ARTIKEL

5 useful design tools in 2024

  • Sanne La Feber
  • Motion/UX Designer
  • January 11, 2024

As we start 2024, the anticipation for what lies ahead this year in the field of design is tangible. Reflecting on the significant leaps Artificial Intelligence (AI) took in 2023, it becomes evident that these developments have been of big value for designers and the entire digital landscape. 

AI's advancement isn't just a tech change; it's a powerful force changing how we view design. It brings a mix of opportunities and challenges. Going ahead, the teamwork between human creativity and AI is set to reshape digital design, opening doors to new ideas and expanding creative possibilities. 

This article is a guide to the design tools that will likely shape the digital landscape in 2024, showcasing a majority of tools based on artificial intelligence, but also some old-fashioned non-AI ones. 

1. Figma

Figma is a popular cloud-based design tool for digital designers, and it's expected to keep growing in 2024. Its appeal lies in its suitability for remote design teams, enabling real-time collaboration. With templates catering to both beginners and experts, Figma boasts an intuitive interface, making it a preferred choice for crafting web pages and company websites. Notably, its compatibility with various systems positions it as a top choice for UI designers and developers. The waning popularity of Adobe XD can be attributed to Figma's superior features, and with Adobe's acquisition of Figma in 2023, the possibility of it fully replacing Adobe XD looms on the horizon. 

Some key features of Figma: 

  • Animation
  • Design Management
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Performance Testing
  • Content Management System
  • Useful plugins
  • Design Templates

2. Midjourney

Some artists are unsure about AI and have good reasons for it. But AI is here to stay, and we should make the most of its benefits. It can make our work faster, give us ideas, and help us make things we couldn't even think of before. As AI is still very much evolving, possibilities will be endless and Midjourney is a great example of how it can be put in use for designers. 

Text-to-image generated images

Midjourney is a generative AI tool that transforms text prompts into visual art. It's known for making images using advanced technology, similar to other well-known software like DALL-E and Stable Diffusion. Take some time to learn how to write the best prompts, and you’ll get some kick-ass results. It’s great for generating some atmospheric images or realistic product images to use in your designs. 

Midjourney can also be a great inspiration for: 

  • UI screens
  • App icons
  • Logos 

3. Adobe Firefly

For those involved in digital design, Adobe Firefly has likely captured attention with its innovative features. As Adobe boldly states, the ability to generate images, add or remove objects, and transform text through simple prompts in over 100 languages positions Firefly as a powerful tool. 

Photoshop

Photoshop just became so much easier using Firefly. Just use a simple text prompt to add whatever you want in your design. Want to add a T-Rex in Tuxedo? Well, why not! The process is just as easy for removing unwanted content. 


We have been using this feature in our team on a regular bases, it saves a lot of time. Where we used to take hours to combine two images together, now it’s a matter of a few prompts. It’s also useful as an addition to Midjourney images. Just add the missing elements in Firefly. 

 

Illustrator

Use Illustrator's Text to Vector Graphic tool to easily create editable, scalable vector images. Just type a description, click Generate, and make icons, patterns, scenes, and more. You can also use reference images for a similar style. And as it is still in Beta, we can’t wait what Firefly will bring in 2024. 

4. Adobe Express

Beyond its impressive AI features, Adobe Express proves to be an valuable tool for handling various small tasks. Designers no longer need separate tools for tasks like creating QR codes or converting videos to GIFs; Adobe Express combines these functions under one roof. Additionally, the tool is skilled at producing quick mockups and utilized Adobe Firefly for generating compelling AI content. 

5. Eyetracking Empowered by Artificial Intelligence

Heatmaps have been really useful in the last decade. By using heatmaps and gaze sequencing, you can figure out the most popular parts of a webpage, print, or merchandising and put the most important text and images there. Now, with the help of artificial intelligence, we can do this without actual user testing, based on what we've learned before. Our UX designers have been using these tools a lot recently, and they find it helpful to design confidently, knowing our main messages will be clear to users and the customer journey is optimized. 

3M Vas

3M, the company well known for its post-its, glue and Scotch tape, developed this very useful eye tracking tool, 3M Vas. Validated against academic eye-tracking study results and compared with academic image databases, Vas predicts first-glance vision with an impressive 92% accuracy for the first 3-5 seconds. Beyond its utility for UX/UI designers, it serves as a powerful tool for analyzing print, email, and outdoor advertising. Users can upload their designs and effortlessly obtain a comprehensive report featuring a heatmap, hotspots, gaze sequence, and individual visual elements. Plugins for Photoshop, Illustrator and XD further enhance its usability. 

Expoze.io

The AI eye tracking expoze.io is just as useful, and not only for static images but also for video. Headquartered in the Netherlands, this tool, backed by an artificial neural network exposed to millions of images, excels in detecting objects and generating accurate attention heatmaps. Claiming a 95% accuracy rate matching traditional eye tracking, Expoze.io offers nuanced results, including attention heatmaps for videos, customizable heatmaps, and the option to export raw heatmap data. With convenient plugins available for Figma, Photoshop, and Chrome, Expoze.io is gaining popularity for its comprehensive features. 

Conclusion

Now that we've just started 2024, the impact of Artificial Intelligence on design is clear. Key tools include Figma for collaborative design, Midjourney for turning text into visual art, and Adobe Firefly for easy object manipulation. These tools reflect the evolving landscape, making design more accessible and efficient. For the upcoming year it will be interesting to see the development of AI in video in tools like Pika. As we speak it’s not really ready to use in our daily work but let’s see how that develops in the next few months.  

We are heading to a very interesting year, the possibilities of AI are endless. So let’s see where it leads us! 

Deel artikel

Nog niet uitgelezen?

MEER NIEUWS

Let's work together to build powerful brands

LET'S TALK