In a world where everything has suddenly gone virtual, UX designers are emerging to close the gap between the digital world and the real world. The user experience has become so important that 38 percent of users will now completely abandon a website if they find the design unattractive.
The user experience is much more than just how users view your website design. It engulfs the entire journey users have with your brand, including any feelings they have about the company.
If you’re looking to improve your UX, keep reading to discover the best tools for UX design that can make your life easier and more productive.
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1. Adobe XD
Everyone knows Adobe is on top of the design world, offering endless products and services to assist in all your design needs. The Adobe XD software comes loaded with features like:
- Wireframing
- Prototyping
- Animation
- Testing
Adobe also makes it extremely easy for collaboration with publishable links for co-editing. Allowing users to work together in real-time. And a bonus, if you’re a UX designer familiar with other Adobe products, the user face should be relatively easy to work with.
2. Sketch
Sketch was built explicitly for designers and has become one of the most popular design tools for building websites and other applications. The ease of use makes it a tool anyone can use, from professionals to people just beginning their design careers.
Over the years, Sketch has come a long way, with over a million users now trusting the platform for creating, prototyping, and collaborating ideas. Sketch is comparable to photoshop in many ways, with added functionality to make designers’ lives easier.
3. Figma
Figma is a newer design tool that has grown immensely since its launch in 2016. It is similar to Sketch in many ways but has an advantage as it runs in the cloud and doesn’t require a specific operating system.
Collaboration is effortless, with developers and designers able to work together using slack software. Every time edits are completed on Figma, slack will message everyone on the team, letting them know modifications have been made. This way, nobody will be left out of the circle, and everyone will be on the same page when it comes time to begin work.
The major advantage Figma has over other programs is the abundance of tools that are offered, making it unnecessary to use third-party tools.
4. Axure RP
A popular design tool among enterprises, Axure RP, is an easy-to-use, all-in-one platform that comes fully loaded with features. It’s so popular, in fact, that over 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies are currently using the design platform.
Axure is a high fidelity application, giving users a chance to view prototypes in the final development stages. This allows the UX designer to interact with their program in detail, with the added functionality to ensure it’s functioning correctly.
They also focus on collaboration to keep everyone on the team up to date with information and aware of any changes.
5. Origami Studio
Created by Facebook for Facebook developers, Oragami Studio has made quite the name for itself in the world of design. Being used to create applications like Instagram and Messenger, Oragami has earned its place as a top UX design tool.
The program is free to use and hosts various features that help build prototypes and interact with them. However, the interface is a bit more advanced and less user friendly than others, making it difficult for beginners to pick it up.
6. Decibel
Decibel is a unique design tool that can harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify problem areas with your customer experience. The software uses AI to analyze the users and discover insights that can be addressed to improve your unique customer experience.
Several large corporations use Decibels software, including:
- Sony
- Allstate
- Adidas
- And CVS
Several customers have improved their customer experience by utilizing Decibels software. If you’re interested in learning more about how it can help your work, you can review your options here.
7. Webflow
Without knowing how to code, Webflow gives designers the ability to design, build, and publish their work with a visual interface. This way, designers without any development experience can work independently and publish their work without needing a developer’s assistance.
And if you are working with a developer, Webflow can generate code including HTML and CSS for you to hand over, simplifying the whole process.
8. Color Safe
Colors are a critical part of any design and can influence how users feel and react to certain products. Color Safe can help UX designers generate and select the perfect color palettes.
Not only does Color Safe help you generate color schemes, but it also verifies the contrast between foreground, background, and text colors. Using this type of software you can allow your visual elements to pop and grab the user’s attention.
9. Optimizely
Another area where designers could use some assistance is with testing different versions to see what users are reacting to. Optimizely utilizes the A/B testing method to test two different versions and comparing them to see which one is better based on real data.
Over 20 of the fortune 500 companies, including IBM, HP, and American Express, use Optimizely’s services to better their user experience.
10. XMind
Have you ever had trouble organizing your thoughts? Or maybe you have a great idea but don’t know where to get started. With XMind, you can manage your thoughts and map them out using functional diagramming tools and other innovative resources.
XMind can be a useful tool for designers to break up projects and visualize them in a way that makes sense. You can also view your saved work on any device at any time you need, making for easy reference on the go.
Using Tools for UX Design to Make Your Life Easier
Advances in technology have given designers an excellent opportunity to utilize tools and resources to build innovative, stylish designs without worrying about learning any additional coding. They have also brought teams closer than ever, giving them the ability to collaborate and build amazing products.
If you’d like to learn more about the top tools for UX design and how they can improve your work, check out the rest of our website for more information!