When you are talking about web design, you are probably thinking about UI design – despite UX (user experience) being equally important (and different from UI), UI design remains one of the top things that come to mind when considering web design.
UI (user interference) design can be considered an intermediate between computers or any other device and humans. It is all about look and feel. Every element (buttons, menu, search bars) you interact with is a part of UI design. The goal is to create easily navigable, visually appealing, and intuitive websites. Click here to read more about UI design and the difference between UI and UX.
What are UI design tools?
UI designers use various tools. UI design tools are software applications that help to create the visual elements and layout of digital interfaces, such as websites, mobile apps, and other interactive platforms. They ensure that a website is not only visually appealing but also functional.
These tools focus on three main areas, design, prototyping, and collaboration. They involve some functions, from wireframing, the very first step of UI design, to creating the final version. There are a lot of UI design tools to choose from.
The most popular UI design tools
As we stated before, UI design tools are crucial in creating visually appealing, functional, and user-friendly interfaces. Today, we will discuss some of the most widely used tools – Figma, Sketch, PSD (Adobe Photoshop), and Adobe XD:
- Figma is one of the most popular UI design tools today, known for its collaboration features. Being a web-based platform, Figma allows multiple designers, developers, and stakeholders to work on the same project simultaneously in real-time. This makes it ideal for remote teams or collaborative projects where immediate feedback is crucial. One of the main advantages of Figma is its cross-platform compatibility. Since it’s web-based, it works seamlessly on both Mac and Windows operating systems, unlike some tools that are exclusive to one platform. Figma also allows easy prototyping, letting designers create interactive prototypes that can be shared with clients or team members for feedback;
- Sketch is a powerful, vector-based design tool specifically built for Mac users. It was one of the first tools designed with UI and UX in mind and quickly gained popularity for its simplicity and efficiency. Sketch’s interface is clean and user-friendly, making it a favorite among many designers. One of the key benefits of Sketch is its plugin ecosystem. There are hundreds of plugins available that extend Sketch’s capabilities, ranging from workflow automation to advanced prototyping tools. This makes Sketch highly customizable and adaptable to a variety of design processes;
- Adobe Photoshop, often abbreviated as PSD, has been a staple in the design world for decades. While Photoshop is primarily known as a photo editing tool, it also has extensive capabilities for UI design. Designers can use Photoshop’s pixel-based system to create highly detailed and visually rich interfaces, especially for web and mobile applications. One of Photoshop’s biggest strengths is its versatility. It can handle everything from image editing to creating complex UI designs. The layer-based workflow in Photoshop allows designers to organize and manipulate different design elements easily;
- Adobe XD is Adobe’s tool for UI/UX design and prototyping. Unlike Photoshop, which is a multi-purpose tool, XD was built specifically with interface design in mind. It offers a clean, intuitive interface and a set of features that make it ideal for designing and prototyping user experiences for websites and mobile apps. One of XD’s main advantages is its seamless integration with other Adobe products, such as Illustrator and Photoshop. This allows designers to import and export assets easily, making the workflow smoother for those already embedded in the Adobe ecosystem. Moreover, it also allows real-time collaboration.
What to choose?
What tool should you choose? The choice of tool often depends on the project requirements and the specific workflow preferences of the design team. Each tool has advantages and disadvantages, often people choose Figma for real-time collaboration, Sketch for simplicity, Photoshop for pixel-perfect designs, or Adobe XD for its all-around capabilities.
Not all companies have the capabilities and resources to create UI design. That’s why Adveits store is offering to purchase Figma, Sketch, PSD, and Adobe XD UI design.