If you’ve ever needed to produce quality designs for an upcoming marketing campaign, then you’ll understand why having the right tools on hand is so important for achieving the professional finish you need, on a timeline that works for you.
Sometimes these graphics are the centerpiece of your project. Other times, they might be on a smaller scale - an Instagram post, the banner for an email - yet that doesn’t diminish their importance.
In fact, research studies have shown that our brains are wired to retain information better when it’s presented in visual form. That’s why filling your client’s online presence with high-quality visual content is critical. When done well, web visitors and followers will pause and commit what they’re seeing to memory. Those images then become the touchstones consumers recall when they’re feeling ready to buy or book.
With the right kind of production assistance, you can take charge of your client’s visuals and ensure they have that ‘wow’ impact. Whether you’re launching a full-scale web design project, or need to create a small graphic in a pinch, here are the 10 graphic design tools all marketing professionals should keep close by.
01. InVision
This product’s mission is to make the entire design process run smoothly on-screen. From the initial inspiration-gathering stages to wireframes, and from feedback collection to animating elements, it can all be done on this platform. Moving between various modes - like freehand, a visualization board, and a prototype - make that range of activity possible.
Use it for: When you need to complete an original design from start to finish. It’s particularly handy while working with a team due to comment opportunities, shared libraries for storing standardized elements, and a freehand draw option to ‘mark up’ colleagues’ proposals.
Pricing: The package with one prototype is available for free, while priced packaging Includes more prototypes.
Available as a mobile app? Yes.
02. Canva
A popular favorite for polished social media graphics, this website works on a drag-and-drop model. They have the images, filters, fonts, icons, and shapes already on-hand, ready for you to select and tailor to the look and feel of your client’s website or social channels.
Use it for: Graphs or photo editing. Search through a multitude of templates for the exact deliverable you need, whether that’s a meme or a Facebook cover photo. Hint: Web designers might also find graph templates, like their Site Maps or Gantt Chart, to be particularly helpful when assembling a contract-winning client proposal.
Pricing: Basic package is free. Access more advanced capabilities with priced packages, Canva for Work and Canva Enterprise.
Available as a mobile app? Yes.
03. Pixlr
Pixlr brings photo editing capabilities into your web browser, eliminating the need to download any software. Create an image from scratch, or import one from your computer or a URL, and then get to work applying filters, effects, overlays, and more to achieve the end result you want.
Use it for: Quick photo creation and touch-ups.
Pricing: Both free and paid versions, depending on the editing functionality you need.
Available as a mobile app? Yes.
03. ColorFavs
The site gives you multiple ways to search for the perfect color harmonies and shades you desire. The feature we want to talk about, though, is their straightforward color palette generator. Just upload an image, and the site will suggest complementary colors.
Use it for: Selecting the right colors to complement any promotional materials centered around an image.
Pricing: Free.
Available as a mobile app? No.
04. Flare
Enhance the set of visuals you’re working on by adding animation elements. The company’s support for the Open Design Movement means all files designers and developers create through the platform are publicly-available (in view-only form) to other site users. It’s all meant to encourage greater collaboration and learning from each other’s processes.
Use it for: Sophisticated animation features. Fine-tuning your own skills by browsing the gallery and inspecting the design process behind animation elements you like.
Pricing: Free. Monthly or yearly paid plans are available if you wish to keep your piles private from the community.
Available as a mobile app? No.
06. Storrito
Intended exclusively for developing Instagram stories, Storrito’s web editor lets you perfect the selected images and introduce interactive components to create content that resonates strongly with your client’s target audience. The scheduling tool is relief for web professionals looking to automate more functions and maximize their efficiency on client projects.
Use it for: Creating engaging Instagram stories to promote your client’s brand, and scheduling posts in advance.
Pricing: Free and paid packages are available, depending on the number of posts you plan to make each month.
Available as a mobile app? No.
07. MyFonts
It should come as no surprise that this website is all about fonts. Boasting a collection of over 130,000 fonts, this is the site to visit when you’re in search of the right style to convey a client’s brand identity. Once you’ve finalized your selection, upload it to your client’s website and put it to use on all other promotional materials to create a consistent visual narrative across print and online sources.
Use it for: Font searching and downloading, as well as identifying unknown fonts you see online via their tool, WhatTheFont.
Pricing: Fonts are available for free and for purchase.
Available as a mobile app? Yes (WhatTheFont).
08. Wix Blog’s ultimate social media size guide
This one is not so much a conventional tool as it is a lifesaver for every web professional. It’s the guide you need to image sizing on seven of the most popular social media networks.
Use it for: Sizing images for social correctly to achieve maximum clarity, giving your client’s channels a top-quality finish.
Pricing: Free.
Available as a mobile app? No.
09. Pablo
While Canva can be used to generate images for use across print and online platforms, Pablo is solely focused on social media. An easy-to-navigate web editor comes complete with a searchable gallery of over 600,000 images, templates, and even optimized image presets for Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram to make your job easier.
Use it for: Crafting professional-grade social media images for clients.
Pricing: Free.
Available as a mobile app? No.
10. Piktochart
Over 600 templates are divided into five categories, each offering a different way to visualize a client’s data or narrative: infographics, presentations, reports, flyers, and posters. A drag-and-drop editor lets you customize to adjust for your professional opinion and your client’s feedback. Piktochart for Teams builds a feedback mechanism into the platform for easier collaboration, and gives you space to store project or brand assets.
Use it for: Compiling data in visually-appealing ways. Also, professional and straightforward composition of non-exclusively online materials, like reports and flyers.
Pricing: Monthly and yearly paid plans are available for both PRO and PRO Team funnels.
Available as a mobile app? No.
When have you found these tools helpful in your own marketing work? Is there another one you would add to the list?
By Joanna Kramer
Editor, Wix Experts Blog
