5 Useful Tools for Web Designers

A web designer’s work resides online and therefore tools are needed to make the process easier. There are hundreds of programs available online but there are only a few that can be actually useful in day to day tasks. We selected the following tools and consider them to be essential to web designers and developers.

Adobe Edge Code

Every web developer needs a reliable coding program that writes HTML, CSS, PHP, and more languages with ease. Without primary software, workflow is distracted and the task of coding becomes time-consuming.

Adobe Edge Code features a beautiful design, an easy writing canvas and even suggests and fills in lines for efficient coding.

Google Fonts

A great website is nothing without great fonts to complement its design and code. But the problem is, integrating a non-standard font into a webpage is a difficult process. Even when integrated, if the user doesn’t have the specific font installed on their computer they’ll view replacement fonts like Times New Roman and Arial – which disrupts the web designer’s vision for the website. Fonts play a major role in the design.

Google Fonts is a universal set of fonts that only needs a line of code into a website to start working. All of the fonts are beautiful and some even replace non-standard fonts designers love.

WordPress

A content management system is a platform for websites that lets the user easily edit and update content – without touching a line of code.

WordPress powers millions of websites and is a very helpful tool for web designers, especially for their clients.

When all of the coding is completed, WordPress is a system that handles and manages future updates.

Adobe Photoshop

Another Adobe tool that is essential for a web designer is Photoshop. Photoshop is the industry standard for image editing and website mockup design for both Windows and Mac operating systems.  While starting with HTML first is satisfactory, to better organise your ideas and visuals, creating a PSD file is best.

The slicing tool makes it possible to easily convert your mockup designs to a real website. Other useful tools include brushes, actions, and layers. Even with a web designer doesn’t double as a developer, Photoshop makes it effortless to share and edit files between the two professionals.

Photoshop also creates web graphics that can be used in header images, banners, logos, advertisements, as well as other visuals that are fundamental to a webpage.

Adobe Fireworks

Adobe Fireworks is a premium vector and raster editing software that doubles as a website design mockup program like Photoshop.

It features slicing, converting a design to an interactive PDF, and other capabilities to create professional prototypes of full webpage layouts.

There are many other web design tools to consider, but this list is comprised of the best and most fundamental to the everyday life of a web designer.

Contact efficient web designers today and be always up to date with the latest technology, tools, and trends. To find out more about our professional services, visit http://www.jtbstudios.com.au