previous versions if needed, and ensure that all updates are thoroughly tested before finalizing the prototype. By iterating on your prototype based on stakeholder feedback, you can significantly improve the final product and ensure it meets user needs.
Advanced Features and Best Practices in InVision
Utilizing Design Systems and Libraries
One of InVision’s most powerful features is its support for design systems and libraries. A design system is a collection of reusable components, design patterns, and guidelines that ensure consistency across all parts of a project. InVision allows you to create and manage these design systems directly within the platform, making it easier to maintain a cohesive look and feel throughout your prototype.
To get started with design systems in InVision, you can create a design library that includes elements like buttons, icons, typography styles, and color palettes. Once your library is set up, these elements can be easily accessed and reused across different screens and projects. This not only speeds up the design process but also ensures that all team members are working with the same assets, reducing the risk of inconsistencies.
Using a design system also makes it easier to implement changes across your prototype. For example, if you need to update the primary button style, you can do so within the design library, and the change will automatically be reflected across all instances of that button in your prototype. This approach saves time and ensures that your prototype remains consistent and up-to-date, even as the project evolves.
Integrating with Other Tools
InVision’s ability to integrate with a wide range of other tools makes it an even more powerful platform for building interactive prototypes. Whether you need to collaborate with your team, manage projects, or gather user feedback, InVision’s integrations can help streamline your workflow and enhance your design process.
For collaboration, InVision integrates seamlessly with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Trello, allowing you to share updates, receive notifications, and coordinate with your team directly from within these platforms. This integration ensures that everyone stays informed about the latest changes and can easily access the prototype for review and feedback.
InVision also integrates with user testing tools like UserTesting and Lookback, enabling you to conduct usability tests directly on your prototypes. This integration allows you to gather real user feedback, observe how users interact with your design, and make data-driven decisions to improve the prototype. Additionally, InVision’s integration with analytics tools like Google Analytics can provide insights into user behavior, helping you refine the user experience based on actual usage data.
Testing and Refining Your Prototype
Conducting Usability Tests
Usability testing is a crucial step in the prototyping process, as it helps you understand how real users interact with your design and identify any issues that need to be addressed. InVision makes it easy to conduct usability tests by allowing you to share your prototype with users and observe their interactions in real-time. This feedback is invaluable for refining the design and ensuring that the final product meets user needs.
To conduct a usability test, start by selecting a group of users who represent your target audience. Share the InVision prototype with them and ask them to complete specific tasks, such as navigating through the app or finding certain features. As users interact with the prototype, pay attention to any areas where they struggle or become confused. These pain points can indicate usability issues that need to be addressed.
After the usability test, gather feedback from users on their overall experience, including what they liked, what they found challenging, and any suggestions they have for improvement. Use this feedback to refine the prototype, making adjustments to the design, interactions, and user flows as needed. By iterating on the prototype based on user feedback, you can ensure that the final product is both intuitive and user-friendly.
Iterating Based on Feedback
Once you’ve conducted usability tests and gathered feedback, the next step is to iterate on your prototype. Iteration is a continuous process of refining and improving your design based on feedback and testing results. InVision’s tools make it easy to manage this process, allowing you to make changes, track revisions, and test new iterations quickly and efficiently.
Start by reviewing the feedback you received during usability testing. Identify the most critical issues that need to be addressed and prioritize them based on their impact on the user experience. For example, if users consistently struggled with navigation, this should be a top priority for revision. Make the necessary changes to the prototype, and then test the updated version to ensure that the issues have been resolved.

It’s important to repeat this process of testing and iteration until you’re confident that the prototype meets all project goals and user needs. InVision’s version control feature allows you to keep track of each iteration, making it easy to revert to previous versions if needed. This iterative approach ensures that your prototype evolves over time, becoming more polished and refined with each cycle of feedback and improvement.
Finalizing and Handoff to Development
Preparing the Prototype for Handoff
As you near the end of the prototyping process, it’s essential to prepare your prototype for handoff to the development team. A smooth handoff ensures that the design is accurately implemented and that the final product aligns with the prototype. InVision offers several tools to facilitate this process, including design specs, asset export, and documentation features.
To prepare your prototype for handoff, start by generating design specs for the development team. InVision’s Inspect feature allows you to automatically create detailed specifications for each element in the prototype, including dimensions, colors, typography, and interactions. These specs provide developers with all the information they need to accurately implement the design.
Next, export any assets that the developers will need, such as icons, images, and fonts. InVision allows you to export assets in various formats and resolutions, ensuring that they are optimized for different devices and platforms. Make sure to organize the assets clearly, with consistent naming conventions and folder structures, to make it easy for developers to find what they need.
Collaborating with Developers During Handoff
Effective collaboration between designers and developers is key to a successful handoff. In addition to providing design specs and assets, it’s important to maintain open lines of communication and be available to address any questions or concerns that arise during the development process.
Schedule a handoff meeting with the development team to walk them through the prototype and explain key design decisions. This meeting is an opportunity to discuss any potential technical challenges, clarify design intent, and ensure that the developers fully understand how the prototype should be implemented. Encourage developers to ask questions and provide feedback, as their input can help identify potential issues and ensure that the final product is technically feasible.
Throughout the development process, continue to collaborate with the team by reviewing the implemented design and providing feedback as needed. InVision’s integration with tools like Jira and Trello can help you track the progress of development tasks and ensure that the project stays on track. By maintaining close collaboration and providing ongoing support, you can help ensure that the final product accurately reflects the prototype and meets all project goals.
Conclusion
Using InVision for building interactive prototypes offers a comprehensive and effective way to bring your digital product ideas to life. From setting up your account and uploading design files to creating hotspots, adding animations, and gathering feedback, InVision provides all the tools you need to create, test, and refine high-fidelity prototypes. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your prototypes are not only visually appealing but also user-friendly and aligned with project goals.
As you progress through the prototyping process, remember that iteration and collaboration are key to success. By continuously refining your design based on user feedback and working closely with your development team, you can create a final product that meets user needs and stands out in the competitive digital landscape. Whether you’re designing a mobile app, a website, or any other digital experience, InVision is a powerful tool that can help you achieve your design goals and deliver exceptional results.
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