Web designers and developers often have to work under tight deadlines, not to mention juggling multiple projects at once. But even more challenging than the time pressure is the clear and effective communication between designer and developer — which is ultimately what determines the success of the final product.

Sometimes even the most experienced coder can be completely confused by conflicting information from the designer, wasting hours trying to understand how to translate certain UI elements into code. These moments can seriously delay the project and even cause major issues.

When preparing a specification, the designer must define the size and position of all elements, document the color scheme, fonts used, exact spacing between elements, and all other visual properties. Each object or component has a whole list of specific parameters that must be detailed in the specification. And all that time could be put to much better use!

That’s where a helpful tool like Avocode comes in — it acts as a bridge between you and the developer and greatly simplifies the process of creating specs, allowing you to track every design change between versions.

This tool translates a completed mockup from Photoshop or Sketch into working code. It also allows you to:

This way, the developer and designer can collaborate within a shared workspace, where all element information is adapted to the specific requirements of each component.

GETTING STARTED

To start using Avocode, you need to sign up and create an account. However, you’ll only get a two-week trial — the service offers paid plans only.

Avocode comes in both web and desktop versions. First, you’ll need to create a project, as the tool only works with mockups within a defined project. Alternatively, you can view a demo project created automatically with your registration to get a feel for how it works.

UPLOADING YOUR DESIGN

After creating a project, you can upload your design in one of two ways: connect your Dropbox account and choose a file, or upload it directly from your computer.

USER INTERFACE OVERVIEW

To take full advantage of Avocode, it’s best to install the desktop app, as the web version is limited to viewing major design changes and comments — you won’t be able to inspect designs in detail.

Once installed, the interface will feel familiar — it’s visually similar to Photoshop, with a similar layout and color scheme.

The main window shows your project name, a small preview of the design, and the last modified date.

To inspect the design in more detail, double-click on the project. You’ll see a list of element groups with their properties and layers, plus all the available tools at the bottom.

Start with the Select Tool to choose one or more layers and view their properties in the right-hand panel.

Next, use the tool to select a call-to-action button. When you click an element in the PSD file, the side panel will display CSS code. Avocode also lets you copy LESS or Sass code if preferred.

You can select an image to see its dimensions. Export settings are also flexible — you can configure how images are exported, including JPG, PNG, and SVG formats, with scaling options like “1x” for original size.

The info panel on the left provides all critical design details. You can even generate a public link to share the design. One of the best features is the font list with direct links to Typekit and Google Web Fonts, making it easy to implement in your project.

TOOLKIT

The Measure Tool is extremely useful — select an element, hover over others, and see the distance between them. For example, selecting the “Get started now” button shows its spacing relative to the top, left, and right items.

The next tool is the color picker, which detects color and copies its hex value to your clipboard. You can also add the color to your design properties — perfect for creating a color palette.

The final tool is Slice, which lets you export a selected design area as an image or style guide.

The great thing is that each tool comes with its own keyboard shortcut, which is super convenient for those who prefer working with the keyboard.

Another cool feature is guide support. This feature is a bit hidden at first — it’s under a small button in the lower-right corner — but Avocode supports both custom guides and those created in Photoshop or Sketch. If your file has guides, they’ll be displayed.

With Avocode, you can easily compare design changes visually. You’ll also find this feature in the “Design Details” section of the web version.

COLLABORATION

Avocode allows you to leave comments directly on specific design areas, making it easy to discuss revisions with your team in real time.

Just highlight the area you want to discuss, type your message, and hit send. Your teammates will receive instant notifications.

PRICING

Avocode costs $10/month per user under the Business plan, which includes Slack integration and permission management. For teams of 1–3 people without those needs, the “Garage” plan is just $7/month per user.

Finally, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this product.

Pros:

Cons:

It’s time to move away from static specs and start using modern tools designed to make your life as a designer much easier.