Apr 8, 2024
3 Tools I Use as A UI/UX Designer (That Makes Life Easy)
Design isn’t just about creativity—it’s also about staying organized, communicating clearly, and working efficiently. Over time, I’ve tried out several tools, but there are a few that have become staples in my daily workflow.
These tools help me bring my ideas to life, manage my business/projects smoothly, and stay inspired even in Nigeria's economic conditions such as electricity instability and outrageous data prices. Here’s a closer look at the ones I relied on as a newbie and even now, as an amateur
Figma - My Digital Canvas
Figma is where most of my design work happens. From wireframes to high-fidelity interfaces, it handles it all. I love how easy it is to collaborate with clients or teammates in real-time. Furthermore, its plugins and community templates allows for faster design delivery i.e I don’t have to design everything from scratch.
I particularly love Figma plugins
As Designers, one of the things we often need is phone mockups. These are used to create case studies, demonstrate designs to clients, design social media contents amongst others. Finding free phone mockups online can be time consuming but with Figma plugins like Mockuuups, it is fast and convenient.
Notion - My Organised Brain
Notion helps me stay on top of everything. I use it to organize project briefs, write notes during calls or meetings, create checklists for each design phase and create my daily-to-do lists. Thanks to templates I can tweak easily. By now, you can tell I love templates.
For most projects, I set up a dedicated page with timelines, design goals, meeting notes, and any reference materials. This helps me stay aligned with the client’s needs and keep everything in one place. You should read this book if you need further insights on understanding clients needs.
With Notion, I have become better at organising both personal and business life.
Toools Design - My Discovery Hub
When I need inspiration or a tool to solve a specific design challenge. I mostly use Toools Design.
t’s a functional site full of the best design tools and resources—ranging from: UI kits, Books, Inspiration galleries, Stock Photos and so much more. What I appreciate most is how it saves me the time of searching the web for quality resources.
Everything is vetted and neatly categorized, which makes it easy to discover new tools I wouldn’t have found randomly. It’s become a part of my weekly routine to browse through it and bookmark anything interesting. Note that, For freelancers, especially when working solo, this kind of support saves time and keeps you focused.
I have realized that you don’t need a hundred apps to be a great designer. You can start simple and grow as you go. These three tools have made my life easy and I hope they make yours easy too.
If you’re a newbie, I highly recommend giving them a try. If you are an amateur or professional, which of these tools do you use?
