10 Web Design Tools that Will Make Your Life Easier As a Freelancer

Ever since the internet started, people have been trying to make it more user-friendly. From the early days of hacking and code to the simple drag-and-drop of today’s website builders, there have always been people who want to make building websites simpler and faster.

That’s why we’ve taken a look at the available tools and compiled a list of 10 of the best web design tools for freelancers that are currently out there. Not only will using these tools make your job easier, but it will also mean you can spend more time doing what you love: building exciting websites for your clients!

Best Web Design Software (2019) – YouTube

Takeaways
Web design tools can greatly improve your workflow and productivity.
Freelance web designers need a variety of tools to design, develop, and manage their projects.
When choosing web design tools, consider your specific needs and preferences, as well as the features and capabilities of each tool.
Many web design tools are available for free, making them a great option for designers on a tight budget.
To stay ahead of the competition, it’s important to keep up with the latest web design tools and trends.

1. Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor and design program developed and marketed by Adobe Inc. Originally designed for the Apple Macintosh, the development of Adobe Illustrator began in 1985. Along with Creative Cloud (Adobe’s shift to monthly or annual subscription service delivered over the Internet), Illustrator CC was released. The latest version, Illustrator CC 2018, was released in March 2018 and is the 22nd generation in the product line.

Illustrator can be used for print, multimedia, and online graphics as well as an illustration software application for creating drawings, illustrations, and artwork using a Windows or macOS computer. Developed alongside Adobe Photoshop as a companion product, Adobe Illustrator is used for creating logos, graphics, cartoons, and fonts for the photo-realistic layouts of Adobe Photoshop.

Adobe Illustrator uses mathematical constructs such as Bézier curves to create vector graphics primarily composed of points connected by lines and curves under the digital Pen tool’s control. The software provides more artistic control than bitmap-based programs because it makes it possible to modify individual pieces of artwork while maintaining an image’s integrity.

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2. Adobe Photoshop

Photoshop is a great tool for creating original graphics, editing photos, and creating visual elements for the web.

With Photoshop, you can easily add text, shapes, and other objects to images. You can also use the program’s layers feature to keep your work organized.

It’s also a great tool for removing unwanted objects from a photo. For example, with the clone stamp tool, you can remove a telephone wire from an otherwise nice mountain scene. The patch tool is great for removing wrinkles in clothing or skin on portraits. And if you’re looking for an easy way to remove blemishes on someone’s face, use the spot healing brush, which works similarly to a band-aid!

3. Sketch For Mac

The sketch is a vector graphics app for Mac. It’s built for modern graphic designers and it’s easy to use. As a native app, Sketch allows you to design in a way that makes sense for you.

If you’re already used to working with Photoshop or Illustrator, switching over to Sketch will be a breeze. You’ll also get some handy tools that aren’t available in Adobe apps, like the ability to create shapes with multiple borders and fills and the option to apply shadows and blending modes on a per-layer basis. Best of all, Sketch is free!

And if those reasons weren’t enough, here’s one more: because the Sketch community is so large (and awesome), there are plenty of helpful resources available online—like tutorials, plugins, and even pre-made templates that can speed up your workflow and help inspire your next big project.

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4. InVision Studio

InVision Studio is the world’s most powerful screen design tool. Built for the needs of today’s UX/UI professionals, it gives you the freedom to design, animate, prototype, and collaborate on your products—all in one place. It’s everything you need to go from brainstorming to production.

Studio Beta is universal—it works with Mac as well as Windows! While we’re still focused on supporting our native apps across all platforms, we’re also working toward bringing these features directly into Studio so you can access them anytime, anywhere. We’ve got a lot more power moves to come soon!

5. Balsamiq

Balsamiq is a rapid wireframing tool that helps you work faster & smarter. Its simple interface and ease of use make it an indispensable tool for your project, whether you’re working alone or in a team. Balsamiq Mockups make it easy to create great user interfaces quickly and collaboratively. With its hand-drawn look, it’s the perfect wireframing tool for all kinds of projects from websites to mobile apps.

Best of all, it’s easy to prototype using drag and drop tools with pre-built components such as buttons, icons, tabs, etc. You can also share your mockups with others so they can give feedback on them before you start coding anything!

6. Affinity Designer

Affinity Designer is a fantastic tool for graphic designers. It can be used to create professional designs across various media types. It has a super clean, easy-to-use UI and plenty of advanced features as well such as a pen, vector brush, pencil, and text tools.

Affinity Designer is available on Mac, Windows, and iOS so you can use whichever version suits your operating system best. It’s also very affordable at $49 compared to other design software like Adobe Illustrator which costs $19.99 per month in the US or £19.99 per month in the UK with an annual contract (or pay more if you want something else too).

This makes Affinity Designer one of our favorite alternatives for Adobe Illustrator!

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7. Webflow

Webflow is a design tool for web designers. It’s like Photoshop but for the browser, so it allows its users to create responsive websites without writing code.

In short, you can use Webflow to design, build and launch responsive websites visually. If you’re familiar with tools like Photoshop or Sketch, then you’ll feel at home in Webflow. You can create your own designs from scratch or start from one of the many templates available.

As a designer myself I can’t say that I miss coding anymore; with Webflow creating websites has become so much easier that I don’t need to write code anymore. Now the only thing I have to do is create my design and if needed tweak some styles that might not come out as expected during development (sometimes developers are better than me at this).

The best part about using Webflow is that you don’t need to be an expert coder to use it because most of the time all you will be doing is moving things around with your mouse and keyboard instead of writing actual lines of code which would take a lot longer and sometimes be a bit frustrating as well (at least for me).

8. Atomic Design

Brad Frost, the creator of Atomic Design and author of [Atomic Web Design]), breaks down how to systematically break down a website design with this metaphor:

The fundamental building blocks (i.e. atoms) combine in various ways (i.e. molecules) to form larger more complex components that can be reused throughout an interface (i.e organisms). Then each organism has different variations which can be seen as states or templates for that organism (templates are known as pages in Atomic Design).

Another way to describe atomic design is a recipe for making sure your design is consistent; it makes sure all the parts are made from the same stuff, and aims to remove any inconsistencies from your website’s design system!

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9. Formcrafts

Sick of wasting time on cumbersome form builders? FormCrafts, a simple yet powerful online form builder, lets you create beautiful forms in minutes.

With its drag-and-drop interface and no coding skills required, FormCrafts is the perfect tool for freelancers who want to get their forms up and running quickly. You can customize your forms to fit your brand with dozens of beautiful templates, And best of all: it integrates seamlessly with PayPal or Stripe for seamless payment collection.

10. Gravit.io

Gravit.io is your one-stop-shop for all of the design needs of a freelancer, from web design to logos to print materials and more. Whether you’re designing icons, mockups, wireframes or illustrations, Gravit has you covered with easy-to-use tools that make even the most complex designs feel simple.

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Wrapping Up

In the old days, it was tough for freelancers to design a website by themselves. But now, there are lots of tools to help you easily design a website by yourself. These tools can help you design and build your own website. And they also help designers and developers work together more efficiently.

These tools fall into two main categories: those that help you design your website (for example, wireframing tools), and those that help you build a website (such as CSS frameworks). Some tools do both, depending on how you use them. We’ll cover both kinds of tools in this article.

People Also Ask

What’s The Best Web Design Software For Freelancers?

The answer depends on what you’re trying to do and what your needs are. If you’re a content creator and you want to start a website for your blog, then something like WordPress or Squarespace might be a good option.

If you’re building an eCommerce site with a shopping cart, then something like Shopify might be the way to go. There are lots of different options, and the best one is going to depend on what you want to achieve with your site—so make sure you have a clear vision before you start deciding on tools.

How Much Does Web Design Cost?

Web design costs can vary tremendously. Some web design platforms offer free services, but they typically have limited functionality and may not be that customizable. Paid web design services can range from $5 per month for services like Wix all the way up to the thousands for services that offer custom designs and advanced features.

What Are The Basic Tools In Web Design?

You need a lot of different tools to be a successful web designer, but you can simplify things by dividing them into three categories: design, development, and management.

Design tools are all about the look and feel of your website, whether that’s wireframing it or picking out colors. Development tools are all about the back end of your site—the parts that aren’t visible to users—including testing and debugging.

Management tools are all about helping you manage your website after launch, including marketing and customer service.

Which Programming Language Is Best For Web Design?

It depends on what kind of site you want to build! Python helps you build interactive websites quickly and easily, while JavaScript is great for building dynamic websites that can handle user input more effectively. HTML/CSS is essential for any website designer to know, though—it’s what makes your site look the way it does!

What Are CSS Preprocessors?

CSS preprocessors can help you write smarter code and transform it into something browsers can read. They’re a great way to save time—and money—as a developer because they do so much of the heavy lifting for you.

You can use preprocessors like Sass and LESS to write your CSS in a more modular way, and then they’ll compile it into one file that you can use on your website. They’ll also help you avoid repetition, which saves you time and helps keep your code clean and readable.

How Do I Make Sure My Code Is Clean?

A: Well-written code makes everything easier. It helps Google index your site efficiently and users find what they need quickly. It also makes life easier for developers because it prevents bugs and keeps sites running smoothly.

So how do you make sure your code is clean? First, use the latest version of HTML and CSS, since older versions can cause compatibility issues when viewed on the latest browsers. Then use a linter like JSLint or JSHint to check for errors in your JavaScript or HTML, respectively.

How Do I Find Freelancers?

You can either go on a freelance platform like Upwork or Freelancer, post your project and wait for offers to come in.

OR you can search for freelancers on Google; look for their portfolios and send them an e-mail if you like what you see.

How Much Do I Pay A Freelancer?

That depends on your budget and how much work is involved. A good guideline is to pay around $20 per hour for simple tasks, $40 per hour for more complex ones, and $60+ per hour for web design and development.

What Are The Most Important Things To Look For When Hiring A Freelancer?

The most important thing is to always ask for references from previous clients/projects before hiring someone because there are no guarantees that they’ll do a good job—even if they say they will! (Unless they have testimonials)

What Are Web Design Tools?

Web design tools are useful bits of software that can be used to help make your job as a web designer easier. These tools can be used to streamline the process of creating websites and other digital designs, making them more attractive and easier to manage.

How Can I Become A Freelance Web Designer?

You don’t have to have an official degree in order to work as a freelance web designer, but it certainly helps if you have some training or experience in graphic design or computer science. Having knowledge about programming languages like HTML and CSS will also come in handy when starting out as a freelancer.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.