Almost all web designers have a large number of web design tools that they use every day. Of all the tools in your tool belt, there is a good chance that you own one or more tools that belong to one of the four types of web design tools.
Mock-up programs / Wireframing / Prototypes
DTP tools are free or commercial applications used to pre-plan your website design. They typically use a drag and drop interface and are usually quite instinctive to use. Mockup tools are a good way to express your design and style to potential clients or even to promote your ideas and thoughts to acquaintances. Also, they can be good to form and imagine your design just before you implement them. The mockups will support the initial preparation, which can actually save a great deal of time.
Web browser development tools for debugging
Web browser developer applications are programs that allow you to quickly modify HTML and CSS code using your web browser. In fact, you can go to any established site, review the CSS and HTML, and see the immediate modifications on the screen. Such tools are practically necessary for almost any web designer, mainly because they will greatly improve productivity. As an alternative to having to recompile and refresh your browser when creating your layout, you can use the developer tools to formulate your layout before running it.
Browser developer tools are browser-specific. Included in Google Chrome is the Google Developer Tools, which can be viewed by typing Ctrl+Shift+L. As for Firefox; the plugin called Firebug has this function. In Internet Explorer, there is an integrated development mode. Pressing F12 will activate this mode.
graphics editing software
Every web designer has some form of graphics editing software. Whether you want to develop a logo or create a background image, graphics editing software is necessary. Almost every image you see on the Internet has been modified with a digital graphics editing tool, indicating the prevalence of this resource. Photoshop is by far the most popular editing software for creating both basic and complicated illustrations and photography. However, there are a number of free alternative options, including GIMP.
Design Inspiration Websites
This item is a bit different from the others on the list because it’s not really a piece of software, but more of an online resource. Web designer’s block arises when a designer loses inspiration and is unable to come up with design ideas. This is something that web designers come across from time to time and it can become a remarkably cumbersome task. Fortunately, there are some websites that focus solely on presenting existing web page designs for people to see. Featured web pages often have a modern design and are a good way to keep up with the latest design ideas. Additionally, there are many websites that can be used to view graphics that can encourage innovative design ideas.
As you can see, using web design tools from each of these four categories can significantly help you as a web designer. It can help improve efficiency and help you prepare and communicate your concepts. The most effective app for each category is quite subjective and will differ from designer to designer. You will only have to explore a couple to find out which one appeals to you the most.
