Sketch helped kick off the modern UI design era when it launched in 2010. Built by the Dutch company Bohemian Coding (now Sketch B.V.), it was one of the first tools designed specifically for screen-based design rather than print. For years, it was the default choice for product designers, especially those working on macOS.
The app introduced concepts that are now standard across the industry — symbols for reusable components, shared styles, and a plugin architecture that spawned a massive ecosystem. Sketch’s Symbols feature alone changed how designers thought about maintaining consistency across large projects.
Headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, the company has stayed fully remote and bootstrapped, which is unusual for a tool of its influence. They’ve never taken venture capital funding, choosing instead to grow sustainably through license sales and subscriptions.
In recent years, Sketch has added real-time collaboration through its web app, allowing team members to view and comment on designs in the browser. They’ve also introduced a Mac-based collaboration workspace. While Figma’s rise took a significant chunk of Sketch’s market share, the tool still has a loyal user base, particularly among designers who prefer native Mac performance and offline capabilities.
Sketch’s pricing model shifted from a one-time purchase to a subscription in 2020, which was controversial but aligned with their ongoing development of collaborative features. The tool continues to receive regular updates with improvements to prototyping, developer handoff, and component management.
