Our 5 Favorite Design Tools At Lúgh Studio

As a design agency, we have a long list of our favorite design tools that we use on a daily basis. 

Still, it’s useful to narrow it down to the essentials. Basically, the tools that we can’t go without.

So that’s what we have for you today: a list of our five favorite design tools, as well as a description of why each one is so useful.

Our Favorite Design Tools

1) Figma

This is our go-to tool for UI design. One of the big benefits to Figma is how easy it makes collaboration. Because the tool is based entirely on cloud computing, multiple people can work on the same project together simultaneously.  This makes Figma an awesome tool for teams, especially when they are working on relatively complex web design projects.

Figma also makes it a breeze to share files. If your client needs to check something on short notice, for example, Figma will take care of it quickly and easily.

That said, Figma requires an active internet connection at all times. This is often cited as a reason people don’t get started with the tool and can be a minor inconvenience. In addition, the robust amount of features that Figma provides can actually be a disadvantage for an individual or freelancer. Because they often don’t need all the same capabilities that an entire design team would require, the monthly price tag of 12 dollars might not be worth it.

Still, Figma is an awesome tool and we use it for most of our design projects at Lúgh Studio

2) Evernote

Marketed as a note taking tool, Evernote makes it easy to keep all your ideas in one place. If you are somebody who finds inspiration in the day-to-day, Evernote’s features for note capture are also quite useful. For example, with just the click of a button, you can capture a screenshot, web page link, video and so much more. This is then automatically synced across all your devices with which you use Evernote.

It also makes collaboration with team members easy. For a design team that consumes creative content (and then makes it!), this is essential.

Depending on how you use the tool, though, Evernote can be somewhat restricted. The free account is limited to 60mb of uploads per month and also doesn’t allow for offline access to notes. That said, if you are looking for a tool to organize your team’s notes with, you won’t find much better than Evernote.

3) MyFonts

This is the number one place to download a variety of fonts. MyFonts makes it easy to experiment with different styles, and also ensures that you have all the fonts you need for different projects in one convenient place. 

This platform also has a convenient feature called “WhatsTheFont” that can identify any font from a simple upload. This is useful because it prevents the frustration (and time wasting) of searching for the exact font that you are looking at. And not only that, but the feature ensures professionalism. Inconsistency in fonts not only looks bad, but can be a major red flag for new clients.

You can also get creative with this feature. For example, maybe you start sending cold emails to potential clients in the same font that they create their email newsletter with. It’s a little thing, of course…but often it’s the details that make a difference.

4) Monosnap

If you do anything with screenshots, this tool is for you. Monosnap makes it easy to not only take high quality screenshots but to edit them once you do. This includes an extensive variety of possibilities for markup and visual clarification like arrows and text. 

For a design agency like Lúgh Studio, this is essential for clear communication. It’s often difficult for team members to explain exactly what they need done. When it comes to design and the visual assets we work with, a lot can get lost in translation.

Not so with Monosnap. With this tool you are able to communicate by showing, and this has had all the difference for us in quick project turn around.

5) The Adobe Creative Cloud

Our last “tool” is actually a collection of apps. With the Creative Cloud, your design agency has everything they need to work on a variety of video, design, and UX projects – all in one place.

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Photoshop
• Lightroom
• InDesign
• Acrobat Pro

With such an expansive collection of tools (you get access to over 20 applications), the Creative Cloud is the perfect solution for a design agency that does extensive client work. That’s because different clients will want different things, and you can’t always rely on your one “core offer” to completely satisfy the companies you are working with. You simply need a variety of tools. With Adobe Creative Cloud, that’s exactly what you get.

The only potential “problem” is the learning curve. With so many apps and potential use cases, it can be hard to know where to start. Plus, assuming you don’t have so much experience with the tools you need the most, the Creative Cloud can indeed feel a bit overwhelming. That’s especially true if you are a freelancer or a “solopreneur” trying to do everything on your own.

Still, the potential complexity of Adobe Creative Cloud isn’t a flaw so much as a benefit. The tools that this suite provides you with are indeed world class and are built to tackle even the most complicated projects.

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Are you an enterprise, nonprofit or small business looking for help on your website? Give us a shout! We provide a free consultation. Email us at info@lughstudio.com or call us at (718) 855-1919!