Digital designers are artists who create visual elements for websites, apps, and other digital products. While their creativity is the driving force behind their work, they need the right tools to bring their ideas to life and they need to be trained on these tools.
Below are the five most popular tools used by digital designers today. This is where we encourage you to start if you are interested in a career using digital skills.
Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Creative Cloud is a suite of software that includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more. These programs are essential for creating graphics, logos, and layouts for websites and apps. Adobe Creative Cloud also includes video editing software like Premiere Pro and After Effects.
Photoshop is probably the most popular tool in this suite because it allows designers to manipulate images in countless ways. They can crop, resize, adjust colors, add filters or effects, and much more.
Illustrator is another favorite among digital designers because it's perfect for creating vector graphics like logos or icons. It's also great for designing illustrations or typography.
InDesign is ideal for designing layouts for print or digital publications like brochures or magazines.
Sketch
Sketch is a vector-based design tool that's becoming increasingly popular among digital designers. It's particularly useful for designing interfaces and user experience (UX) elements like buttons or menus.
Sketch has a simple interface that makes it easy to use even for beginners. It also has features like artboards which allow designers to create multiple versions of a design on one canvas.
Figma
Figma is another design tool that's gaining popularity among UX/UI designers. Like Sketch, it's particularly useful for designing interfaces and collaborating with other team members on designs.
One of Figma's standout features is its collaborative capabilities. Multiple people can work on a design at once in real-time which makes it ideal for remote teams.
Figma also has powerful prototyping features which allow designers to create interactive prototypes of their designs without leaving the application.
Canva
Canva is a web-based graphic design tool that's perfect for non-designers who need to create simple graphics quickly. It has thousands of templates available so users can easily create social media posts, flyers, business cards, and more.
Canva also has a drag-and-drop interface which makes it easy to use even if you have no design experience at all.
InVision
InVision is a prototyping tool that allows designers to create interactive prototypes of their designs quickly and easily. It also has collaboration features so teams can work together on designs in real-time.
InVision has become an essential tool in many UX/UI designer's workflows because it allows them to test out their designs before they're developed into working products.
How Do You Learn These Tools?
If you are new to the field of graphic design, you may be wondering where to start with these tools and how you can learn digital design in general. We at Bay Valley Tech are proud to offer a digital skills bootcamp where we show you popular design tools like these, as well as other essentials needed for a career in graphic design. You’ll work with instructors who have real-world experience and we’ll connect you with potential job prospects at the end of the program. Sounds like a great program, right?
Get started today by filling out our online application. Admission is free to qualified students!