Web Designing Tools That Every Web Designer Uses

Out of all the tools in their tool belt, it is quite likely that they have at least one tool that falls into one of four categories of designing tools.

Mock-up/ Wireframing/ Prototyping Tools

Mock-up tools are either free or commercial software that you can use to plan out your website layout. They typically employ a drag and drop interface and are quite intuitive to use. They are a good way to communicate your design to potential clients or to share your ideas and thoughts with colleagues. In addition, they are great for organizing and visualizing your design before implementing them. Mock-ups will allow for initial planning, which can definitely save a significant amount of time.

Browser Developer Tools For Debugging

Browser developer tools are tools that allow you to modify html and css on the fly through your web browser. In fact you can go to any existing website, modify the css and html and see the immediate changes on the screen. These tools are almost a necessity to any web designer as it will greatly increase efficiency. Instead of having to recompile and refresh your browser when building your design, you can use the development tools to get your design right before implementing it.

Graphics Editing Software

Every web designer has some sort of graphics editing software. Whether you need to create a logo or create a skin for a menu, graphics editing software is necessary. Almost every picture you see in the internet has been edited with a digital graphics editing tool, showing the prominence of these tools. Photoshop is by far the most popular editing software for creating simple and complex graphics. However, there are some free alternatives, such as GIMP.

Design Inspiration Websites

This is slightly different than the others from the list since it isn’t really a tool, but more of a resource. Web designer’s block occurs when a designer gets uninspired and unable to come up with design ideas. This is something that web designer’s encounter from time to time and can become an incredibly time consuming endeavour. Luckily, there are some websites which solely focus on showcasing existing web page designs for people to look at. The featured websites are often modern in design and are a good way to keep up with the latest design ideas. In addition, there are several sites that can be utilized to view some artwork which can inspire new design ideas.

As you can see, having a designing tool in each of these four categories can greatly help you as a web designer. It can help improve productivity and help you formulate and communicate your ideas. The best tool for each category is somewhat subjective and will vary from designer to designer. You will just have to try out a few to see which appeals to you the most.