Empowering Creativity: Must-Have Design Tools in 2023

Embark on a creative journey with the top design tools of 2023. From industry-standard versatility to innovative cloud-based collaboration, discover the perfect platform for your digital expressions.

Juliana Rogers

• 6 min read
Empowering Creativity: Must-Have Design Tools in 2023
Photo by Balázs Kétyi / Unsplash

Design tools can be immensely useful for beginners who are looking to create text and image-based designs quickly and easily.

These tools are designed with a user-friendly interface and intuitive features that make them accessible to users of all skill levels.

Whether you are a beginner with no background in design or someone who wants to create visually appealing content without spending hours learning complex software, these design tools can help you achieve your goals efficiently.

  • Top 5 Design Tools
  • Final Thoughts

    • Top 5 Design Tools

    Design tools are essential for any designer to create visually appealing and user-friendly designs. These tools not only enhance the creative process but also provide a seamless workflow.

    Here, we discuss the top five design tools that every designer should know about.

    1. Adobe Illustrator
    2. Affinity Designer
    3. Procreate
    4. Linearity
    5. CorelDRAW

    1. Adobe Illustrator

    Image Source: Adobe Illustrator

    Adobe Illustrator is a powerful design tool that has revolutionized the world of graphic design.

    Developed by Adobe Inc., it is widely recognized as one of the leading software programs in the field.

    Illustrator allows artists, designers, and creators to unleash their creativity and bring their ideas to life.

    With its vast range of features and tools, users can create stunning illustrations, logos, icons, typography, and other graphical elements.

    Pros And Cons

    Pros Cons
    • Fluid templates facilitate the rapid creation of professional websites, ideal for designers seeking efficiency.
    • Powerful editing features for customization, including fonts, colors, layouts, and interactive elements.
    • Detailed documentation enhances user learning, while drag-and-drop functionality streamlines website building.
    • A clean interface and simple project hierarchy prioritize a distraction-free, focused creative process.
    • Initial lack of intuitiveness, potentially challenging for users familiar with Creative Cloud desktop apps.
    • Unexpected menus may disrupt workflow, requiring additional time for navigation.
    • Limited new functionality in the webpage category compared to other market options.

    Pricing 

    1. Individuals:
      • Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps: $52.99/month
      • Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps (annual plan, paid monthly): $52.99/month
      • Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps (annual plan, prepaid): $599.88/year
    2. Students and Teachers:
      • Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps: $19.99/month (first year), $29.99/month (after first year)
    3. Business and Teams:
      • Adobe Creative Cloud for Teams (all apps): Price varies; contact Adobe for details.
    4. Adobe Stock (Optional Add-On):
      • Adobe Stock with 10 standard assets per month: $29.99/month (additional plans available)

    2. Affinity Designer

    Image Source: Affinity

    Affinity Designer is a professional graphic design software that offers a wide range of tools and features tailored to meet the needs of designers.

    From creating stunning illustrations and logos to designing user interfaces and websites, this powerful software provides a seamless and intuitive workflow.

    With its precise and versatile vector editing capabilities, designers can easily manipulate and refine shapes, paths, and curves. 

    Pros And Cons

    Pros Cons
    • Versatile and flexible fluid templates for easy customization, saving time for users with limited design skills.
    • Powerful image and video editing features result in high-quality, professional designs, beneficial for visual-centric campaigns.
    • Cloud storage inclusion allows convenient access to designs from any device with internet connectivity, ensuring data backup and security.
    • Fluid templates may lead to less unique designs, limiting creativity and originality for users.
    • Powerful editing features could be overwhelming for design beginners, potentially creating a steep learning curve.
    • Dependency on internet access for cloud storage may hinder users without a stable connection, impacting real-time design work.

    Pricing

    1. Affinity Designer (Windows/Mac):
      • Regular Price: $49.99 (one-time purchase)
      • Promotional or discounted prices may be available on the official website.
    2. Affinity Designer for iPad:
      • Regular Price: $19.99 (one-time purchase)
      • Promotional or discounted prices may be available on the App Store.

    3. Procreate

    Image Source: Procreate

    Procreate has revolutionized the digital art space. This innovative app, designed exclusively for Apple devices, offers artists a powerful and intuitive platform to create stunning visual masterpieces.

    With its robust set of features, Procreate has gained immense popularity among artists, illustrators, and designers worldwide.

    Pros And Cons

    Pros Cons
    • Fluid templates for easy creation of visually appealing designs.
    • Powerful image and video editing features enhance versatility.
    • File conversion capabilities save time by supporting various formats.
    • Detailed documentation and tutorials facilitate learning.
    • A clean interface and simple project hierarchy contribute to a seamless user experience.
    • Not as intuitive for users familiar with Creative Cloud desktop apps.
    • Interface and navigation may require some adjustment.
    • Unexpected menus after certain actions may confuse.
    • No new functionality in the webpage category.

    Pricing

    Procreate (iOS):

    • Regular Price: $9.99 (one-time purchase)
    • Promotional or discounted prices may be available on the App Store.

    4. Linearity

    Linearity is a powerful and versatile graphic design software that empowers users to create stunning vector-based illustrations, designs, and graphics.

    Whether you're a professional designer, an illustrator, or a beginner exploring the world of graphic design, Linearity provides a user-friendly platform with a wide range of features.

    Pros And Cons

    Pros Cons
    • Ease of Use: Simple and intuitive, requiring minimal effort to rearrange elements within a project.
    • Simplifies Documentation: Eliminates the need for complex commands or keyboard shortcuts, streamlining the organization process.
    • Enhanced User Experience: Provides a visually intuitive way to interact with the software, improving overall user experience.
    • Learning Curve: This can be challenging for users unfamiliar with this interface, requiring additional training or guidance.
    • Potential for Errors: Accidental dragging or dropping may lead to unintended changes in project hierarchy or loss of data, necessitating caution.

    Pricing

    Basic (Free):

    • Export standard quality videos
    • AI background removal
    • AI vector tracing
    • Share workspace with up to 5 team members
    • Free design resources
    • Sync across all your devices
    • 1k+ fully customizable templates

    Pro ($9.99/Month):

    • Everything in Basic, plus:
    • Unlimited files
    • Unlimited editors
    • Unlimited version history
    • Advanced video import & export
    • Priority support

    Organization (Contact for details):

    • Everything in Pro, plus:
    • Premium support
    • Personalized onboarding workshop
    • Custom motion design help

    5. CorelDRAW

    Image Source: CorelDRAW

    CorelDRAW is a powerful vector graphics editing software that provides users with a wide range of tools and features to create stunning designs and illustrations.

    From graphic design and layout to photo editing and website design, CorelDRAW offers an extensive array of functionalities to cater to the diverse needs of designers and creative professionals.

    With an intuitive interface and seamless integration with other Corel software, CorelDRAW allows users to unleash their creativity and produce visually captivating artwork.

    Pros And Cons

    Pros Cons
    • Detailed Documentation: Facilitates easier navigation and understanding of features.
    • Well-designed drag-and-drop Functionality: Intuitive for creating and manipulating elements in designs.
    • Clean Interface: Enhances ease of use by minimizing distractions.
    • Simple Project Hierarchy: Streamlines organization and management of design work.
    • Low Learning Curve: Quick adaptation for web designers.
    • Non-Intuitive Aspects: Some features may not be immediately user-friendly, requiring time to figure out.
    • Unexpected Menus: Disruptions to workflow may occur, complicating option location.
    • Lack of New Functionality: This may limit longevity and relevance in a rapidly evolving design landscape.
    • Variable Benefits of File Conversion and Cloud Storage: Depends on user-specific needs and preferences.

    Pricing

    1. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite (One-Time Purchase):
      • Full version: Pricing varies.
      • Upgrade pricing: Available for users of previous versions.
    2. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite (Subscription):
      • Monthly subscription: Pricing varies.
      • Annual subscription: Pricing varies.
    3. CorelDRAW Standard (One-Time Purchase):
      • Available at a lower price point with essential design features.
    4. CorelDRAW Technical Suite:
      • Designed for technical illustration and drafting.
      • Pricing varies based on the specific edition and version.

    Final Thoughts

    The field of design software is diverse and dynamic, offering a range of powerful tools to cater to the diverse needs of designers across various disciplines.

    The choice among these top design software applications depends on factors such as the nature of the design work, individual preferences, collaborative requirements, and budget considerations.