For designing user interfaces, UX and UI designers require a set of tools to facilitate their work. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced designer, there is a variety of tools available to help you create effective and visually appealing designs. This article will help you discover six essential tools for UX and UI designers.
Sketch
Designed specifically as a visual design tool for web products, Sketch has become one of the most popular design tools among designers. It is capable of creating beautiful interfaces comparable to renowned software like Figma. It also offers a range of useful features for designers, including the ability to create high-fidelity mockups and easily share designs with team members
Additionally, Sketch is compatible with a wide range of plugins that extend its functionality. It’s no wonder why it is highly favored by designers.
However, it is important to note that Sketch currently only works on macOS operating system.
Figma
Figma is currently one of the trendiest digital product design tools available. It is a cloud-based tool that is highly appreciated for its ease of use. It enables design and development teams to collaborate on their design projects, whether it’s graphic design, prototyping, or product development. It offers remarkable design features.
With Figma, users can create user interface designs for mobile applications, websites, and software. Multiple users can make changes to a design while sharing comments. There is no need to download files locally as it offers integration options with other development and project management tools such as Maze, Zeplin, and Confluence.
You can use Figma on a browser, macOS, and Windows.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD is Adobe’s digital design software and another popular tool for UX and UI designers. It allows for the creation of unique prototypes for products, mobile applications, mockups, and websites. It provides designers with all the necessary tools to create comprehensive prototypes, including dynamic elements and workflows.
Adobe XD also offers real-time collaboration features, ensuring a seamless team working experience.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this tool is its easy integration with other Adobe software. Being part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, designers and businesses will be impressed by the cohesive experience it provides, with products like Illustrator and InDesign available together.
Available on: Windows and macOS
InVision
Considered a versatile tool, InVision aims to provide an optimal user experience. With InVision, designers can import Photoshop or Sketch files to create interactive prototypes that closely resemble and function like real applications.
These prototypes can then be shared with team members and clients, allowing for feedback and additional ideas from stakeholders.
InVision stands out with its impressive prototyping capabilities, where users can create interactive prototypes that automatically adjust based on the device and orientation.
It’s also worth mentioning InVision Studio, the standalone digital design and UX tool available today. InVision Studio offers an impressive suite of features, including a vector drawing tool, interactive designs, and built-in animations.
InVision is compatible with: macOS and Windows.
Framer
Framer is an excellent tool for screen design and UI prototyping. It enables designers and developers to create high-fidelity interactive prototypes for mobile and web applications. However, it is known to have a slight learning curve as it requires a basic understanding of CSS and HTML coding to master aspects like animations and interactions.
By using Framer, designers can create interactive prototypes that simulate the final user experience. This includes animations, transitions, interactions, and user gestures.
Prototypes created with Framer can be tested on various devices and browsers, allowing designers and developers to gather feedback and refine the user experience.
While prototyping is the main functionality of the software, Framer has also developed a series of other tools for visual design and wireframing purposes.
You can use Framer in your browser (free) or on macOS (Pro).
Maze
Maze is a powerful tool for rapid testing and user research. It allows designers and businesses to create and conduct comprehensive online usability tests, with or without prototypes. It also enables testing and validation of concepts and copy.
For user research, Maze is a designer’s best friend. Users can create usability tests and distribute them to participants online. The tests can be performed on mockups, prototypes, or existing websites. Afterwards, they can analyze the results and collect user feedback to ensure the effectiveness of a product and ensure it truly meets user expectations.
To enhance efficiency, Maze offers features such as video recording of participants and user journey mapping, enabling in-depth analysis of results.
Moreover, Maze provides integration options by linking with popular wireframing tools such as Adobe XD, InVision, Marvel, and Sketch. By combining the testing capabilities of Maze with these UI design tools, designers can easily iterate on ideas, improve the good ones, and discard the bad ones
In conclusion, these six tools are essential for UX and UI designers, each offering unique features for interface design. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced professional, these tools can help you create effective and visually appealing designs for your design projects.