Web designing is a very trending and in-demand profession. It pays well, but it also requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Web designers have to deal with many obstacles when they are trying to build the perfect website, which can be difficult at times.
In order to handle these difficulties, the designer needs a lot of tools and resources that can help them get through. The good news is that the internet is full of helpful tools and articles that can make the design process much easier.
But before starting any design, there are fundamental things or tools that you need to know to build a branded website. Make sure to keep this list handy, and think of it as your own virtual toolbox.
- Logo
- Fonts pair (Heading and paragraphs)
- Color mix/Color pallettes
- Photos
- Symbols + Icons
- Design Inspiration
Next, you need to know where to find them, so in this blog post, we will share some of the best resources for web designing that are available online. We hope that you find these helpful and informative!
Before The Design Phase
Before you even start designing, there are a few things that you need to do. These preliminary steps will help set the stage for a successful design process.
Best Sources for Web Design Inspiration: Best Website Gallery, Behance, and Awwwards
The first step is to gather inspiration. Look at other websites and take note of what you like and don’t like about them. This can give you an idea of the kind of style you want to go for.
There are a few great resources for finding web design inspiration, including Best Website Gallery, Behance, and Awwwards. These sites have a huge database of highly-curated galleries that have been submitted by designers all over the world.
Designers can find a variety of different design styles to inspire them, and they can also submit their own work to be featured on these websites.
Best Tools for Creating A Style Guide or Mood Board: Pinterest, Evernote, and MURAL
Once you have gathered some inspiration, it’s time to start creating a style guide or mood board. This will help you nail down the look and feel of your website. A style guide is a document that outlines the specific fonts, colors, and styles that you want to use on your website. A mood board is a collection of images and other design elements that represent the feel of your website.
There are a few great tools that can help you create style guides and mood boards. Pinterest, Evernote, and MURAL are all great options. They allow you to easily collect images and other design elements, which can then be used to create your style guide or mood board.
During The Design Phase
Once you have completed the preliminary steps, it’s time to start designing! This is where the real work begins. While this can be a challenging process, there are plenty of resources and tools that can help you out.
Best Tools for Sketches and Wireframes: Balsamiq, Adobe XD, and Sketch
Once you have a general idea of the look and feel of your website, it’s time to start creating sketches and wireframes. Sketches are rough drawings that help you visualize the layout and structure of your website. Wireframes are more detailed than sketches, and they show the exact placement of all the elements on your website.
There are a few great tools that can help you with this stage of the design process. Balsamiq, Adobe XD, and Sketch are all great options. They allow you to easily create sketches and wireframes, which can then be used to build your final website design.
Best Tools for Prototyping: InVision, Marvel, and Proto.io
Once you have created a sketch or wireframe of your website, it’s time to start prototyping. Prototyping is the process of creating a working version of your website that can be used to test out the design. This allows you to see how the website will look and function in real life.
There are a few great tools that can help you with this stage of the design process. InVision, Marvel, and Proto.io are all great options. They allow you to easily create prototypes of your website, which can then be used to test out the design.
Best Web design software for web designers: Webflow
Web design software is a very important tool for web designers. It allows them to create and design websites, as well as test how they will look before they are published. There are a number of different website builder software available, but the best one by far is Webflow.
Webflow is the best web design software because it is easy to use. It’s easy to make edits, changes, and updates without affecting the design, allowing you to stay in control of your website.
Still, Webflow has a lot of features to offer, such as Webflow CMS, that allows you to create beautiful and professional-looking websites. Webflow CMS is a powerful content management system that allows you to easily create and manage your website’s content.
Another great thing about Webflow is that there is a huge community of users who are always happy to help out if you have any questions. There are also a number of pre-made templates available that you can use as a starting point for your designs. Webflow also has a powerful CSS editor that lets you customize every aspect of your website.
Websites designed in Webflow are guaranteed to have responsive layouts, which means they will look great on different devices. If you are looking for a powerful and easy-to-use web design software program, then Webflow is definitely the best option available. Sign up now and be a Webflow expert in no time!
Best template site: Theme forest
Designers need a web design template site for a few reasons. The first reason is that it’s a great way to get started on a project. When you have a template to work from, it’s easier to get a sense of the overall structure of the website. Additionally, using a template can help you stay organized and on track.
Another reason why designers need a web design template is that it’s a great resource for finding high-quality designs. Theme forest is one of the best sites for finding website layouts and templates because it has such a large selection of templates to choose from. In addition, all of the templates on Theme forest are created by professional designers, so you can be sure that the quality will be top-notch.
Theme forest is also a great site for finding templates that are compatible with a wide range of web browsers, which is important because it ensures that your website will look good no matter which browser someone uses to view it. Additionally, there’s a forum on Theme forest where you can ask questions and get feedback from other designers. It is a great resource if you need help with your template or if you want to find out more about how to use it effectively.
Best Web design color tools: Adobe Color CC, Coolors, and SchemeColor
Adobe Color CC is the best web design color tool available today. With its simple and intuitive interface, Adobe Color CC is a must-have tool for any web designer. Some of the other best features of Adobe Color CC include:
- The ability to create and save custom color palettes.
- The ability to experiment with different color combinations.
- The ability to share a color palette with others.
- A wide range of pre-made color palettes is available for download.
- Integration with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe XD, and other Adobe products.
Coolors is another great color tool that web designers should check out. It has an interface that is very similar to Adobe Color CC, and it also allows you to create and save custom color palettes. Coolors is a great tool for finding complementary colors, and it also has a feature that lets you export your color palette as a PDF or PNG file.
SchemeColor is also worth checking out. It is a free web design color tool that has a simple and easy-to-use interface. SchemeColor allows you to create custom color schemes, and it also has a feature that lets you export your color scheme as an SVG file, which makes SchemeColor a great tool for designing logos and other vector graphics.
Best Web design icon resources: Iconfinder, Pixeden, and The Noun Project
Iconfinder is a great resource for finding icons. You can search for icons by keyword, category, or collection. Iconfinder also has a library of free and premium icons. You can also download vector icons in multiple formats, including PNG, SVG, and EPS.
Another great resource for finding icons is Pixeden. Pixeden has a library of high-quality icons that you can download for free. In addition, Pixeden also has a collection of premium icon packs that you can purchase.
The Noun Project is also worth checking out. It is a library of free vector icons that you can use for your projects. The icons are available in multiple formats, including SVG, AI, and PDF.
Best Web typography resources: Google Fonts
Google Fonts is a great resource for finding web typography. It provides a wide variety of fonts that you can use for your website’s web page. You can also customize the font to match the design of your website.
The best thing about Google Fonts is that it’s free to use. You can add fonts to your website without any restrictions. This makes it a great choice for small businesses and bloggers who are on a tight budget.
Google Fonts also has a user-friendly interface. You can easily find the font you need by browsing through the different categories. You can also preview the fonts before you add them to your website.
Google Fonts is a great resource for web designers who want to improve their typography skills. It’s easy to use and provides a wide variety of fonts that you can experiment with. So, if you’re looking for a great way to improve your web design skills, Google Fonts is the perfect resource for you.
Best stock photo resources: Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels, and Freepik
A good stock photo resource will have a wide variety of free-version photos that can be used for different purposes. Designers need access to high-quality images, and Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels, and Freepik are the best resources for finding these photos.
The photos on these sites are free to use, and they are all high quality. This makes it easy for designers to find the perfect photo for their projects. Designers can find everything they need on these sites, from travel photos to product shots.
What’s more, these free tools are constantly updating their library of photos, so designers can always find the latest and greatest photos. If you’re looking for high-quality stock photos, check these sites out!
Best Web design background+texture resources: The Pattern Library
The Pattern Library is a comprehensive resource that provides designers with high-quality resources for creating beautiful and effective web designs. The website includes a wide variety of background textures and patterns, which can be used to create unique and eye-catching web pages.
The Pattern Library compiles patterns shared by designers from all over the world, so users can be sure that they are getting high-quality resources. In addition to backgrounds, the website also offers fonts, icons, and other design elements.
The site also has a search feature, which makes it easy to find specific patterns or textures. Also, the Pattern Library is regularly updated with new technologies and resources, so designers can keep their designs fresh and up-to-date.
After The Design Phase
Once the design is finalized, it’s time for the next step: web development. This is where the website is brought to life and made functional. However, it’s important to track its performance and make changes as needed. This involves using analytics tools to gather data about how people are using the website.
The best tools for this are Google Analytics and Hotjar. Google Analytics is a free tool that provides data about website traffic. This information can be used to make decisions about what content to keep or remove from the website. In addition, Google Analytics can help you understand your audience and their needs.
Hotjar is also a free tool that can be used to understand how users interact with your website. It records user behavior and provides feedback about how people are using your website. This information can be used to improve the design and usability of your website.
Both Google Analytics and Hotjar are essential tools for understanding how your website is performing. They provide data that can be used to make informed decisions about how to improve your website.
Final Thoughts
The resources we’ve shared should help you get started thinking about how to create a stellar web design or marketing plan. If all of this sounds intimidating and you want help enacting these principles, let us know. Our team of experts is ready and waiting to partner with you to create an awesome website or personal and commercial projects that drive sales by considering your target website visitors’ needs before they even realize what those needs might be! Which resource have you used in the past? What’s your favorite? Do you know other additional resources designers and web developers may need? Let us know in the comments!
