8 Tools for Web Design and Development To Boost Your Workflow
Reading Time: 3 minutes Web development is challenging, and web developers are always seeking better ways to streamline and otherwise optimize their workflows. That motivation is why there are so many web developer tools on the market and why new tools for web design and development are constantly being innovated. With that in mind, here are eight tools that can make you much more productive and efficient as a web developer.
1. Slack
Many of the best tools for web design and development are focused on communication between the web design team members, and that’s the case with Slack. In a nutshell, Slack is a messaging tool, but it really is so much more. It focuses on communication in a workplace among a team, and it offers features to boost collaboration workflow. Perhaps its most useful feature is the ability to drag and drop almost anything into a conversation. That includes code, images, PDF files, and even spreadsheets. Slack also provides slick notifications as it works in the background so that it doesn’t disturb your work.
2. Postman
APIs are among the most powerful tools to develop web application solutions because of code reuse. You probably have APIs for third-party integration, front ends, mobile apps and so forth. It can be difficult to know if an API is functioning optimally in all situations. This is where Postman comes in. It facilitates testing at a high level and a unit level, and the results can be visualized in almost any Web-relevant syntax to make it more appropriate to the work at hand.
3. Trello
Trello is a not new software, but it is among the most widely used tools to develop the web application. Most web design teams are not large, and Trello is designed to facilitate a shared workflow among 10 team members or less. It uses a board system—think of a virtual whiteboard. Boards can be further organized into lists or cards—like index cards. Boards—or projects—can also be organized into collections, and Trello extends beyond basic web apps to Android, iOS and even Kindle.
4. Draw.io
Draw.io is an excellent complement to Trello. Trello lets you organize your projects in a visual manner. Draw.io does the same but at a more granular level. This is a diagram editor that you can use to create diagrams of almost anything related to your project, including flowcharts, relationship visualizations, UML, network diagrams and so forth. It offers an amazing collection of vector graphics, and the entire interface is built around drag-and-drop functionality.
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5. IronPDF
If you’re seeking a tool with the ability to create PDF documents, consider IronPDF. Not only does IronPDF have the ability to convert ASPX to PDF files, but it’s an efficient and rewarding way to create a new PDF file in C#. This lets you render ASPX while retaining all formatting. It can also pull images, forms and other objects from PDF, and you can manipulate that data however you need.
6. Pigment
Often, a logo or even an entire website design will be based on two core colors. The pigment is an amazing color palette tool that takes those two colors and sets them as a base from which you can iterate many different design elements, including scalable vector graphics, gradients, duotones and much more. It’s one of those web developer tools you may never realize how much you need until you try it.
7. Sketch
If you are using Photoshop for UI design and haven’t tried Sketch, then you need to make time to give it a whirl. This is a vector-based app. The files are very small. You’ll work with many small files rather than a few large ones. This makes searching and sorting a breeze. It also makes revision a lot easier. Iterating is such an important aspect of UI design and often where traditional paint apps disrupt workflow.
8. Anime
Most web designers are using CSS for transitions and animations. CSS makes animations practical, but it’s not necessarily the best tool when those animation components become complex. This is where Anime can be a big help. It’s a web animation tool that streamlines the workflow of creating, iterating on and reusing CSS-based transitions and animations.
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Riya is an inspired writer, passionate about traveling, lifestyle and encouraging startups. As a freelancer, she understands the importance of productivity at work. Connect with Riya on twitter, @sanderriya.
