The Vivado Integrated Design Environment (IDE) can be used in both Project Mode and Non-Project Mode. The Vivado IDE provides an interface to assemble, implement, and validate your design and IP. Opening a design loads the current design netlist, applies design constraints, and fits the design onto the target device. The Vivado IDE allows you to visualize and interact with the design as shown in the following figure.
When using Project Mode, the Vivado IDE provides an interface called Flow Navigator, that supports a push-button design flow. You can open designs after RTL elaboration, synthesis, or implementation and analyze the design, make changes to constraints, logic or device configuration, and implementation results. You can also use design checkpoints to save the current state of any design. For more information on the Vivado IDE, see the Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Using the Vivado IDE (UG893).