Pixelmator Pro vs. Invision Studio: The Tale of Two Product Launches

Two underdogs of the digital design industry are getting ready for take-off.

I’m salivating at the thought of taking Invision Studio and Pixelmator Pro for a spin. In no small part is that due to the superbly attired launch websites the new apps are coming with. They seduce you. They tease you. They leave you craving for more. But they also reveal two very different approaches to launching new products.

A small team aiming high

Let’s start with the Pixelmator Pro. It is the successor to the original image editor of the same name, the acclaimed Pixelmator, sans the “Pro” suffix. Made in secret for 5 long years by a small, self-funded team from Vilnius, Lithuania, it is the most impressive Photoshop alternative to date.

Browsing through Pixelmator’s website it is clear the team behind it loves software. Whether it’s the matter-of-fact explanations, the abundant technical details, the high resolution screenshots or the succinct video walkthroughs, you get exactly the information you need, at the right dose.

Just take a look:

The site’s design isn’t very original, though. The first time I saw it I had to think of the classic Ogilvy ads from the 1950s: simple headlines, meticulous body copy along with large imagery and abundant whitespace. But clearly its greatest, everpresent influence is Apple.com.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Pixelmator is after all “Ultimately, totally and completely Mac”. Following Apple’s footsteps only accentuates this. You get the feeling the Pixelmator team is dead serious about making the best, native-grade software possible. Period.

And this feeling is important. You want to feel confident when it comes to the tools you are using at work. And what better way for an app maker to nurture that sense of certainty than by expressing their own devotion to craftsmanship? I’m sold.

Made in New York City

Enter Invision Studio. A user interface design app built by Invisionapp Inc., a SaaS company based not in Silicon Valley, but in the capital of the Empire State, New York City.

If you are reading this you know it is a big deal.

Founded only recenly, in 2011, Invision has come a long way since its inception. At this point every user interface designer on Earth has used its web-based services in one way or another. Little wonder the company has been backed by a combined total of $120m+ in venture capital.

And it shows. The Studio’s site hits you with a stunning, unapologetically bold typography, topped off with a high-octane, Hollywood-grade supercut trailer of the app’s hottest features.

It even sports the super fancy, sci-fi-esque, animated 3D globe bulit with GlobeKit (licensed from the product design agency Rally Interactive). To call it eye candy would be an understatement.

But beyond the gorgeous visuals, complimentary marketing talk and a promise of extravagant demo events (a.k.a. “community gatherings at 6 stunning venues”), there is little else to be found.

This bling-heavy approach, however devoid of substance it may be, seems to reflect that, unlike Pixelmator, Invision isn’t only for designers. It’s for entire companies. And Invision has to sell these folks on the idea of a fully integrated solution first. The nitty gritty of how Studio handles complex design workflows apparently can wait.

Nevertheless, it’s hard not to feel sceptical about Invision’s first desktop app. The lack of details combined with the slick presentation stinks a bit of hype machine. It’s as if Invision wanted to be the cool kid on the block but ended up coming across as a try-hard instead.

Similar goals, different approaches

Invision and Pixelmator are both underdogs attempting to make a dent in the digital design industry. Despite their shared pedigree though, the way the two companies go about launching their new products feels strikingly different.

On the one hand we have the craftsmanship and attention to detail of the Pixelmator Pro. On the other we get the showmanship and flamboyance of the Invision Studio. While neither approach is objectively better, Pixelmator seems to go beyond merely exciting you—it tries to connect with you.

In a way it’s a bit like watching an indie submission at Sundance versus a multi-million-dollar Hollywood production at IMAX. You may get pumped up by the blockbuster, but ultimately you fall in love with the indie film. Only in this case, the premiere is still to come.