Git for Designers: Branching for Non-Code Files

Why Designers Have Never Had Real Version Control

Git is the gold standard for version control — but it was built for text files. When you try to use Git with Figma exports, Photoshop files, or Illustrator documents, you hit walls:

• Binary files cannot be diffed — Git cannot show you what changed visually
• Large files (especially PSDs and AIs) bloat the repository
• No visual review built in — you need to open files to see changes
• No concept of "branching a design direction" without duplicating the entire folder

So designers fall back on manual naming conventions and shared drives. It works until it doesn't.

How Cloudverest Brings Branching to Design Files

Cloudverest takes the concepts developers love about Git and applies them to all file types — including Figma exports, Photoshop documents, Illustrator files, and any other binary format.

Branching a Design Direction

Instead of duplicating a folder to explore a new direction, create a branch. Branch direction-A for the minimal approach, direction-B for the bold version. Work on each independently. main stays clean until the client picks a direction.

Reviewing Changes with Annotations

When you push a new version of a design file, teammates and clients can annotate directly on the image — drawing rectangles, arrows, and leaving pinned comments on specific areas. No more describing a location as "the thing in the top-right corner."

Restoring Any Previous Version

Every push creates a new version. If the client approves direction A and then changes their mind three weeks later, you restore the exact file with one click. Nothing is ever permanently lost.

The Desktop Sync Workflow for Designers

Cloudverest works with your existing tools — you do not need to change how you create files, only how you save and share them:

1. Clone the project to your local machine. All files are available in Finder or Explorer.
2. Open files in Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, or any other tool. Work normally.
3. When ready to share, push your changes. Add a message describing what changed.
4. Your team pulls the latest changes. They see the new version alongside the previous one.
5. The client or art director leaves annotations. You respond, resolve, and push again.

Team Access Control for Design Files

Large teams often need to separate access. Cloudverest lets you create teams and set per-folder permissions:

• The Design Team has write access to /assets/design, read-only on /assets/code
• The Dev Team has write access to /assets/code, read-only on exports
• Clients have access only to the /client-review folder
• Internal work-in-progress folders can be completely hidden from external collaborators

File Locking: No More Accidental Overwrites

When two designers work on the same file simultaneously, the last one to push wins — and the other person's work can be lost. Cloudverest solves this with file locking. When you're actively editing a file, lock it. Your teammates see it as locked and know not to start editing. When you're done, release the lock.

Locks are automatically released if you disconnect, preventing files from being stuck locked indefinitely.

Stored, Versioned, and Previewable

Cloudverest stores and versions any file type up to 1 TB. Images, video, audio, PDFs, documents, and source code can be previewed directly in the browser. Design source files — PSD, AI, InDesign, Figma, Sketch — are stored and versioned in full; open them in their native application as always.

In-browser preview

• Adobe Photoshop (.psd)
• Adobe Illustrator (.ai)
• PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, SVG
• PDF documents
• Video files (MP4, MOV, MXF)
• Audio (MP3, WAV, FLAC)
• Documents (DOCX, XLSX, PPTX)
• Source code with syntax highlighting

Stored and versioned (open in native app)

• Adobe InDesign (.indd)
• Figma files (.fig)
• Sketch files (.sketch)
• 3D models (FBX, OBJ, GLTF)
• Game assets (UMAP, .blend)
• Any other binary format