Top Product Design Tools to Boost UX and Workflow

If you are looking for the best product design tools to boost your UI/UX workflow, rest assured, you are at the right place. We have compiled a list that has 11 hand-picked design software that can fulfil every design requirement for building a standout web product. Keep reading and choose the best one that aligns with your goal and needs.

A] What Makes a Product Design Tool Great?

Product design tools offer one-stop solutions for every UX design, whether it is wireframing, mockups, or even interaction. When it comes to what makes a product design tool great, it starts with an intuitive UI and a smooth learning curve. Seamless collaboration capabilities, rapid prototyping, and error-free developer handoff are also the essential characteristics of effective design tools. At the end, a great product design tool is one that matches your design requirements.

B] Top Product Design Tools You Should Be Using

1. Figma

Figma is a web-based tool for product design used for UI and UX design. It is known for its versatility, where the design team gets all design resources in a single place. With Figma, you can seamlessly create wireframes, mockups, and prototypes and smoothly collaborate with multiple team members and make design changes in real time. If you are looking for the best real-time collaboration-based design tool for UI/UX design, Figma can be your go-to option.

2. Adobe XD

Adobe XD, an excellent tool from Adobe Inc., is a vector-based UI/UX and prototyping design tool for designing products for mobile and web. Like Figma, you can also create wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and interactive designs with real collaboration facilities across the team. It allows all Adobe products to integrate with it, providing seamless ground for cross-product integration within the Adobe ecosystem. If you are looking for a vector-based design tool for accurate and high-quality design with strong Adobe Creative Cloud integration, Adobe XD is for you.

3. Sketch

Developed by the Dutch company Sketch B.V., Sketch is a vector-based UI/UX design tool that lets users design interactive interfaces and icons using a streamlined set of tools. Like other tools, it also offers a collaboration feature and prototype-building facility, making it a complete toolkit for UI/UX design. But it has a drawback. It is designed only for Mac users, making it restricted to other operating systems. If you are looking for a design tool that is specifically designed for iOS, Sketch is for you.

4. InVision

InVision is an excellent design tool for prototyping and client-facing design presentations with effortless drag-and-drop toolkits. In addition to designing wireframes, it helps designers create mockups for wireframes. It is known for seamless real-time collaboration among teams with an exclusive chat feature. If you are looking for a vector-based design tool that has excellent collaboration features and design tools, choose InVision. It has a desktop version for Windows and Mac and a web version for other operating systems, like Linux.

5. Axure RP

Axure RP is renowned software for logic-based prototyping and UX flow mapping. It offers advanced design tools for interactive website and application prototyping. With Axure RP, you can also make use of its integration feature, where you can seamlessly integrate this software with Adobe XD and Sketch to get more tools for intricate prototype design. Since it comes with a steep learning curve, it may not be suitable for beginners. If you are a pro designer looking for an advanced design tool with cross-platform capability, Axure RP is for you.

6. Marvel

Marvel is a comprehensive vector-based design software that streamlines the process from wireframing to prototyping in a single place. It is a simple tool with a drag-and-drop feature and a sheer array of functionalities, which makes it stand out among its competitors. If you need simple design software for rapid wireframing and testing, Marvel can be considered.

C] Specialised Tools That Enhance UX Further

1. Maze

Maze is excellent user-research software that lets developers research users’ behaviour and map their journey. It offers tools for comprehensive research on potential users of the developed prototype. Maze also provides ground for concept and idea validation through A/B testing, tree testing, heat mapping, and 5-second tests. So, choose Maze and collect the decisive data for product prototyping and beyond.

2. UXPin

UXPin is a code-based UX and prototyping design tool for designers and developers. This cloud-based software offers streamlined tools for creating wireframes and interactive mockups for web and mobile applications. It is accessible to any operating system because of its cloud-based deployment. If you are in need of code-based and web-based software for prototyping with logic and conditions, choose UXPin.

3. Zeppelin

Zeppelin is an open-source and web-based notebook for designers and developers to track and analyse the users’ needs at a single stop. It also provides a collaboration feature among teams with design-to-dev handoff and offers a window for data visualisation gathered from users’ behavioural patterns tracking and how they have used the application. It provides opportunities for improvement and adds new features.

4. Overflow

Overflow is a simple and highly effective tool for building clear and interactive user flows. It has click-and-expand and drag-and-drop features to seamlessly create user flows, where developers can showcase how the application will appear upon launching. It is an effective tool for developers and designers to showcase the application’s user flow to their clients.

5. Balsamic

Balsamiq is a highly effective tool for rapid and low-fidelity wireframes during brainstorming. It offers developers and designers a notepad-like interface to draw quick wireframes with a wireframing design tool. It allows them to quickly share the wireframe with the team and get feedback, and make design changes based on the feedback or needs.

D] How to Choose the Right Tools for Your Design Stack

When choosing the best product design tool for your design stack, you will need to be mindful of some aspects, which are described below:

Solo Designers vs. Large Distributed Teams

First, you have to identify which type of designer or developer you are. If you are a solo designer, focus on only those product designer tools that have all-in-one design tools, from wireframing to prototype building. The chosen tool must be in your budget. It would be nice to test the application, as most applications offer free trials for a certain time to test the tools. On the other hand, if you are a part of a large distributed team, choose those tools that have advanced design features and collaboration facilities while having the capability of handling intricate product designs. 

Projects Focused On MVPs Vs. Complex Enterprise UX

If you want to validate or test the idea in the real world with a limited user base and features (also known as MVP, minimum viable product), you should choose those applications that have rapid wireframing, mockups, and prototyping. The tool should have a quick design iteration feature to make the changes fast and test the idea thoroughly before going into full-fledged product development and deployment. For complex enterprise UX, choose software that has advanced features and the capability of handling complex and intricate product designs. They should also have a real-time collaboration feature to communicate with the team in real time and work simultaneously.

Other Choosing Factors to Consider

Finally, evaluate the learning curve of the software, integration with other tools, advanced collaboration features, and budget. Most of the software shared above is paid, with limited free trial offers. In addition to other choosing factors outlined above, price also plays a significant role. So, choose wisely.

We also suggest reading these blogs if you are ready to build a web product for your business:

• How to Build a Product
• Essentials of Good Product Design
• Why Invest in Good Product Design?

Conclusion

Product design tools are a lifeline for developers and designers, providing every tool and feature they need to build a product that makes a splash in the market. The design software shared above is known to be the top-performing tool usually picked by professional developers and designers. Still, follow the shared selection tips to choose the best that align with your goal and budget. 

If it feels intricate, Criador Labs, a top product design company in India, can help you out. We have hands-on experience with each of the product design tools, helping us build products that stand out in the market. We take care of all the development and deployment processes of web products, making our clients stress-free. Contact us today and see your web product developed. 

We also offer medical device design services while making sure they are medically compliant, effective, durable, and economical. Talk to our development team now!