For the professional web designer or developer, having the right tools can make all the difference in their work. Whether it’s choosing the ideal color palette or creating a visually engaging layout, these essential tools will help make your web design projects successful.
Text Editor – Sublime, Atom
Text editors like Sublime, Atom, and Visual Studio Code are essential tools for web design and development. These powerful text editors are perfect for writing code in multiple languages, offering features such as syntax-highlighting, auto-completion, spell-checking and more. With their advanced capabilities and intuitive user interface, these text editors have become a must-have for anyone involved in coding.
FTP/ SFTP Client – FileZilla
FileZilla is a powerful open-source FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) client designed to help web designers and developers transfer files between their local computer and remote server. It supports multiple file transfers simultaneously and offers options for both manual and automated file synchronisation from your development environment to the web server. Plus, you can use FileZilla on any operating system—including Mac, Linux, Windows, and more.
Code Debugging Tool – Firebug
Firebug is an open-source web development tool for debugging, editing, and monitoring any code written in HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. It offers a great set of features such as inspection and modification of page elements, assess HTTP headers, view JavaScript errors and warnings within your browser, and more. Firebug also helps you make faster changes by editing the CSS rules live—allowing you to instantly see how the changes will appear on a web page.
Wireframing Tool – Balsamiq Mockups
Balsamiq Mockups is a wireframing tool that simplifies the web design and development process. The drag-and-drop interface helps create a basic structure for websites and applications quickly. With more than 500 components and controls, it helps develop accurate user interfaces without writing a line of code. Balsamiq Mockups also allows users to collaborate with each other to discuss ideas and iterate projects, making it one of the most useful tools in this list.
Responsive Design Tool – Google Chrome Developer Tools
Google Chrome Developer Tools is a powerful and versatile tool designed to help designers and developers create responsive websites. It allows you to preview changes in real-time, so you can see how your website will look on different devices. It also has various visual elements that allow you to study the performance of your website, including resource loading and network analysis. With this tool, web developers and designers can easily create a perfectly optimized website for any device and browser.