In today’s digital era, graphic design is a cornerstone for vision communication, branding, and storytelling. Designers need powerful software tools in this competitive environment to enhance creativity and efficiency. In this article, we bring you a carefully selected list of 25 graphic designer tools that will change your workflow and get higher quality to your output. These tools range from leading software applications to web platforms with innovative features and functions, and they all cater to the needs of modern design projects. With these at your disposal, get ready for a complete change in how you think about graphic design.
Graphic designers know how hard it is to stay ahead of the curve in a highly competitive global market. Your clients expect you to keep up with the trends. Young and talented designers introduce new ideas. Creative blocks seem to appear out of nowhere.
So, what can you do about it?
Are you struggling to manage your position as a web and graphic designer in this rapidly transforming design landscape? Tired of using outdated designer tools that don’t even resonate with your creative goals or boost your design functionality? Many designers are facing the same problems as yours, as they lag in using new technologies and tools.
The design industry is booming with creative designer tools that are changing the approach and way of designing, making creative activities more accessible and compelling than ever! Elevate your designing skills with the latest designer tools and touch the new heights of success in 2024.
In this blog post, we will explore 20 of the latest web and graphic designer tools you should use to make outstanding creatives in 2024. These trending tools help you boost your creative skills and workflows and allow you to stay on the competitive curve.
There’s no magic formula, but graphic design blogs may serve as a good starting point. They are precious learning resources for all those on the lookout for design inspiration. We’ve compiled a list of the top 11 graphic design blogs that you should follow in 2025.
Here is a list of the best software and hardware tools in the field today, coming highly recommended by top-notch graphic designers who know their stuff. These tools are tried and tested and can help you dazzle clients by casting your greatest graphic design spells. Buckle up and get ready to make digital art at the speed of thought!
Designers nowadays mostly commonly utilize various trending designer tools. Canva is the most popular one in the design industry, but there are also other designer tools, like InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Sketch, and more! In addition to these trending tools, web and graphic designers also heavily rely on other devices such as cameras, laptops, and tablets.
Designer tools are generally used to create, modify, and develop web and graphic designs. There exist plenty of designer tools, each with its own functionalities and features. Depending on the standout features, designers can create and develop illustrations, edit or modify images, make logos & icons, and format different types of layouts.
You can choose between free and paid tools according to your creative demands. Regardless of the budget, pick the one that best suits your creativity needs.
What Benefits You Can Get from Designer Tools?
Designer tools offer a variety of benefits for all web and graphic designers, whether a newbie or an expert designing professional. I will highlight the six key advantages that can hugely impact creative skills and practices below:
Higher Creativity: Different web and graphic designer tools offer a vast number of advanced features, design elements, and AI suggestions that help boost the levels of creativity. These advanced features allow you to experience new creative opportunities and go beyond your levels of imagination. This enables you to create engaging and alluring visuals to grab the attention of viewers.
High-Quality Performance: Advanced design tools are decked up with the latest technologies that guarantee high-quality performance. From accurate layout designs to high-end illustrations, these advanced tools help a designer develop fine works that match the latest industry standards and grab the attention of potential clients.
Time & cost saver: Designer tools save effort and time through task automation, offering pre-designed templates and managing workflows. This feature reduces the time one takes for a project and allows a designer to take on more project work within a limited time without lowering the quality of the designs.
Boosts Efficiency: These advanced and AI-powered designer tools increase your productivity by offering user-friendly interfaces and collaborative as well as automated features. You can complete your creative projects faster with reduced numbers of errors and manual efforts with these trending web and graphic designer tools.
More Scalability: Advanced tools are highly scalable as they provide huge flexibility and features to manage complex designing projects, whether you have small projects or big commercial ones. These designer tools guarantee you higher design skills without breaking the bank.
Easy Accessibility: The modern design tools are specially curated with user friendly in mind, featuring easy-to-understand tutorials. This ease of access makes these designer tools for both newbie and experienced professionals, permitting one to learn and use these advanced tools quickly despite their knowledge and skills.
Best Graphic Design Softwares
Here we will be covering software for graphics designing which are efficient and can accomplish your designing tasks.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a professional-grade image editing software developed by Adobe Inc. It is widely used by graphic designers, photographers, and digital artists to manipulate and enhance digital images.
Features of Adobe Photoshop
- Layer-Based Editing: Organize and edit different elements separately.
- Selection Tools: Precisely select and manipulate parts of an image.
- Retouching Tools: Easily remove flaws and enhance details.
- Filters and Effects: Apply various effects to create stunning visuals.
- Text Tools: Add and customize text within your designs.
- Drawing and Painting: Create artwork with a variety of brushes and tools.
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Canva
Canva is a graphic design platform that allows users to create various types of visual content such as presentations, social media graphics, posters, flyers, logos, and more. It was founded in 2012 by Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams in Sydney, Australia.
Canva offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of design templates, graphics, fonts, and photos that users can use to create their designs. It also provides a drag-and-drop functionality, making it easy for users to add elements and customize their designs.
Features of Canva
- Content Creation: Create various types of content.
- Drag and Drop: Easily add elements to designs.
- Templates: Access a large library of templates.
- Photo Editing: Enhance images.
- Stock Images: Use free stock photos, icons, and fonts.
- Collaboration: Work with others.
- User-Friendly: Accessible to users without design experience.
- Free: Create professional designs without expensive tools.
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Figma
Figma is a cloud-based design tool used for creating user interfaces, web and mobile apps, and other digital designs. It was launched in 2016 and has quickly gained popularity among designers due to its collaboration features, accessibility, and ease of use.
Features of Figma
- Collaboration: Multiple users can work together in real-time.
- Design Flexibility: Figma supports various design stages, from sketches to high-fidelity mockups.
- Prototyping: Interactive prototypes can be built and tested directly on smartphones.
- Design System Management: Figma helps define and manage design systems for consistency.
- Handoff to Developers: Easy sharing of design information, including redlines and measurements.
- Customization: Figma’s API and plugin system allow for customization and extension of the tool.
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Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor which has been developed by Adobe Systems. It is widely used by graphic designers, artists, and illustrators for creating illustrations, logos, icons, typography, and other vector-based graphics.
Features of Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Stock Integration: Access to millions of high-quality images and graphics.
- Faster Performance: Improved speed and performance.
- Smart Guides: Align and space objects with ease.
- Shaper Tool: Convert natural gestures into geometric shapes.
- Real-Time Drawing: Draw and edit in real-time.
- Cloud Libraries: Store and access design assets from anywhere.
- Integration with Other Adobe Products: Seamless integration with other Adobe apps.
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Procreate
Procreate is a popular digital painting app for the iPad that is used by artists and designers for creating detailed illustrations, designs, and animations. It offers a wide range of features that allow users to create stunning artwork with ease.
Features of Procreate
- Powerful brush engine for creating textures and effects
- Over 200 customizable brushes for painting, animation, and 3D model painting
- Advanced color management for precise control over palettes and adjustments
- Multiple layers for complex compositions and easy management of artwork elements
- Transformation tools for scaling, rotating, and moving elements
- Apple Pencil integration with advanced features like barrel roll, squeeze, and haptic feedback
- M2 chip support for smoother and more efficient performance, especially in 3D painting
- Freehand selection with hover preview for precise control
- Intuitive gestures for on-the-fly brush control and adjustments
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CorelDRAW
CorelDRAW is a vector graphics editor that is popular among designers for its powerful tools for creating logos, illustrations, and other graphics. It offers a wide range of features that enable users to create complex designs with ease.
Features of CorelDRAW
- Vector illustration tools for creating complex designs
- Page layout tools for creating multi-page documents
- Typography tools for arranging and styling text
- Photo editing tools for adjusting and enhancing images
- AI-powered tools for improving image quality and creating HDR photos
- Cloud collaboration for real-time feedback and commenting
- Scripting support for automating tasks and cross-platform scripting
- File format compatibility for easy import and export
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Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is a page layout software used for creating print and digital documents such as brochures, magazines, and ebooks. It offers a range of features that enable users to create complex layouts with ease.
Features of Adobe InDesign
- Page Control: Add objects, scale, and create sections for better page layout.
- Collaboration: Share work with peers using cloud storage and capture text or color from images.
- Integration: Works seamlessly with other Adobe apps like Illustrator and Photoshop.
- Text and Image Features: Modify text spacing and apply styles, and generate images from text.
- Sharing and Feedback: Share links for feedback and read comments in-app.
- Accessibility and Publishing: Create accessible PDFs and publish interactive documents.
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Sketch
Sketch is a vector graphics editor and digital design tool that is popular among designers for creating user interfaces, web designs, and icons. It offers a range of features that enable users to create designs quickly and easily.
Features of Sketch
- Drawing and Editing Tools: Standard tools for creating and editing shapes, text, and other design elements.
- Grids and Precision Tools: Grids and precision tools for precise design work.
- Hotspots and Linking: Create interactive prototypes by defining hotspots and linking elements.
- Importing Images and Text: Import images and text to populate their prototypes.
- Customizable Design Elements: Create reusable design elements and customize their designs.
- Templates and Integration: Preloaded templates and integrates with various prototyping, collaboration, and version control tools.
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Affinity Designer
Affinity Designer is a vector graphics editor that is popular among designers for creating illustrations, logos, and other graphics. It offers a wide range of features that enable users to create complex designs with ease.
Features of Affinity Designer
- Non-Destructive Editing: Unlimited layers, real-time views, and precise selections.
- Vector and Raster Capabilities: Vector pen and shape tools, custom brushes, and dynamic symbols.
- Performance and Compatibility: Handles thousands of objects, zooms up to 1,000,000%, and supports various file formats.
- Design and Layout Tools: Unlimited artboards, advanced typography, and professional output options.
- No Subscription: One-time purchase with no monthly costs.
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Gravit Designer
Gravit Designer is a vector graphics editor that is available both as a web app and a desktop app. It is a popular choice among designers for creating illustrations, logos, and other graphics.
Features of Gravit Designer
- Cross-Platform: Works on web, desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), and mobile (iOS, Android).
- Vector Graphics: Create high-quality illustrations, logos, etc., scalable without losing quality.
- Tools: Includes Pen, Shape, Text, Knife, and Bezigon tools for easy design creation.
- Layers: Organize designs efficiently with a layers panel.
- Typography: Advanced text features like styles, text on path, and typography controls.
- Cloud Storage: Save and access designs from Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
- Templates: Pre-made templates and design assets for quick starts.
- Responsive Design: Design for various screen sizes and devices easily.
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DesignWorkLife
DesignWorkLife is a dynamic blog that serves as a rich source of inspiration and knowledge for designers at all stages of their careers. What sets this blog apart is its dedication to showcasing a wide range of design disciplines and offering practical insights to help designers thrive in their creative pursuits.
The blog covers a diverse array of design-related topics, including:
- Graphic and web design
- Illustration
- Typography and fonts
- Design trends and industry insights
- Practical how-to guides and tutorials
One of the unique features of DesignWorkLife is its weekly free font offer, providing subscribers with a new typeface every Friday. This makes it an excellent resource for designers looking to expand their font libraries and stay current with typography trends.
The blog’s content is crafted by a group of passionate designers, ensuring that the articles, tutorials, and showcased work are both inspiring and educational. DesignWorkLife aims to fuel creativity and provide valuable knowledge to help designers enhance their skills and stay informed about the latest developments in the design world.
Best for: Designers of all levels seeking inspiration, practical knowledge, and industry insights
Post frequency: Several times a week
Popularity: Thousands of regular readers and growing
The Inspiration Grid
The Inspiration Grid is one of the most loved graphic design blogs because it provides a constant stream of visual inspiration. The curation of high-quality design work from around the world makes it the go-to place for design professionals.
The blog features work from both established and emerging designers, providing readers with a diverse range of inspiration. The Inspiration Grid is where you can find useful content about:
- Design
- Art
- Photography
- Illustration
In addition to showcasing design work, the website features news articles and interviews with designers. It’s a must-read for anyone looking to stay up to date on the latest trends and styles in graphic design.
Best for: Creative professionals who want to follow graphic design trends
Post frequency: Daily
Popularity: Nearly 500 thousand followers
Creative Bloq
Creative Bloq is a popular resource that provides a wealth of information for designers of all levels. The blog features high-quality images and videos that showcase design work and tutorials, making it easy for readers to follow along with the creative process. Creative Bloq focuses on a range of topics related to design in general:
- Graphic design techniques and tools
- Logo design and branding
- Typography
- Print and digital design
- Illustration and animation
- Web design and development
This blog is also known for in-depth tutorials and how-to guides. These resources are perfect for designers who want to improve their skills or learn new techniques. Creative Bloq’s content is accessible and easy to understand, making it a great resource for designers of all levels.
Best for: Graphic designers of all levels
Post frequency: Daily
Popularity: 400 thousand followers
Made By Folk
Made By Folk is a renowned graphic design blog with many examples of high-quality projects. In addition, it publishes interviews with talented designers who want to share their experiences and opinions on the latest industry trends. The blog showcases work from a variety of design disciplines, including:
- Branding and identity design
- Packaging design
- Editorial design
- Screen print
- Photography
One of the unique features of Made By Folk is its dedicated job board that lists job openings and paid internships for designers. This makes the blog a valuable resource for designers looking to take the next step in their careers.
The only downside is that Made By Folk puts an emphasis on the visual aspect of the work, so you can’t expect in-depth reviews, tutorials, or analysis.
Best for: Designers looking for new ideas and job opportunities
Post frequency: Several times a week
Popularity: Over 70 thousand followers
Abduzeedo
Abduzeedo is a digital community where experts in different fields of design can share their stories, ideas, and knowledge. The blog covers a wide range of topics related to graphic design, including:
- Graphic design trends and inspiration
- Branding and identity design
- Print and digital design
- Illustration and photography
- 3D design and animation
- Web design and development
The blog’s content is eye-pleasing. Abduzeedo posts high-quality images and videos that showcase design work and tutorials, packed in a clean and easy-to-navigate layout.
Best for: Designers looking for creative inspiration
Post frequency: Several times a week
Popularity: 300 thousand followers
Adobe Creative Cloud Blog
The Adobe Creative Cloud Blog is a must-read for graphic designers and creative professionals who use Adobe software. The blog features step-by-step tutorials on how to use Adobe tools to create stunning designs and visual effects. You can learn a lot from it:
- Product and company updates
- Industry trends and research
- Insights on the future of work
- Relevant graphic design events
- Content authenticity
The Adobe Creative Cloud Blog’s articles are well-written, informative, and easy to understand. The only downside is that it can be overwhelming for those who are new to design or Adobe software. It often assumes a certain level of knowledge, and some articles may be too technical or advanced for beginners.
Best for: Graphic designers who use Adobe software
Post frequency: Multiple times per week
Popularity: Over a million followers
AIGA: Eye on Design
If you’re looking for a blog that provides a fresh perspective on the industry, AIGA: Eye on Design is a must-read. What sets this blog apart from others is its unique focus on the intersection between design and culture. The blog covers a broad scope of topics:
- Graphic design
- Branding
- Books
- Magazines
- Illustration
- Digital
- Typography
AIGA: Eye on Design publishes how-to posts, interviews with designers, and articles exploring the impact of design on society. This focus on context and meaning sets it apart from other blogs that simply showcase design work. Overall, this blog offers truly thoughtful content, a global perspective, and a commitment to diversity and inclusivity.
Best for: Professionals who appreciate the context behind graphic design
Post frequency: Daily
Popularity: More than 800 thousand followers
Design Week
Design Week is a well-established blog that started out as a magazine nearly 40 years ago. What sets Design Week apart from other graphic design blogs is its focus on the business side of the industry. By reading this blog, you can learn about the following:
- Industry news
- Marketing and branding tips
- Career advice
- New job openings
- Design awards
Design Week also provides in-depth coverage of design events and conferences, while the magazine itself organizes Design Week Awards every year. If you’re looking for networking opportunities, make sure to follow this blog.
Best for: Job-seekers and graphic design pros looking to expand their networks
Post frequency: Daily
Popularity: More than 600 thousand followers
Creative Boom
Creative Boom is an inspiring website that highlights the work of independent and emerging artists and designers. It features interviews with industry leaders, showcases new and exciting design work, and provides practical advice to the creative community. The blog covers a range of design-related topics, including:
- Graphic design insights and reviews
- Illustration, photography, and branding
- Opinion leader interviews
- Learning resources
One of the key characteristics of Creative Boom is its emphasis on community building. The blog offers many opportunities for designers to connect and collaborate. They do it by introducing fresh college graduates, presenting creative events, and talking about emerging design agencies and studios.
Best for: Independent and emerging designers
Post frequency: Daily
Popularity: Over 100 thousand followers
