Visual designers have a tough job. They frequently have to take written information and transform it into an aesthetically pleasing image, remembering that color heavily influences how people feel about your product, while incorporating the science behind design philosophy. And all that before clients even see a mock-up.
Those of us that have known good visual designers know that they are worth their weight in gold. Recently, a group of designers told us all about their favorite tools for design, so we put a list together. There is something in here for everyone — whether you are a new or aspiring designer or an entrepreneur who will be doing her own visual design, we’ve got you covered with eight of the best tools for visual designers out there.
For Inspiration
We all know that feeling of being creatively drained. If visual design were easy, everyone would do it, right? Some days, pumping out unique designs one after another is easy-peasy, but other times, it can feel like pulling teeth. On those days, Ron Larracas, Head of Design at Insureon, looks to Inspiration Grid to get out of his creative slump.
Inspiration Grid has plenty of categories to choose from (including art, graphic design, and interior design), so regardless of your area of expertise, you should be able to find something that appeals to you. Seeing beautiful work that others have done might just get your creative juices flowing — perhaps by seeing a layout or font that could be adapted to fit your client’s branding guidelines.
Whether you are a visual designer working in an office or at home in your pajamas, it’s easy to fall into a rut. A photo here, text block there — you might start to realize that your 30th promotional flyer this month looks a lot like the 25th. And the 26th, and 27th. Just like anything else, visual design can be a bit formulaic. But you owe it to your client to make the 30th look like it’s the 1st, which is why sites like Inspiration Grid and Awwwards are so helpful.
Larracas says that “sites like these remind you that you can completely rethink your design — and often that’s what’s going to generate the biggest impact on your UX” and we couldn’t agree more. Rethinking your design doesn’t have to mean scrapping everything you’ve done thus far. Perhaps it just means giving it a facelift. Just like writers are encouraged to read frequently, visual designers can learn a lot from studying what makes their colleagues’ work effective.
For the Visual Design Process
We’re willing to bet there’s not a single visual designer who wouldn’t recommend that the Adobe Creative Suite be included on a list of the best tools for designers. Between Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, the Creative Suite gives you a huge arsenal of powerful tools to help you create anything you can possibly imagine. Literally, if you can dream it, you can do it.
One of our favorite features of the new-ish Creative Cloud (CC) setup is that updates occur more easily and regularly. Adobe simply tells you when there is a new version and asks if you would like to download it. This also means that any sweet new features Adobe adds to the programs (like filters, tools, or plug-ins) are automatically added to your toolbox at no additional cost. Believe the hype: Adobe CC offers the most robust tools for designers on the market. And to make it even better, Proto.io and Photoshop go together like peanut butter and jelly.
For Communication
Hightail
Once your latest, greatest visual design concept is ready for approval, it’s important to have a place where people can submit their feedback without cluttering up your inbox. With written content, this process is easier — you can share a Google Doc and let people leave comments all over it or have editing rights, but with images, it’s a bit more difficult. But not anymore, because Hightail is saving the day.
Hightail makes the approval process so easy — you upload files to a “space” and then email it out. Deborah Holstein, Vice President of Marketing at Hightail, described the process to us: “[Hightail] lets teams comment directly on creative content – audio, video, photos, graphics, and copy, without the need for additional software. All the work happens in one place and Hightail keeps work flowing and teams accountable.” They also have a pretty killer video to demonstrate and it’s worth a watch.
At Proto.io, we LOVE this feature. Hightail makes it so simple to share a design and keep everyone on the team up to date on feedback and newest versions. This really takes them from a simple file sharing site to an essential tool for designers.
Giving Visual Designers What They Need
There’s no doubt about it, visual designers hustle hard. Why make them work harder than they need to? The right tools can make their lives easier (and more productive). While we’re on the subject: we can’t possibly leave ourselves off this list. Proto.io 6 can help you bring your latest mobile app design into fruition with our easy to use drag-and-drop format. You already did all the hard work — showing the coders what to do shouldn’t be a chore.
Proto.io is an excellent tool for visual designers and can help them build mobile app prototypes that feel real. No coding required. Bring your ideas to life quickly! Sign up for a free 15-day trial of Proto.io today and get started on your next mobile app design.