What software is recommended for a contemporary web designer?

Contemporary web designers often use a variety of tools and software to create modern, responsive, and visually appealing websites. Here are some recommended software and tools for web designers:

Text Editors/IDEs:

Visual Studio Code: A popular and free source code editor with extensive extensions for web development.
Sublime Text: A lightweight and customizable text editor favored by many web developers.
Atom: Another free and highly customizable text editor created by GitHub.
Graphic Design Tools:

Adobe Creative Cloud: This includes software like Photoshop, Illustrator, and XD for creating graphics and prototypes.
Sketch: A vector-based design tool for macOS, commonly used by web designers.
Wireframing and Prototyping:

Figma: A collaborative design tool that allows for real-time collaboration and prototyping.
Adobe XD: A user experience and interaction design tool for creating wireframes and prototypes.
Version Control:

Git: A distributed version control system widely used for tracking changes in web projects.
GitHub: A platform that provides hosting for software development and version control using Git.
Front-End Development:

HTML/CSS: For building the structure and styling of web pages.
JavaScript: For interactivity and client-side functionality.
SASS/LESS: Preprocessors that make working with CSS more efficient.
Bootstrap: A CSS framework for responsive web design.
React, Angular, or Vue.js: JavaScript libraries/frameworks for building dynamic web applications.
Task Runners and Build Tools:

Webpack: A popular module bundler.
Gulp and Grunt: Task automation tools for optimizing assets and workflows.
Responsive Design Testing:

Browser Developer Tools: Built-in developer tools in modern browsers.
Responsive Design Testing Tools: Online tools like BrowserStack and CrossBrowserTesting for testing on multiple devices and browsers.
Content Management Systems (CMS):

WordPress: A popular CMS that simplifies web development and content management.
Performance and Optimization:

Google PageSpeed Insights: For optimizing web performance.
Lighthouse: An open-source tool for improving web page quality.
Collaboration and Project Management:

Trello, Asana, or Jira: Project management tools for tracking tasks and progress.
Slack: For team communication and collaboration.
SEO Tools:

Moz, SEMrush, Ahrefs: Tools for SEO analysis and optimization.
Web Hosting Services:

AWS, Heroku, Netlify, or traditional web hosts: For deploying and hosting websites.

Performance Monitoring:

Google Analytics: For tracking website traffic and user behavior.
New Relic and Datadog: Tools for monitoring the performance of web applications.
Accessibility Tools:

axe DevTools: An accessibility testing tool that integrates with browser developer tools.
WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool: A web accessibility testing tool.
Image Optimization:

ImageMagick: A command-line tool for optimizing and manipulating images.
TinyPNG and ImageOptim: Online tools for compressing images.
Color and Typography Tools:

Coolors and Adobe Color Wheel: Tools for creating and selecting color schemes.
Google Fonts: A collection of free web fonts for typography.
Web Design Blogs and Communities:

Smashing Magazine: Offers articles and resources on web design and development.
Designer News: A community for designers to share news and inspiration.
Learning Resources:

Codecademy, Coursera, Udemy: Platforms for learning web design and development.
MDN Web Docs: Mozilla's developer network provides comprehensive web development documentation.
Testing and Debugging:

BrowserStack and CrossBrowserTesting: Tools for cross-browser compatibility testing.
Postman: For testing APIs and web services.
Linter and ESLint: For code quality and style checking.
Web Design Frameworks:

Foundation: A responsive front-end framework.
Materialize CSS: A CSS framework based on Google's Material Design guidelines.
Security Tools:

OWASP: Provides resources and tools for web application security.
SSL/TLS Certificates: Ensures secure data transfer between the server and clients.
Web Animation Tools:

GreenSock Animation Platform (GSAP): A JavaScript library for creating animations.
CSS animations and transitions: Built-in web technologies for adding motion to web elements.
Grid and Flexbox Layouts:

CSS Grid and Flexbox: CSS layout techniques for building responsive designs.
Design Inspiration:

Dribbble and Behance: Platforms for discovering and showcasing design inspiration.
Video and Multimedia:

YouTube and Vimeo: For embedding videos in web content.
HTML5 video and audio elements: Native support for multimedia.
These tools and resources cover a wide range of aspects in web design, from performance optimization to design inspiration. Depending on the specific requirements of your projects and your personal preferences, you can select the tools and resources that best suit your needs. Web design is an evolving field, so staying updated and learning new skills is crucial for success.

Depending on the task at hand, I always have this kit ready. It is a combination of design/creative tools and research/analytical tools:

To comprehend the task and get started, I have a cork board, A4 sheets, a printer, a notepad, stickers of various colors, pencils, and markers. These materials come in handy when trying to understand the task, creating initial diagrams, concepts, and choosing layouts.

When dealing with larger tasks, it's easy to get lost in the pile of papers. Therefore, it is helpful to periodically digitize everything using mindmap services like XMind, FlowMapp, MindMeister, or Miro.

For creating design concepts with expressive graphics, tools like Figma, Sketch, InVision Studio, Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, and Adobe After Effects are suitable.

For interactive prototypes, I typically use Figma in combination with InVision Studio or Principle.

To create branded graphics and illustrations, I rely on Figma, Procreate, and Photoshop.

For photo processing, I use Figma and Photoshop.

When it comes to layout and launching a website, WebFlow and Tilda are my go-to tools.

Lastly, for research and analysis of processes, I utilize surveys, interviews, Customer Journey maps (CJM), BPMN charts, and analytics systems such as Google Firebase, Amplitude, OWOX BI, and Google Analytics 360.

When observing the outcomes of the efforts made by contemporary fuck-designers, I can only recommend them a single tool: