New user interface (UI) designers often find it challenging to navigate through the world of the industry’s tools. There seems to be a different apparatus for everything, starting from user research to prototyping, wireframe tools, and other processes. That’s why a big part of the learning curve as a beginner involves understanding different tools and their applications. Your workflow also depends on this, so it’s not a loss to invest time in getting grips with the devices.
While there are different tools you will use, depending on your specific needs, this article looks at the essential ones that can take you from a beginner to the next level.
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Adobe XD
If you have ever used Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, your work in Adobe XD’s knowledge and expertise won’t be a long journey. The Adobe XD is light-weight, vector-based, and a master for graphics editing and prototyping. With this tool, you can quickly prototype user experience for mobile, web, and voice.
Adobe XD is also very versatile and offers numerous features for prototyping, designing, collaboration, sharing, and creating an entire design system. Its functions are almost similar to Sketch. However, it offers more flexibility as it natively supports nearly all devices. Find it on Windows Mac 10 or Mac OS. You can also get the mobile app for your iOS and Android smartphones.
Sketch
Sketch is vector-based and stands out as the best tool for collaboration, ideation, UI design, prototyping, and wireframing. It’s the number one digital design app that you need as a UI designer. You will love its ability to effectively mock-up mobile and desktop screens, simplicity of sharing documents, and many other beautiful features. The app, available only on Mac OS, is easy-to-use, simple, and doesn’t take time to learn.
You can buy it once and continue using the version you have or renew your license yearly to receive updates.
Figma
Are you working on a single project alongside other designers at the same time? Figma is the king of multiplayer designing. It’s also your one-stop-shop for gathering feedback, designing, and prototyping. Figma also supplies you with helpful editing tools and features that make your designing journey fun and easy. The components feature, for instance, allows you to easily reuse elements across your design, while the constraints feature adapts your designs to the change in screen sizes. It’s excellent for wireframing and prototyping.
Flinto
Flinto offers everything you require to breathe life into your designs. This tool takes designing screen transitions and micro-interaction a notch higher. It also comes with fantastic animation tools, such as easings and springs. You can also benefit from 3D rotation, customizable scrolling, sound effects, plus other unique features.
Flinto takes the hassle out of adding video layers. You simply drag the GIF and video files right into your design, and you are all done. The tool is mainly for prototyping and is available for Mac OS.
The right tools to use in your UI designer career depend on what projects you want to focus on and their compatibility with the system you wish to use (whether smartphone, laptop, or desktop). Invest your time to study their differences and efficiency through available sources and the free versions, available with almost every option, before making purchases.
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