Best Design Tools for Building Mobile Apps
Dhamith Kumara
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The usage of mobile apps has experienced an unprecedented surge over the past decade, with the number of smartphone users worldwide reaching a staggering 3.5 billion by the end of 2020. In fact, an estimated 1.4 billion smartphones were sold in that year alone, underscoring the widespread adoption of mobile apps across the globe. As a result, there is a growing demand for efficient design tools among large companies and businesses to streamline the mobile app development process.
In this article, we will delve into 10 of the best design tools available for building mobile apps. These tools are designed to enhance the efficiency and speed of the design process, making it easier for designers to create visually appealing and functional mobile apps. Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, these design tools are sure to empower your mobile app development endeavors.
Sketch is a user-friendly yet powerful UI/UX design software designed specifically for macOS. Similar to Adobe Photoshop, it is widely used for application prototyping, with a focus on wireframes and prototypes.
One of the major advantages of Sketch is its array of UI-centric features, including responsive grid guides, layout settings, layer and text styles, and more. Additionally, the "Symbols" feature allows designers to create reusable design elements like icons and avatars, making it easier to maintain consistency across designs. Another noteworthy feature is the ability to make modifications to designs and easily revert to previous iterations when needed.
However, there are some limitations to Sketch as well. It may not be as effective in supporting real-time preview on Android and Windows devices, and for editing photos, users may need to combine Sketch with other tools like Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.
Sketch is widely used by notable companies like Apple, Facebook, Google, Stripe, Nintendo, and others. It also offers integrations with popular tools like Jira, Zeplin, Avocode, WeTransfer, and more. Pricing for Sketch starts at $9 per editor per month for its paid plans.
Figma is a web-based vector graphics editor and prototyping tool that offers compatibility with popular browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It is specifically designed for user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, with a strong focus on real-time collaboration among designers.
There are several advantages to using Figma, including the ability to create advanced transitions for apps with Smart Animate, easily scale designs for any screen, and reuse components from published libraries among team members. Figma prototypes can also be viewed on mobile devices for testing and feedback.
However, one limitation of Figma is the relatively smaller number of available resources such as components and icons compared to other tools, and the community may be smaller in size compared to other design tools.
Figma is used by prominent companies like Microsoft, Uber, Slack, Braintree, and others. It offers integrations with popular tools like Jira, Trello, Slack, Zeplin, and more. Figma has a free plan available, with paid plans starting at $12 per editor per month for additional features.
Mockplus is a versatile prototyping tool designed specifically for Android and iOS mobile apps, offering a wide range of comprehensive mobile application interface design components and icon libraries. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows you to effortlessly switch from Design to Prototype mode, enabling you to create interactive prototypes by simply dragging wires between artboards, pages, and components. Additionally, you can upload designs from popular tools like Figma, Sketch, and Photoshop, making it easy to create clickable prototypes. Collaborating with team members and performing handoff work online is also seamless with Mockplus.
One of the key advantages of Mockplus is its extensive set of pre-designed components and icons for iOS and Android, which accelerate the creation of interactions and streamline the design process. The platform also offers responsive layout features, automatically adjusting and scaling your vision to fit any screen or layout. Additionally, Mockplus provides a variety of free UI kits and templates that can be quickly reused in your designs.
However, as a browser-based platform, Mockplus's performance relies heavily on the quality of the network devices being used, which can be a potential drawback.
Mockplus is used by prominent companies like IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Huawei, and others. It integrates seamlessly with popular design tools like Sketch, Photoshop, Adobe XD, Axure, as well as project management tools like Jira and communication tools like Slack. Mockplus offers a free plan, with paid plans starting at $6.57 per user per month for additional features.
Invision is a comprehensive platform that fosters inclusive collaboration among digital product designers and developers. One of its core offerings, Invision Studio, is a powerful platform that enables designers to create, prototype, and animate their designs.
Some of the advantages of using Invision Studio include its intuitive vector-based drawing tools, flexible layer management, and the ability to create interactive prototypes from fixed designs. Designers can also easily add interactions, animations, gestures, and transitions to their designs, making it a versatile tool for creating dynamic user experiences.
However, it's worth noting that the performance of both the web and mobile app versions of Invision Studio can sometimes lag, affecting the overall user experience and navigation.
Invision Studio is available for both MacOS and Windows platforms and is used by notable companies such as Airbnb, Amazon, HBO, Lyft, and more. It also integrates with popular tools like Jira, Trello, Slack, and others. Invision offers a free plan, with paid plans starting at $4.95 per user per month, providing options for different budget and team needs.
Marvel is a collaborative design tool that allows users to transform simple paper sketches into interactive prototypes for app ideas, which can be easily shared with others. It offers a user-friendly and intuitive interface, making it accessible to everyone for creating stunning assets and mockups.
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One of the advantages of Marvel is its extensive collection of pre-made assets, images, and icons specifically designed for iOS and Android apps. Additionally, Marvel enables users to convert static mockups into interactive prototypes quickly and easily, all within the online platform.
However, the free version of Marvel may lack some advanced features, while the paid version can be relatively costly. Marvel is a web-based platform and is used by renowned companies such as Buzzfeed, IBM, Stripe, Deliveroo, among others. It also integrates with popular tools like Jira, Dropbox, Slack, Sketch, and more. Marvel offers a free plan, with paid plans starting at $12 per month.
6.?Adobe XD
Adobe XD is a vector-based user experience design tool that provides a seamless way to design, prototype, and share user interfaces and experiences. It offers a convenient switch between Design and Prototype modes, allowing users to quickly create interactive prototypes by connecting artboards with lines.
Some of the advantages of Adobe XD include the ability to create high-fidelity designs for various screens, such as iOS and Android, with ease. Changes made to the designs are reflected in real-time on connected devices, enabling quick iterations. Additionally, the character and layout tools make it simple to create elements and export individual objects.
However, there are some limitations to Adobe XD, such as certain features like Repeating Objects not functioning optimally, and CSS code export requiring additional plugins. Adobe XD is compatible with Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android platforms and can be integrated with popular tools like Jira, Slack, Zeplin, Avocode, and more. Pricing for Adobe XD starts at $9.99 per month for its paid plans.
Proto.io is an excellent choice for beginner designers and developers looking to build clickable prototypes for iOS and Android apps. It features a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface that requires minimal design skills to get started. Additionally, the timeline feature allows for creating animations to showcase the flow of the app across different screens. Proto.io also offers a wide range of design and prototype templates to simplify the design process.
However, one potential drawback of Proto.io is its occasional slow performance. Additionally, some users may find the pricing to be relatively costly.
Proto.io is a web-based platform and is used by notable companies such as PayPal, Disney, ESPN, Amazon, and others. It offers integrations with popular tools like Dropbox, Photoshop, Sketch, and Lookback. Paid plans for Proto.io start at $24 per month.
Origami is a standalone user interface design tool that has been developed by Facebook engineers. It offers a unique way of visually laying out Origami prototypes, complete with freeform drawing tools, text editing, and visual components.
One of the advantages of Origami is its flexibility in creating rich mobile prototypes, allowing designers to experiment with different interactions and animations. It also boasts a library of multiple patches, enabling quick delivery of components such as switches, boolean operators, and other interactions.
However, a potential drawback of Origami is that its performance may be impacted when working with large groups of layers consistently. Origami is available for macOS and can be integrated with popular design tools like Sketch, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Best of all, it is free to use, making it a cost-effective option for designers seeking powerful prototyping capabilities.
Fluid UI is a comprehensive platform solution that caters to all your design, collaboration, and communication needs. With Fluid UI, you can quickly prototype ideas and instantly share them for feedback and collaboration, all within the same platform.
One of the major advantages of Fluid UI is its ability to create stunning mobile designs complete with swipes, clicks, and taps, providing an immersive user experience. The platform also offers over 2000 ready-made resources to expedite your mobile app design process. Additionally, its integrated collaboration system streamlines the design workflow, making it easy to collaborate with team members.
However, it's worth noting that the free version of Fluid UI may have limited features, and it may not be the most beginner-friendly design tool available. Fluid UI is compatible with Windows, Linux, macOS, and web platforms, and it is used by notable companies such as Xerox, Oracle, Samsung, Siemens, and more. Pricing starts at $8.25 per month for its paid plans, with a free version also available.
Justinmind is a design tool that provides a comprehensive range of web interactions and mobile gestures, making it ideal for creating delightful user experiences.
One of the notable advantages of Justinmind is its inclusion of free UI kits that can be utilized not only for iOS and Android apps but also for web design. Additionally, it offers access to UI libraries and a wide range of downloadable add-ons, providing designers with ample resources to enhance their designs. Justinmind also offers a responsive experience with liquid layouts that adapt fluidly to different screen sizes, ensuring a seamless user experience across devices.
However, one limitation of Justinmind is its limited developer handoff capabilities, which may not meet the needs of some teams. Nonetheless, Justinmind is available on both Windows and macOS platforms and is used by notable companies such as Digitas Health, Tieto, Ink Cloud Group, and more. It also integrates with popular tools like Sketch, Adobe, Jira, and others. Justinmind offers a free plan, with paid plans starting at $9 per user per month.
In conclusion, these 10 design tools for building mobile apps offer a wide range of features and capabilities to enhance the design process and create exceptional user experiences. From responsive layouts to free UI kits and integrations with popular tools, these design tools empower designers to bring their creative visions to life. Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, incorporating these best design tools into your workflow can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your mobile app development projects. So, go ahead and explore these tools to streamline your design process and create amazing mobile apps that stand out in the crowded app market. Happy designing!