The invoice I received for an upcoming payment today got me thinking about how much I’m actually spending on subscriptions. And just like that, the idea for a new article was born. I decided to compile a list of all the apps, websites, and paid services that I find useful and worth investing in as a UX/UI designer. This list is relevant whether you’re a freelancer, a junior designer, just starting out in the field, or an already seasoned professional. These thoughts are my own opinions and aren’t influenced by any paid sponsorships.
ChatGPT
AI tools are highly effective for data analysis. Moreover, when it comes to user research, you’re required to analyze a huge amount of data. This is where these tools come in handy to lighten the workload. ChatGPT can be a game-changer for UX/UI designers, especially when it comes to automating more routine tasks. It can assist with challenges in traditional user research, generate user stories, help build user flows, and create user personas. ChatGPT can also conduct analyses and suggest design challenges to prepare for actual projects. With custom GPTs, you have the option to build your own tools or use others’ creations to your advantage. This capability extends to collaboration, allowing designers to work together more efficiently. The flexibility and AI-powered assistance of ChatGPT can streamline many aspects of the design process, from research to ideation, making it a valuable tool and worth paying for.
Figma
While Figma’s free plan can suffice for designers who are just starting out, the Professional plan offers many benefits that are definitely worth the investment. With the Professional plan, you gain access to unlimited projects, which is essential for juggling multiple clients or tasks. The version history feature is a game-changer for tracking progress and changes, allowing you to revert to previous iterations of your design with ease. Team libraries are a standout feature, enabling consistent and cohesive design elements across all projects and team members. Additionally, private projects give you control over your design privacy, and audio conversations bring seamless communication to your collaborative efforts. The prototyping and developer handoff tools included in the plan are crucial for a smooth transition from design to development, ensuring your creations come to life just as you envision. For a UX/UI designer looking to work efficiently and scale up their work, Figma’s Professional plan is a wise choice.
If you are a student with active status or an educator, you can get Figma for free.
Notion
I use Notion not only for my daily tasks but also to streamline our office workflows — tools like Trello or Jira don’t quite fill or can be too complex for. Beyond managing work tasks, I handle my personal goals and to-dos, tapping into the thousands of templates available in Notion’s template gallery. The Pro plan also offers the ability to publish pages, providing a straightforward and effective way to showcase a design portfolio.
When it comes to demonstrating your UX work, visual flair isn’t always necessary.
Notion lets you publish your projects in a format that highlights the user experience aspect of your designs. Besides, significantly enhance organizational efficiency and collaborative potential. For juniors, it’s a great way to start building a structured portfolio and documentation habit, which is key in this field. For seniors, it offers handy tools for project management and collaboration that scale with the complexity of their work.
Notion Plus offers unlimited documentation capacity, essential for complex project management and extensive documentation. It includes version history for tracking and reverting project changes, advanced permissions for content security, guest sharing for seamless collaboration, and API access for workflow automation and tool integration. These features are particularly useful for senior designers overseeing large-scale projects.
For an extra $10, you can add AI to your plan. Since I already use ChatGPT, I don’t use Notion AI. However, it could be a good substitute.
Mobbin
Looking at good designs teaches us a lot. That’s how I found Mobbin two years back — it’s packed with real web and app designs that can kick-start your own projects. Mobbin keeps adding new stuff all the time, so there’s always something fresh to help you out, no matter if you’re just starting a project or wrapping one up. It’s super handy for keeping your ideas flowing.
In pro plan you’re getting opportunity to Browse all apps & websites, Browse flows, Unlimited search results, Unlimited collections, Access app & website archives, Download multiple screens, Request an app or design.
What I love about this small yet amazing team is that they offer multiple payment options for their services: monthly, yearly, and even quarterly. Even more, if you’re a student or an educator, you get a 50% discount.
Readymag
Speaking of portfolios and having a strong online presence as a designer, there are many website builders you can use, or you can even build a website from scratch. Although I’m currently using Adobe Portfolio to showcase my work, I personally think Readymag is like a dark horse. They are still a small group, but from what I’ve seen, they are rapidly growing their product. The pricing is quite affordable, so if you’re not limited in your budget and have an extra dozen dollars to spend on your website, go ahead and check them out.
This designer-friendly platform that allows you to create a wide range of web projects without coding.
It offers the flexibility to build everything from portfolios to e-commerce sites, with complete creative control.
It’s like having the precision of InDesign with the added capabilities for web design, enabling you to craft client or personal websites you can be proud of, all on your own.
Freepik
Freepik Premium is especially beneficial for freelancers who don’t always have the resources of a full design team. It offers a comprehensive library of high-quality assets and icons, and handy tools like an editor and font generator, all without the need for attribution, which is perfect for freelancers needing to create detailed, professional-looking high-fidelity mockups quickly and efficiently, without the extra time spent on creating assets from scratch. With added Flaticon access for icons and an ad-free experience, it will definitely streamline your creative process.
Canva
You might be wondering why I’m talking about Canva in the context of UX/UI design. This platform often gets criticized by many designers. However, it’s important to remember that what truly matters is how the user’s experience is affected, not the specific tool you use. Whether it’s Adobe XD, Figma, Framer, InDesign, Sketch, Photopea, or Canva, the tool itself isn’t the most crucial factor.
I use Canva daily for various tasks, and I have to say, I haven’t regretted subscribing to it. (Coughing, unlike the times when I open AI and it glitches and dies.) Anyway, my point is that there’s no need to feel ashamed if you choose to use Canva. If it allows you to create something easily and without unnecessary stress, why not go for it?
You may be surprised but it’s user-friendly interface allows for quick creation of presentations and prototypes. With features like Canva Live, you can conduct real-time user testing. It’s also perfect for UI design, enabling you to work with real data and create smart mockups. The ability to create brand kits helps maintain visual consistency, and the extensive Brand and Design Asset Library ensures you have all the graphics and icons you need at your fingertips. Plus, when your design is ready, Canva simplifies exporting your assets for any platform.
Uxcel
While you can learn a lot from observing existing designs or practicing, having theoretical knowledge in this field is crucial, regardless of whether you’re a UX designer, UI designer, product designer, or a generalist. With numerous design courses available, Uxcel stands out as the most interactive platform. Think of it as the Duolingo for designers, where you learn while practicing and interacting with fellow designers. You can even join yearly rankings, meet talented individuals on their Discord channel, and explore job opportunities — Uxcel offers it all.
While $20 might sound a bit pricey for new designers, if you subscribe to the yearly plan, you’ll get an 80% discount, bringing the cost down to just $4. With that subscription, you’ll have access to all the pro perks.
Uxcel Pro provides interactive courses, skill assessments, team collaboration, UX/UI design resources, and certifications, making it an effective platform for learning new skills and refining existing ones in UX/UI design.
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