Don’t get me wrong, I love Penpot and I cannot wait to start using it professionally as well. Waiting until it is in a usable state will increase the chances of your company using it long-term, which I think is better for everyone in the end. Btw, performance might vary depending on what you’re working on (large icon libraries are a no-go for example), but the export issues with pdfs currently have no fix available, and they’re 100% constant.
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Oh I totally understand - and I very much feel the same about Penpot. Still, your suggestions and feedback on what’s-doable-what’s-not in Penpot was very helpful!
Hi Tudor, I truly appreciate you sharing your thoughts, especially after giving Penpot a serious try. We’re fully aware of the performance issues and how they impact various use cases, including the one you described. The good news is that addressing this is our top priority, and that’s why we’re working on the New rendering engine mentioned in the post. This major change will greatly improve the overall file performance.
I hope you and your team might consider giving Penpot another chance in the future. In the meantime, honest feedback like yours is invaluable in helping us identify the main roadblocks for users considering migration. So, thank you again!
Hey, Andy!
Me and the team cannot wait for the new render engine, and will definitely move to Penpot if it’s ready for a professional use after its implementation!
I really want to see Penpot, and any design/dev tool that’s not industry standard succeed. I also hope that the people that see my feedback will be more likely to move to Penpot once it’s ready.
Cheers! And thank you for your response.
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Penpot is a great idea, solid ux, great features, it just need a little bit of refinement and priorities sorted out.
Getting it’s perform basic operations on the artboard easly on the acceptable level - minimal acceptable norm. No point on focusing on the roof and shiny new gimmicks and innovations if the foundations doesn’t perform basic operations very very very good.
Precisely:
- Not being laggy - speed (maybe: rust, WebGPU, WASM - i am not the expert, maybe just some, maybe all, maybe not now, maybe…even ZIG at times…?).
There is video one which can provide some answers: webGpu vs webGL, competition and why:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIur9NATg-I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YinfynTz77s
I didn’t say and don’t know if the WebGL 2 is outdated feed spoon “info” (the thing of the past) but… experts will find out. Possibly WebGpu and WebGL 2 (says google: "webGpu “nomentionfifigx” ").
- Not limiting (prison like) BASIC operation like:
a.) drag frame outside visible area (screen follows the mouse as we dragging out board with the mouse). 1 mouse click instead 5 + laggynes)
b.) when duplicating board CTRL + D auto-move second one on the right where is empty space (not on top of other things like shapes fonts - “auto-positioning in right empty spot”)
c.) text editing - bounding box snap on double-click (snapping vertically and horisontaly), that way we can save 1-3 operations and be more precise when dealing with text.
d.) when adding fill (right sidebar) i need to precisely click “+” button to the very end of screen and engage more cognitive load. Instead better would be to click anywhere on the fill field (like in other “similar” apps).
e.) small little errors in browser.
SECONDARY AND NON EMERGENCIES:
Tighten up the sidebard another 60 px (vertically and horisontally) so we have more screen canvas size, specially on laptops. And specially where we are in situation that we can not drag board outside visible area + laggyness. It creates feeling of: “its nice, I like it, great new ideas and css layouts inside, but I don’t want to work in it - yet (basic operations are not on the level as they should be” but advanced features looks promising and very useful).
Confusing PRIORITIES:
Like a space flying car which wheels and engine aren’t working properly yet but it promises flying through the air; and the rocket and wings works - and yet - it’s a car it should perform basic road stuff without any issues. Priorities.
Now,
I understand that we can not demand stuff, only suggest. And all development until now is payed in effort, development time, promotion time (by the team) + published in MPL Open Source which is pure joy.
I like Open Source and I like PenPot idea and effort untill now.
What i don’t like and don’t suggest is:
-
Having painful experience while working in open source software
-
Everybody else from the industry reaping the rewards and open source companies basically “being sort of testing ground for development and testing new ideas which - the industry is simply gonna steal and implement” while open source authors and communty doesn’t benefit cause the car just fly’s (extras, bells, whistles and inovations on the not yet sorted out fundamentals-basics: “shoot yourself in the foot fundamentals”)
and car that doesn’t drive good, pain to use - but could be removed with not so heavy re-arrangements (basic operations).
I like the direction PenPot is going, CSS grid layouts and bridging the gap between designers and developers, and it’s great direction. Penpot have some great features like; comments, autosave, assets, preview - basically a lott of stuff that competiton have and some they don’t yet (but they will).
The only problem is you can’t perform basic operations without feeling you are in nice shiny prison cell while your hands are tied to the back and there is no room to move because of basic stuff - so basically you can’t (or avoid) design in it (if you are not extremely patient). But I know that could change with not so big tweaks, and priorities sorted out.
I remember some youtube interview about Whatsapp where they are talking about people saving their lifes in nature cathastropies and emergencies with this app (writing a thank-you emails), because all the gsm and telephone lines were messy and somewhat down at times. But whatsupp worked there.
They focused on developing CORE functions so that they work extra ordinary. Sending and receiving messages (core function).
Penpot = designing (core function, moving through the canavas, editing text, fast-performant movement on canvas, no need for 3-4 actions if you can do it one-click, draging boards in all directions outside visible arrea with one drag not 15 drags and constant zoom-outs). Ui is almost great, right sidebar could get little smaller elements & re-arragement (like competition) so that fit more stuff but still breathable. + shorter width of sidebar 60-70 px so we get more screen size (workable real estate).
This is my 2cents on this topic. And it’s suggestive and constructive pinpointing main thorns in the foot in hope of great future.
And again, I’am not the expert on this topic, but maybe some concepts from 3D can be applied to optimise 2D rendering and stuff.
This goes into no lagg performance.
