alva
Create living prototypes with code components.
Alva is a design prototyping tool that lets designers compose screens using real React code components, so prototypes behave exactly like the live product with no design-to-code translation step needed.
Alva is a design prototyping tool that works directly with React code components. The idea is that instead of creating a prototype in a separate design application that then needs to be translated into code, you use the actual components that developers have already built. This means the prototype behaves exactly like the real product would, because it is running real code.
The tool is aimed at teams where designers and developers work together and want to stay in sync. Designers can sketch out concepts and compose screens using the same components that ship in the product. Developers can refine those components and see the updates reflected immediately in what designers are working on.
The README for this project is primarily contributor-facing documentation, covering how to clone the repository and run a local development build using Node.js and yarn. User-facing guides are hosted at the project's website rather than in the repository itself.
Alva is built with TypeScript, released under the MIT license, and was created by the agency SinnerSchrader. The project's README is short and the repository appears to be in a maintenance or lower-activity state, with community discussion happening via a Gitter chat channel. Anyone interested in using the tool as an end user is directed to the project's website for setup instructions.
Where it fits
- Build a clickable prototype using the same React components your developers ship, so the prototype matches real product behavior exactly
- Let designers iterate on screen layouts using live coded components without writing any code themselves
- Keep design and development in sync by having designers work with component-driven prototypes that reflect developer changes immediately