This week we had graduate student Ben to show us the differences between Groups, Frames, and Auto Layout, and knowing when each one is most effective. Ben even showed us some of his favourite plugins, such as icon libraries and image generators.

Auto layout - what is it for?

Build responsive designs

Elements automatically adjust when:

• Text changes
• The frame is resized
• Content is added or removed

Example: a button that grows when the text gets longer.

Maintain consistent spacing

Auto Layout keeps spacing between elements equal and aligned, even if you move things around or update content.

Reduce manual adjustments

Without Auto Layout, you’d have to constantly:

• Reposition elements
• Adjust padding
• Fix alignment

Auto Layout does this automatically.

How it works (in simple terms)

You choose:

• Direction: horizontal or vertical