A well-structured and efficient process is crucial for web designers. By utilizing valuable and time-saving tools, you can dedicate more time to essential tasks, ultimately leading to high-quality outcomes in less time.
The challenge, however, lies in the vast number of tools, services, and resources available, making it hard to monitor them and identify those small yet effective time-saving solutions that can prevent headaches and conserve time in the long term.
Below we’ll go over 50 of the most useful web design tools and resources that can help simplify and streamline your workflow, allowing you to be more productive while producing high-quality results.
Typography is an important part of the user experience – even before they read a single word. Done correctly, it can communicate the personality of your brand.
Read more about The Best Types of Website Page Layouts
Here are some resources for typography:
Google Fonts offers free and open-source fonts optimized for the web. The library comprises 1531 open-source font families, an interactive web directory, and APIs for using the fonts via
1001 Free Fonts: 1001 Free Fonts boasts a wide selection of free fonts for Windows and Mac to make your site more legible and visually appealing. There are over 10,000 fonts licensed directly by designers for commercial use.
Editing CSS, HTML, and JavaScript code can be done without specific editing tools, but the proper tools make things much more efficient. Integrated Development Environment (IDE) allows designers to edit source code, debug, and build executables in one streamlined platform.
Here are the best resources for CSS, HTML, and JavaScript:
Visual Studio Code is one of the most effective IDEs for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It supports JavaScript, TypeScript, and Node.js and supports other languages, including Python, PHP, and C++.
RJ TextEd is an effective IDE for JavaScript with a full-featured text and source editor with Unicode support. Along with JavaScript, it supports PHP, ASP, HTML, and CSS.
Light Table is a reactive work surface for the creation and exploration of other apps and programs. Light Table is a standalone app that can be run with any other editor to move elements around, declutter your design, and transfer information to the aspects of the site that need it most.
Successful website development requires web designers who possess a comprehensive knowledge of graphic design principles. Enabling them to construct visually captivating sites that engage and resonate with users.
Here are some tools that can help you with design:
Adobe Creative Cloud offers powerful features for photo editing, vector graphics creation, generating mockups, and layout design. It comes with a comprehensive suite of graphic design tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign,
Designers seeking an efficient way to create professional-looking visuals should check out Canvas’ online platform.
Employing a simple but effective interface with endless options for customization (including templates, fonts, and stock photos), users can produce eye-catching graphics for their site in less time.
One software that has gained popularity among web and mobile app UI/UX designers is Sketch– popularized by its vector-based elements used in graphic creation.
By offering an efficient workflow system backed up by collaboration-focused plugins alongside an easy-to-use interface, it’s a go-to choice for assisting with graphic design inspiration.
Affinity Designer is an alternative to Adobe Illustrator and is a versatile graphic design software offering a range of tools for vector icon illustration, typography, and layout design, at a more affordable price point.
A long-standing graphic design suite, CorelDRAW provides tools for vector illustration, photo editing, and landing page layout, making it suitable for creating logos, marketing materials, and other design projects.
When building websites, frameworks, and libraries can offer huge time savings by providing pre-built components that can be easily customized. They also help reduce development time and improve code quality, which can be a considerable timesaver.
Here are several commonly used frameworks and libraries that are worth exploring:
Offering convenience to designers and developers alike, Bootstraphas become a go-to for crafting sleek websites utilizing its pre-built components and responsive design templates. Its focus on creating mobile-first websites simplifies the process of front-end development.
Foundationis a responsive front-end framework that lets users choose their own components for customizable and accessible website designs that can respond to different screens.
Utilizing AngularJS, developers can expertly design dynamic single-page applications with the help of declarative programming and a component-based style.
React is a JavaScript library created by Facebook to support stunning user interfaces, particularly for single-page applications. Developers can leverage the platform’s power to craft reusable UI components and handle the application state efficiently.
For those seeking an agile JavaScript framework for building contemporary user interfaces and single-page apps, Vue.js is perfect. Its flexible integration with multiple libraries and projects provides an efficient workflow for developers.
Material UI follows Google’s highly esteemed Material Design standards by offering a broad selection of dynamic and adaptable components for easily customizing web applications. Developers can produce aesthetically pleasing, contemporary interfaces using this powerful tool.
For those seeking an alternative to the traditionally heavy Bootstrap framework, Bulma presents itself as an attractive option. Based on Flexbox, this CSS framework offers web developers a variety of built-in components and responsive layouts that can be easily customized to suit individual needs.
To enhance the interactivity and dynamics of web experiences, many developers employ jQuery as a go-to JavaScript library. This widely-used tool facilitates straightforward working with HTML documents, handling events and manipulation.
Content management systems (CMS) help designers quickly and efficiently develop websites without beginning from scratch. Employing an appropriate CMS can save valuable time and energy, elevate your workflow, and amplify your reach in the online space.
Below are some popular CMS platforms available today:
It’s hard not to recognize the widespread popularity of WordPress in today’s web development landscape, with more than 450 million websites globally. It’s the backbone of the internet thanks to its easy-to-use interface and abundant customizability options.
For those seeking comprehensive functionality and remarkable adaptability in a CMS platform, Joomla delivers outstanding results. It caters to experienced users who demand greater influence in shaping their website’s layout and composition. Above all else, it excels in creating powerful social media platforms, online communities, and cutting-edge e-commerce platforms.
For more complex and high-volume websites, Drupal is an excellent pick due to its scalable CMS that offers premium online security. With impressive architecture working alongside a rich module library, seasoned developers can easily create customized solutions for various industries, including education, government, and enterprise-level clients.
Shopify is a superb all-in-one e-commerce CMS platform. With numerous templates, strong inventory management tools, and seamless payment gateway integration, Shopify makes it remarkably easy for small business owners and entrepreneurs lacking the extensive technical know-how to set up online stores.
Wix ticks all the boxes for website builders – it’s adaptable and uncomplicated with its drag-and-drop feature, making the building process less daunting for beginners. Packed with numerous templates for specific industries and creative design tools, you can build anything from small business websites or portfolios to personal blogs.
Creating a great user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) for your product is essential for keeping customers engaged and returning to your website or app. It’s also important for improving conversion rates and driving revenue.
Below are some popular UX/UI design tools you might consider using:
Adobe XD stands out as an exceptional solution for UX/UI designers who value versatility and seamless collaboration.
This robust platform empowers creatives to produce wireframes and prototypes alongside high-fidelity designs.
Designing can be time-consuming, but Figma streamlines the process by offering easy-to-use tools through web browsing technology. The benefit of being browser-based means Figma can accommodate widespread online collaboration between geographically dispersed groups – perfect for remote teams looking to cooperate on a project in real-time without delays or waiting times.
For designers seeking an all-in-one solution, InVision Studio is a good fit. This comprehensive design tool packs in design, prototyping, and collaboration features.
Axure RP caters to the needs of skilled UX designers with its extensive wireframing and prototyping capabilities. This tool facilitates the development of interactive prototypes that showcase conditional logic, dynamic content, and animations. Its features also enable comprehensive testing of user flows and interactions.
For those seeking a straightforward and accessible wireframing tool that attends to low-fidelity design processes, Balsamiq could be what you’re looking for. With its highly functional drag-and-drop feature and a considerable collection of UI components, constructing and refining wireframes quickly becomes a manageable process.
Marvel is an intuitive design platform that offers wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration features. Designers can create interactive prototypes, sync designs from Sketch or Photoshop, and collect feedback from team members and clients.
Proto.io is a powerful prototyping tool enabling designers to create fully interactive, high-fidelity prototypes without writing code. Its extensive library of UI components, animations, and gestures makes it ideal for testing mobile app designs and user interactions.
One of the most important aspects of digital marketing is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO helps ensure your website or app ranks higher in search engine results, which can significantly boost organic traffic. Thankfully, plenty of SEO tools are available to help you optimize your website and improve your ranking.
Here are some of the most popular SEO tools you should consider using:
Google Analytics is a comprehensive web analytics tool that provides insights into website traffic and user behavior. It helps identify popular content, track conversions, and uncover areas for improvement, making it essential for any SEO strategy.
Ahrefs is a powerful all-in-one SEO toolset that offers features like keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink analysis, and rank tracking. Its extensive database and intuitive interface make it a favorite among SEO professionals.
SEMrush is a versatile SEO and digital marketing tool that provides insights into keyword research, competitor analysis, site audits, and more. Its detailed reports help businesses optimize their online presence and improve search engine rankings.
Moz Pro is a comprehensive SEO suite that includes tools for keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, and backlink analysis. Its user-friendly interface and insightful recommendations make it suitable for both beginners and experienced SEO professionals.
Yoast SEO is a popular WordPress plugin that offers on-page optimization features like keyword analysis, readability checks, and meta tag generation. It provides real-time feedback and suggestions to help improve the SEO performance of individual pages and blog posts.
An important element of web design is making sure your website or app is accessible and usable by everyone, regardless of their physical disabilities. In order to ensure this, accessibility testing tools can be used to check for potential accessibility issues.
Here are a few accessibility tools and resources you should consider:
WAVE is a browser extension that helps web designers identify and fix accessibility issues on their websites. It provides visual feedback about the accessibility of your site by injecting icons and indicators into your page.
A popular open-source accessibility testing tool, Axe is available as a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox. It allows designers to quickly check their websites for accessibility violations and provides detailed information on how to fix them.
NVDA is a free, open-source screen reader for Windows that enables blind and visually impaired users to access websites. Web designers can use it to test their sites and ensure they’re accessible to all users.
This tool checks the contrast ratio between text and background color palettes to ensure sufficient contrast for visually impaired users. It’s available as a browser extension or standalone application, helping designers create accessible color schemes for their websites.
ARIA landmark roles provide a way to structure your website’s content, making it easier for screen readers and other assistive technologies to navigate. By implementing ARIA roles, web designers can improve the accessibility of their sites for users with disabilities.
When working as a team, version control systems (VCS) are essential for keeping everyone’s work in sync. These tools enable developers to keep track of changes made to code and files, allowing teams to collaborate more effectively.
Here are some of the best web design VCSs you should consider using:
Git is a widely-used distributed version control system, allowing designers to track changes, collaborate with others, and easily revert to previous versions of their projects.
SVN is a version control system enabling web designers to maintain a single repository for their projects, track changes, and collaborate with team members.
Mercurial is a distributed version control system similar to Git, offering web designers fast and efficient change tracking, collaboration, and branching capabilities.
Perforce is a centralized version control system designed for large-scale projects, providing web designers with robust security features, advanced branching, and seamless collaboration tools.
TFS is a version control system integrated with Microsoft’s suite of development tools, allowing web designers to manage and track project changes while collaborating with other team members.
Coding editors are essential for web designers as they provide a range of features to help make coding easier, such as syntax highlighting, debugging tools, and code folding.
Here are some of the most popular coding editors:
Adobe Dreamweaver is a comprehensive web design and development tool that offers a rich set of features, including code editing, visual design interface, and real-time preview, making it ideal for web designers.
Sublime Text is a powerful and lightweight text editor with a clean interface, offering web designers advanced features such as multiple cursors, split editing, and a vast library of plugins to enhance functionality.
Developed by GitHub, Atom is an open-source code editor with a customizable interface, built-in package manager, and robust collaboration features, making it a great choice for web designers.
Focused on front-end development, Brackets is an open-source editor that provides a real-time live preview, visual CSS editing, and preprocessor support, enabling web designers to streamline their workflow.
Notepad++ is a lightweight and versatile text editor for Windows, offering web designers syntax highlighting, code folding, and auto-completion features while supporting a wide range of programming languages.
