Websites have come a long way from simple web pages to appealing, feature-packed, navigable labyrinth that is crucial for businesses that wish to succeed in the 21st Century. Web design has evolved into a multistage process that includes iteration, development of prototype, testing, and implementation, among others. With all these stages, web designers must harness the powerful web design tools for 2020.
Why Web Design Matters
The design is one of the most important parts of the entire website. The design affects how your audience sees your brand and everyone knows that first impressions are crucial. If a website is not aesthetically pleasing and hard to navigate; users are going to leave and turn to your competitors. On the other hand, a website that is well designed and user-friendly keeps users on the page.
Now that we understand how important a website’s design is; let us talk about the tools we can use.
The Most Powerful Web Design Tools for 2020
- InVision Studio – Many web design companies and experts swear by InVision Studio; and for good reason. It is packed with features that make it easy for web designers to create interactive interfaces. It also includes additional tools such as boards, freehand, prototyping, and studio that can help with creating prototypes as well as collaborative and responsive designs. It also includes custom transitions and animations with simple gestures to make web pages easy to navigate. Another benefit is its compatibility because InVision is operable on almost all operating systems and browsers.
- Adobe XD – Need to do online projects? Adobe XD is the most ideal platform. While they come from the same family, XD’s interface is quite different from other Adobe environments. Nevertheless, it provides you with features and tools that keeps evolving to keep up with new web design It can be operated on any operating system. It allows you to import your designs via Creative Cloud, so you can work on them using Photoshop’s features. XD is a favorite among web design experts in Australia because of its simple, clean, and user-friendly interface and its tools and features.
- Figma (our personal favourite) – This interface design tool is great for real-time collaborations between several designers. Figma is also operable on most operating systems, making collaborations easy. It is also packed with helpful tools and add-ons, making it a delight to use.
- Sketch – One of the most common of the tools is Sketch. Sketch has a vector tool that helps designers create and develop prototypes and interfaces. This quick and easy tool only has what you need and none of the unnecessary features; making it especially useful for making apps and websites. Making edits and revisions on Sketch is so much easier than in Photoshop. Designers love the minimalist feel of this tool. Although, Sketch is currently only accessible on Mac; there are workarounds such as downloading an app called Lunacy, to access it on Windows.
- UXPin – A tool that is quickly gaining fame, UXPin is a prototyping app. It is accessible on most operating systems and browsers. Like other design tools, designers can simulate interactions by making the different elements on the artboard interact. However, what sets UXPin apart is it gets close to the code, allowing designers to work on code components and other interactions.
- FlowMapp – The design process is, unfortunately, not a straightforward process. We all like to imagine designers creating to their heart’s delight but there is more to the design process. Thanks to FlowMapp’s simple and intuitive design, you can consolidate the design process. You can create flow charts, graphs, and maps. It helps designers show their clients a visualisation of the flow of the website and its pages. It also helps you organise your web page’s positions and forecast your user’s journey so you can ensure that their needs and expectations are met.
- Adobe Dreamweaver – Another tool where you can directly code the design; Adobe Dreamweaver lets you design a website even if you do not have special programming skills or knowledge, although ideally you should. Instead of using templates, you can design and develop the exact website look and feel you are going for by using HTML. This lets you create responsive designs that work great across multiple devices without affecting user experience.
- PhotoShop – Photoshop is the mother of all web design tools. Since its creation 30 years ago, Photoshop has inspired other tools’ creation and development. Photoshop is a pillar of the web design industry and its quality cannot be questioned. While it is not a tool for amateurs and new designers; experienced designers will surely appreciate this tool. Photoshop helps designers create beautiful and visually pleasing designs, prints, and patterns.
Designing websites is all fun and games until you realise the amount of work and details that go into it. Luckily, these powerful web design tools for 2020 are available. And in the hands of skilled designers, these tools can be harnessed to create the website of your dreams.