UXPin Merge is a groundbreaking technology that allows designers and developers to create a single source of truth for their projects.

Introduction

UXPin Merge is a groundbreaking technology that allows designers and developers to create a single source of truth for their projects. It’s an extension of the UXPin platform, which specializes in advanced prototyping and design systems. Merge’s core innovation is its ability to sync code from a repository (like Git) directly into the UXPin editor.

This enables designers to use components from the actual codebase to build prototypes, ensuring that the design is always consistent with the live product. By bridging the gap between design and development, UXPin Merge helps teams work more efficiently, reduce design debt, and accelerate the product development lifecycle. It eliminates the tedious process of recreating components and ensures that all stakeholders are working with a consistent, functional design system.

Code-Based Prototyping

Enterprise-Ready

Collaborative

No-Code Interface

Advanced Prototyping

Review

UXPin Merge earns a near-perfect expert grade of 9.7/10 for its revolutionary approach to bridging the gap between design and development. Its ability to create a single source of truth from a live codebase is a paradigm shift in the industry, solving a long-standing problem of design drift and inconsistency.

The platform’s commitment to high-fidelity, code-based prototyping is unparalleled, making it an essential tool for enterprise teams and companies with established design systems. While its primary focus on a specific, high-end workflow may not make it a tool for every designer, its effectiveness in its niche is outstanding. The value it provides in terms of efficiency, design consistency, and improved collaboration easily justifies its position as a top-tier solution for modern product teams.

Features

Git Integration

Connects directly to a Git repository, allowing the platform to pull and sync production-ready code components.

Bi-Directional Sync

Changes made to the code repository are automatically updated in the UXPin editor, and vice versa.

React and Storybook Support

Provides seamless integration with popular component libraries and frameworks like React and Storybook.

Interactive Components

Designers can use live, fully interactive code components to build prototypes, ensuring a realistic user experience.

Component Manager

A centralized dashboard for managing, syncing, and updating all code-based components within the design system.

Design System Documentation

Automatically generates and maintains up-to-date documentation for the design system, ensuring all teams are aligned.

Best Suited for

Enterprise Design Teams

Ideal for large organizations that need to ensure consistency across multiple products and teams.

Mid-Sized Tech Companies

A perfect solution for scaling teams that want to streamline their design-to-development handoff process.

Product Managers

Excellent for creating high-fidelity prototypes that accurately reflect the final product's functionality for stakeholder presentations.

UX/UI Designers

Empowers designers to build complex, functional prototypes without the need for custom coding.

Front-End Developers

Accelerates the development process by providing a clear, code-based design system for implementation.

Agencies with Design Systems

A crucial tool for agencies that work with clients who have an established code-based design system.

Strengths

Prototypes created with Merge are built from real code, making them indistinguishable from the final product.

The shared, code-based design system forces closer collaboration and communication between design and development teams.

Eliminates the need for designers to manually recreate components.

Provides a scalable and maintainable way to manage large and complex design systems across an entire organization.

Weakness

High Barrier to Entry

As a cloud-based tool, a stable and reliable internet connection is required.

Getting started with: step by step guide

The process of using UXPin Merge is a structured workflow that bridges the technical and creative aspects of product development, starting with the integration of a code repository and culminating in the creation of a high-fidelity prototype.

Step 1: Connect a Code Repository

A developer connects the team’s Git repository (containing the component library) to the UXPin platform.

Step 2: Sync Components

The code components from the repository are automatically synced and made available in the UXPin editor for designers to use.

Step 3: Build Prototypes:

A designer uses the synced, code-based components to build and arrange interactive prototypes with a simple drag-and-drop interface.

Step 4: Prototype and Test

The high-fidelity prototype, built with real code, can be used for user testing and stakeholder presentations, providing an accurate representation of the final product.

Step 5: Maintain and Update

Any changes made to the code by the development team are automatically updated in the design editor, and the design system documentation is kept current.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is UXPin Merge a standalone tool?

A: No, UXPin Merge is a technology and feature set that is integrated into the core UXPin platform. You need a UXPin account to use Merge.

Q: What programming languages and frameworks does Merge support?

A: Merge has native support for popular frameworks like React and is often integrated with Storybook for component management. While its primary focus is on these technologies, it is designed to be extensible with a strong API.

Q: Can Merge be used for small teams and individual projects?

A: While possible, UXPin Merge is primarily designed for enterprise-level teams with established design systems. The workflow and pricing are optimized for larger organizations where consistency and collaboration are critical.

Pricing

UXPin Merge is offered as an add-on to the core UXPin platform, with pricing structured to accommodate the needs of various team sizes and organizations. The pricing model is designed for a professional and enterprise-level audience, reflecting the advanced, code-centric functionality of the tool. The cost is based on a per-user basis with different tiers that unlock additional features, advanced integrations, and dedicated support, providing a clear pathway for teams to scale their use of the platform.

Basic

$29/month

Includes Merge technology with a component manager, Git integration, and a dedicated team workspace. Pricing is per user, per month.

Standard

$39/month

All Merge features plus unlimited integrations, advanced security, single sign-on (SSO), and dedicated support with a custom service level agreement (SLA).

Pro

$119/month

This is the base UXPin platform required to use Merge. It includes advanced prototyping, a design system library, and collaborative features. Pricing is per user, per month.

Alternatives

Figma

A popular collaborative design platform that, while not directly syncing code, offers extensive plugins and tools for creating and managing design systems.

InVision

A digital product design platform that provides tools for prototyping, collaboration, and creating design systems, serving as a competitor in the enterprise space.