An Overview of Design Software

Introduction

This lesson gives a brief overview of mainstream design software in use today.

We’ve broken the list into “graphic design” and “digital product design”, but this is a bit arbitrary. For example, we’ve put Photoshop in the “graphic design” list, but product designers may sometimes use it to prepare image files for their projects.

The purpose of this list is just to give you a sense of orientation in the maze of design software. You don’t need to download anything or subscribe to any services at the moment — you can complete this course just using the free functionality in Figma.

The prices listed in this article were last checked on 22 March 2021. They may have changed since then.

Graphic Design Software

Adobe Photoshop

Image credit: Zach Vessels  

Type: Raster image editor

File format: Photoshop Document (PSD)

Exports to: JPG, PNG, GIF, Animated GIF, TIFF, PDF

Main uses:

• Editing photos
• Preparing mockups
• Creating graphics or illustrations
• Applying advanced textures and effects

Price:

• Adobe CC Photography Plan costs £9.98/€12.29/$9.99 per month, and includes Photoshop and Lightroom
• Photoshop Single App costs £19.97/€24.19/$20.99 per month, and includes a number of other Adobe tools
• Adobe CC All Apps Plan costs £49.94/€60.49/$52.99 per month, but there are often discounts and introductory offers available

There are free alternatives to Photoshop, including GIMP and Pixlr. However, if you are planning on a professional graphic design career, we strongly recommend that you use Photoshop, because Adobe software remains the industry standard.

Adobe Illustrator

Image credit: drawkit.io  

Type: Vector image editor

File format: Illustrator Document (AI)

Exports to: SVG, PDF

Main uses:

• Illustration
• Converting hand-drawn artwork to vector artwork
• Designing complex logos and icons
• Type (font) design

Price:

• Illustrator Single App costs £19.97/€24.19/$20.99 per month, and includes a number of other Adobe tools
• Adobe CC All Apps Plan costs £49.94/€60.49/$52.99 per month, but there are often discounts and introductory offers available

Adobe InDesign

Image credit: Blair Fraser  

Type: Print design tool and layout editor

File format: InDesign Document (INDD)

Exports to: PDF

Main uses:

• Creating magazines, brochures, and print adverts
• Long-form print projects, like books and annual reports
• Large-format print projects, like posters and newspapers

Price:

• Illustrator Single App costs £19.97/€24.19/$20.99 per month, and includes a number of other Adobe tools
• Adobe CC All Apps Plan costs £49.94/€60.49/$52.99 per month, but there are often discounts and introductory offers available

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Image credit: Pixabay  

Type: PDF editor

File format: Portable Document Format (PDF)

Exports to: PDF

Main uses:

• Creating a PDF from files that are in other formats
• Making changes to an existing PDF
• Reviewing a file and adding comments
• Filling and signing forms digitally

Price:

• Acrobat Pro Single App costs £15.17/€18.44/$14.99 per month, and includes a number of other Adobe tools
• Adobe CC All Apps Plan costs £49.94/€60.49/$52.99 per month, but there are often discounts and introductory offers available

Adobe After Effects

Image credit: Adobe

Type: Motion graphics editor

File format: Adobe After Effects XML Project (AEPX); many other file formats supported for import

Exports to: OMF, MOV, AVI, WMV, WMA, and many more

Main uses:

• Motion graphics design
• Animation and animated effects
• Video compositing

Price:

• After Effects Single App costs £19.97/€24.19/$20.99 per month, and includes a number of other Adobe tools
• Adobe CC All Apps Plan costs £49.94/€60.49/$52.99 per month, but there are often discounts and introductory offers available

Digital Product Design software

Figma

Image credit: Figma

Type: User interface (UI) design and prototyping tool

File format: Figma (cloud storage only)

Exports to: JPG, PNG, SVG, PDF

Main uses:

• Creating wireframes
• Developing screen designs
• High-fidelity prototyping
• Building simple graphics, logos, and icons
• Creating and maintaining design systems
• Cross-team collaboration on design projects

Price: Free for individual use, with paid options for teams

Sketch

Image credit: Sketch

Type: User interface (UI) design and prototyping tool

File format: Sketch

Exports to: JPG, PNG, SVG, PDF

Main uses:

• Creating wireframes
• Developing screen designs
• High-fidelity prototyping
• Building simple graphics, logos, and icons

Price: $99, plus optional $79 yearly renewal

Adobe XD

Image credit: Adobe

Type: User interface (UI) design and prototyping tool

File format: XD

Exports to: PNG, SVG

Main uses:

• Creating wireframes
• Developing screen designs
• High-fidelity prototyping
• Building simple graphics, logos, and icons

Price: Free for personal use, with paid options for professional use

InVision

Image credit: InVision

Type: Prototyping tool

File format: Not applicable — cloud storage only

Exports to: Not applicable — web access only

Main uses:

• Prototyping
• User testing
• Handing off designs for development
• Whiteboarding
• Moodboarding

Price: one active prototype for free, with paid options from $15 per month to $99 per month

Balsamiq

Image credit: Balsamiq

Type: Low-fidelity wireframing tool

File format: Balmsamiq Mockups Projects (BMPR); wireframes can also be imported in JSON format

Exports to: PNG, PDF, JSON

Main use: low-fidelity wireframing

Price: $9 per month for two projects, with higher-priced options for teams

In conclusion...

If you would also like to learn Adobe tools — which we recommend if you’re planning on a career in graphic design — wait until the assignments in Part 4 before subscribing. That way, you can get maximum value from your free trial!

For now, let’s start learning Figma. In the next assignment, you’ll work on mastering the basics.

Assignment version 1.0
Last updated 7 June 2021