Top 200 Graphic App Web Design Tools

This post is from DailyTekk. At Workfront, we strive to make work easier and this list is full of great resources that will do just that. We feel it will be helpful to our readers. Enjoy!

Well, we’re back at it again making another one of our Top 100 Tech lists (many of which have been shared hundreds of thousands of times), except this time we’re aiming our sights at the world of graphic, app, and web design. And, we’ve doubled the scope to 200 amazing items.

Technology and design are inseparable these days. Designers rely on computers and software to express their creativity and in turn, technology companies like Apple rely on good design for distinction and differentiation (from industrial design to marketing).

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In short, design makes the world go around.

What can you expect to find here? I’ve rounded up the top items that I have deemed either cool or useful in several categories (and I had to delete plenty of items leaving only what I see as the very best resources).

You’ll find everything from font and color resources to infographic tools to apps for designers to mobile and web app development tools to design communities to top design schools and plenty more. This is the ultimate design resources and tools list—the roundup to end all roundups.

You may also be interested in these posts:

• "7 Easy Ways to Learn Coding and Computer Science for Free"
• "100 Terrific Tools for Coders and Developers"
• "The 100 Best, Most-Interesting Blogs and Websites of 2015"

This post will probably be most useful to design newbies and students who are just getting to know the ins and outs of the online design community and the full ecosystem that is available to them.

For the more experienced designers and experts out there, this list will be a great resource to bookmark as I’ve tried to arrange these sections in order of usability (listing what you are most likely to check most often at the top).

Either way, this post is so massive that it has its own built-in navigation to get you where you need to go quickly.

Even though I’d consider myself an expert designer, I still dug up plenty of new resources that were new to me during the three days, 20 plus total hours, and 40 plus revisions it took to research, compile, and curate this post, so I think there’s truly something for everyone here.

Before you get any further, let me explain that yes, this is a curated list, meaning it is based purely on my own opinions.

You may wish to see a certain resource here that I chose to leave off or perhaps didn’t know about. If that is the case, leave a comment and add your items for the community to benefit from.

Categories

• Design Networks/Empires
• Font Resources
• Color Resources
• Vectors, Icons, Bundles, Brushes, and Deals
• iPad and iPhone Apps
• Mobile App Development
• Infographics and Data Visualization
• Web Development
• Web Testing and Optimization
• Design Communities
• Design Galleries
• Design Blogs
• Design Magazines
• Online Education
• Design Schools
• Design Job Boards
• White Label and Affiliate Services
• Print Services
• Miscellaneous

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The Big 3 Online Design Networks/Empires

1. Envato – Helping designers earn and learn online. Includes: ThemeForest, AppStorm, Tuts+ Ebooks, and more.
2. Behance Network – Showcasing and discovering creative work. Includes: 99U and Action Method.
3. Smashing Magazine – Covering coding, design, mobile, graphics, UX, and more. Includes: Noupe and Smashing Shop.

Font Resources (Print and Web)

1. I Love Typography – Fonts, typefaces, and all things typographical.
2. MyFonts – The world’s largest collection of fonts.
3. Typekit – The easiest way to use real typefaces on your website.
4. FontShop – The world’s best fonts.
5. The FontFeed – Fonts, typography, lettering, and design.
6. TypeInspire – A showcase of typography and text effects.
7. Google Web Fonts – More than 500 free web fonts to use online.
8. Letterhead Fonts – Rare and unusual lettering for the professional artist.

Color Resources (Print and Web)

1. COLOURlovers – Color trends and palettes.
2. Adobe Color – Explore, create, and share color patterns.
3. ColRD – Create and share color inspiration with the world.
4. 0to255 – A simple tool that helps web designers find variations of any color.
5. ColorMunki – Innovative color creation and control.
6. Pictaculous – Ever wonder what colors to use with an image? This tool will tell you.
7. Color Hunter – Create color palettes made from images.
8. ColoRotate – Browse color palettes or create your own. Get the Photoshop plugin.
9. Check My Colors – Analyze the color contrast of your web pages.
10. Paletton – Easily create six different types of color schemes.

Vectors, Icons, Bundles, Brushes, and Deals

1. VectorFinder – Search the most popular stock sites from one central location.
2. MediaLoot – Premium graphic design resources. Library of interface, vector, and icon resources.
3. Brusheezy – Free Photoshop brushes.
4. Designious – Vector packs, Photoshop brushes, bundles, freebies, and more.
5. InkyDeals – Great 24-hours only deals for creatives.
6. Vandelay Design – Thousands of design resources at your fingertips.
7. Pixel Snacks – The design bundle that grows.
8. Bundle Hunt – Highest quality design software bundles at the lowest prices.

iPad and iPhone Apps for Designers

1. myPANTONE – Advanced functionality and thousands of inspirational colors.
2. Paper – Ideas begin on paper. Closest thing to sketching on real paper you can get on the iPad.
3. Photoshop Mix – Create, edit, and share multilayered images.
4. iMockups – Design on the go with this wireframing and mockup app for iPad.
5. WhatTheFont Mobile – Identify the fonts in a photo or web graphic (iPhone).
6. iFontMaker – Create your own hand font in five minutes (iPad).

Mobile App Development Tools and Resources

Also read "100 Tools to Develop the Next Killer iOS or Android App."

1. Fluid UI – iPhone and Android mobile mockups.
2. App Cooker – Design iOS and mobile mockups, wireframes, and prototypes.
3. Crashlytics – Powerful and lightweight crash reporting for iOS and Android apps.
4. App Annie – App store analytics and market intelligence.
5. CloudMine – The backend as a service for mobile and web apps.
6. Mobile Roadie – Mobile app creator for iPhone, Android, iPad, and mobile web.
7. Parse – Add a powerful and scalable backend in minutes.
8. Appboy – Your complete mobile CRM solution.

Infographics and Data Visualization Resources

Also read "Over 100 Incredible Infographic Tools and Resources (Categorized)."

1. Visually – Infographics and data visualization community.
2. Infogram – Create interactive infographics.
3. Piktochart – Infographic and presentation tool.
4. Tableau Public – Free data visualization software.
5. Ease.ly – Create and share visual ideas online.
6. D3.js – Javascript library for creating data-driven documents.
7. Wolfram CDF – Turn infographics into info apps with always-current data.
8. Gephi – Open graph visualization software.
9. StatSilk – Create fully-customizable, feature-rich, interactive maps.

Web Development Tools and Resources

1. Coda – The best HTML, CSS, and web coding software ever. Period.
2. W3 Markup – Convert PSDs to HTML and CSS. Code is art.
3. Firebug – The most popular and powerful web development tool.
4. Style Tiles – A visual web design process for clients and the responsive web.
5. Mobify – Make your website mobile.
6. Responsive Grid System – Fluid grid CSS framework for fast development.
7. SnipSave – Save code snippets for future reference.
8. Retina.js – Open source script that makes service high-resolution images easy.
9. jQuery++ – jQuery’s bald-spot-covering toupee (a collection of useful DOM helpers).
10. WooThemes – Premium WordPress themes can save you time; just customize!

Web Testing and Optimization Tools

1. PageSpeed Insights – Make your website faster.
2. Silverback – Guerrilla usability testing software for designers and developers.
3. Userlytics – Website usability testing and evaluation.
4. Scribe – Search engine optimization made simple.
5. Ethnio – Intercept visitors for live research.
6. FiveSecondTest – Landing page optimization for your mocks and wireframes.
7. Moz – Search engine optimization and social monitoring.
8. Optimizely – An A/V testing software you’ll actually use.
9. Pingdom Tools – Test a web page's load time.

Design Communities

1. Dribbble – Show and tell for designers.
2. DesignBump – User submitted and voted design news, articles, and inspiration.
3. The Web Blend – Summarizing the latest design and development news and trends.
4. DeviantArt – Where art meets application.
5. Dexigner – Design news, events, competitions, and more.
6. Meetup – Do something; learn something. Search for “design” within your area.

Design Galleries (Get Inspired)

1. The Dieline – The number-one package design website.
2. Awwwards – The best websites from around the world.
3. PatternTap – Providing the inspiration and education that designers need.
4. Logopond – Identity inspiration.
5. Design Snack – CSS, HTML, and Flash gallery. An inspiration tool.
6. FWA – Favourite Website Awards. Internet award program and inspiration portal.
7. Designsperation – Discover and share great design that inspires you.
8. siteInspire – Web design inspiration.

Design Blogs

1. Co.DESIGN – Business plus innovation plus design.
2. WebdesignerDepot – Exploring different web and graphic design techniques.
3. 1stwebdesigner – Tutorials, inspiration, roundups, articles, and more.
4. David Airey – The interesting blog of a well-known brand identity designer.
5. Six Revisions – Useful information for web developers and designers.
6. Abduzeedo – Abducted by design. Tutorials and inspiration.
7. Tripwire Magazine – Handpicked goodies for web developers and designers.
8. Line25 – A drawing board of creative web design.
9. Speckyboy – Web design, development, and graphic design resources.
10. Web Designer Wall – Design trends and tutorials.

Design Magazines

1. Net – The world’s best-selling magazine for web designers/developers.
2. Communication Arts – Premiere source of inspiration for designers and art directors.
3. Computer Arts – Inspiration, technique, and great design.
4. CMYK Magazine – A truly rewarding visual experience.
5. Layers – The how-to magazine for everything Adobe.
6. HOW Design Magazine – Graphic, web, and freelance design.
7. Graphic Design USA – Graphic design news, trends, people, ideas, and products.
8. Print Magazine – Bimonthly magazine about visual culture and design.
9. Digital Arts – Inspiration for digital creatives.

Online Graphic Design and Web Development Education

1. Tuts+ Premium – Learn creative and technical skills.
2. Codecademy – Learn to code.
3. FanExtra Network – Awesome tutorial sites for creative professionals.
4. Treehouse – Learn web design, web development, and iOS development.
5. Lynda.com – Online software training videos that really work.
6. PSD Learning – Learning resources for Adobe Photoshop.
7. Udacity – A twenty-first century university. Learn computer science, programming, and more.
8. Pixel2life – Photoshop, Flash, and other tutorials.
9. Khan Academy – Learn almost anything for free.

Great Design Schools

1. ArtCenter College of Design (California) – Learn to create and influence change.
2. RMCAD (Colorado) – One of the nation’s premier art and design institutions since 1963.
3. Yale University School of Art (Connecticut) – Ranked second for the undergrad design program by U.S. News in 2011.
4. RISD (Rhode Island) – One of the oldest and best-known colleges for art and design.
5. Parsons the New School for Design (New York) – Pioneering design education since 1896.
6. School of Visual Arts (New York) – Known for innovative and experimental program philosophies.
7. MCAD (Minnesota) – Educating professional designers and pioneering thinkers.
8. Full Sail University (Florida) – A premier art, music, and film school (campus and online).
9. Otis College of Art and Design (California) – Los Angeles' first independent, professional school of art and design.
10. The Ontario College of Art and Design University – Offers students a high-energy, hands-on learning environment.

Design Job Boards

1. LinkedIn – Find jobs and connect through people you already know.
2. Krop – Creative industry job board.
3. Authentic Jobs – Where companies and creative professionals meet.
4. Coroflot – A simple and direct way to connect with creative opportunities worldwide.
5. AIGA Design Jobs – Professional job listings for all design disciplines.
6. Creative Hotlist – Job search and creative talent directory.
7. Sensational Jobs – The job board for web professionals.
8. We Work Remotely – Design, programming, and executive jobs.
9. Indeed – Search multiple job listing sites for design jobs.

White Label and Affiliate Services for Designers

1. LightCMS – A brandable content management system for designers.
2. Campaign Monitor – Let clients send their own email newsletter campaigns at your prices.
3. CushyCMS – Pro features include the ability to use your own logo, colors, and domain.
4. Site5 – Reseller hosting.
5. Shopify – Ecommerce software. Become a partner and receive 20 percent on referrals.
6. CakeMail – Email marketing software for small businesses.
7. 1ShoppingCart – Private-label this shopping cart and commerce software.
8. Wrike – Project management software that pays 100 percent commission.
9. Weebly Designer Platform – A CMS for designers and clients.
10. Pagely – Resell managed WordPress hosting.

Print Services

1. UPrinting – “Spread your message!” Has 24-hour phone support on weekdays.
2. MOO – Custom business cards, MiniCards, postcards, and more.
3. PrintRunner – “Printing for less.”
4. Vista Print – “Make an impression.”
5. Mimeo – “Prepare to be delighted.”
6. PsPrint – Print online with up to 60 percent off.
7. Smartpress – “Real people who really know print.”
8. PFL – Printing for Less. “Let’s grow your business.”
9. PrintPlace.com – “Passionate about printing.”
10. Overnight Prints – They have more than 40 years of experience printing high-quality products.

Miscellaneous

1. Inkd – Buy and sell custom graphic design templates.
2. Art of the Title – Leading online resource of title sequence design, from film to games.
3. NO!SPEC – Educating the public about speculative (spec) work.
4. Google Arts & Culture – High-quality scans of famous artworks.
5. Freelance Folder – Freelance tools, advice, and resources.
6. Library of Congress Digital Collections – Historical art and design archives preserved online.
7. 99designs – The fastest growing design marketplace in the world.

This article is by DailyTekk from dailytekk.com.

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