30 best apps for designers and creatives
Table of Contents
If you enjoy creating images, illustrations, editing photos or working as a designer, you probably know the importance that apps have in this creative process. Whether to find references, organize deadlines or even in moments of pause, apps help creative professionals, and of course, they are essential for the preparation of virtual projects. For this reason, we separate the 30 best apps for designers and creatives to help you in your creations. Follow the list!
References and Inspirations
Arena
According to the platform itself, the Arena is known by its users as the environment where the Tumblr find the Wikipedia. It has no ads, likes or notifications so it doesn't distract you from the creative process. you can save exclusive links , images, videos or any other type of file in public and collaborative or private channels. O with is available for free, but also has a version premium for unlimited blocks, available for $5,00 per month or $45,00 per year.
A Arena is available for Android e iOS.
Behance
First family app Adobe on our list, Behance it's a platform Delivery to Italy takes one or two business days that allows the creation and sharing of portfolios, connecting designers graphics and creative professionals as a social network to seek inspiration and references in various areas such as photography, architecture and illustration. With the app it is also possible to perform and watch live broadcasts, which can present the methodology of a creative and allow to know the designer graphic behind the projects presented. Also, after posting your portfolio on Behance, you can share the link to potential customers, making it easier to publicize your projects.
A Behance is available for Android e iOS.
O Flipboard is a kind of virtual magazine that brings together different contents and segments, including the Design. You can select your areas of interest when creating your account and get information – such as news, stories and conversations – on feed that will keep you updated in a personalized way. In addition, you will also have access to tips, tutorials, content references and even some files for download.
O Flipboard is available for iOS.
With 1 billion users active in the world in 2020 and about 100 million Brazilians, the Instagram is currently one of the main tools for marketing do e-commerce and home to the portfolio of thousands of artists, a full plate for designers and creative professionals who need inspiration or want to publicize their projects. on the tab Exploring , you will be able to find a variety of styles and ideas from different professionals and amateurs, and also make it possible to promote your product to people interested in your concepts.
O Instagram is available for Android e iOS.
Functioning as a social network for designers, Pinterest it's a platform Delivery to Italy takes one or two business days that allows image sharing, GIFs and videos. With more than 4 million downloads Only in Google Play, the app can be used not only as a source of inspiration for creative professionals, but also as a showcase for their artwork. It is also possible to create panels, annotations or folders to save images of different contents for reference.
O Pinterest is available for Android e iOS.
Organization
Google Calendar
The first step in organizing your services is to pay attention to deadlines and appointments. As Google Calendar, Also known as Google Calendar, you can view all important appointments from the gmail in one place. You can also create reminders for important tasks, meetings or deadlines for your projects, and share them with your contacts.
Each task, appointment or event can be customized with a color and reminders can be set for specific times or days. The user can also choose between monthly, weekly or daily view. The app is also compatible with all other phonebooks on your phone and is completely Free.
O Google Calendar is available for Android e iOS.
Google Drive
O Google Drive facilitates access, upload ou download your files anywhere. Store photos, stories, projects, drawings, recordings, videos or any material needed for the creative process in the cloud with 15 GB of free storage using a Google. As Drive no need to be afraid of forgetting that important project, all your documents will be stored online automatically — or even in mode offline, for those who do not want to depend on the internet.
The tool also allows sharing access to files without the need to attach them to a e-mail. Just invite a contact or send the link of the file and the other person can do the download, view or edit the file collaboratively. If free storage is not enough for you, you can subscribe to one of the Google One: Basic (R$ 6,99 per month) with 100 GB, Standard (R$ 9,99 per month) with 200 GB or Premium (R$ 34,99 per month) with 2 TB that will be shared between the apps from Google.
O Google Drive is available at website and also to Android e iOS.
Notion
O Notion is an app designed to improve the organization of tasks and activities. If you have difficulty organizing your deadlines, it is the ideal solution. For personal use or for team management, the app allows you to create collaborative notes and files. A highlight of Notion is that it manages to go beyond simply creating to-do lists. In it, it is also possible to customize the interface, create calendars, among other numerous functions. Currently, it is possible to purchase the plan pro-staff for $5 monthly or the plan Team for $ 10 a month.
O Notion is available for Android e iOS, in addition to having a version for the web and for systems MacOS e Windows.
Slack
Slack is an work space, a platform for working groups, which combines communication and collaboration in the same space. It works like a app for PC or smartphone, with a free option and three options for paid plans: the Pro (R$ 4 per month) that stores the entire conversation history, the Business + (R$ 7,50 per month) with assistance at any time, and the enterprise grid that supports up to 500 users.
The communication in Slack takes place in channels organized by projects, subjects, teams, or whatever makes the most sense to the user. Very useful for creating networks between creative professionals and designers. If you need to search for a contact, a message or a file, just search in the magnifying glass. The tool allows integration with other apps as Google Drive, for example. As app in its free version it is also possible to generate reports and initiate individual voice and video calls between users.
O Slack is available for Android e iOS.
T
The T is an option of an organizer of personal tasks quality day, which allows you to have an overview of everything you have to do. The user can organize sticky notes e deadlines to be able to create habits with recurring due dates, such as “every Monday”. You can review the next day or week and mark tasks as complete as you go along.
Planning projects and goals based on a walkthrough, project sections or subtasks is possible with T. And also, highlight what is important with priority levels color coded. The platform has a version for desktop with and para smartphones, extension for browsers and plugins de e-mail in a Delivery to Italy takes one or two business days which allows 5 active projects and 5 collaborators per project. the version Pro ($4 per monthly user) and version Business ($6 per monthly user) are also available.
O T is available for Android e iOS.
Trello
O Trello is a productivity platform that can be used both in desktop with and on portable devices, or the two synchronized. It is one of the most used tools for working in teams because it is possible to create workflows visible to everyone on the team. The tool can also be used for personal projects and organisations, such as shopping list or tasks for the day. O Trello gives you a perspective of all your projects, at work and at home.
With it, you can create boards to organize anything you're working on, add checklists “To Do” on cards, assign tasks to yourself and colleagues, upload photos and videos, attach files, and more. O Trello It's free, but there are options Standard ($5 per month), Premium ($10 per month), and Enterprise ($17,50 per monthly user for a minimum of 25 users), for those who need to manage many work teams at the same time and require unlimited resources.
O Trello is available for Android e iOS.
RescueTime
Can't get your projects done on time and don't know what's stealing your attention? O RescueTime is an analysis tool that searches for the websites and apps that consume the most of your time. With it, you can understand which activities demand the most of your time, allowing you to have greater control of tasks. In addition, the app also sends you alerts about the best work times, times when you lost focus and can even block out your distractions in a focus session.
RescueTime works for free, but some advanced features can only be accessed in its version premium which is available for $12 per month or $78 for an annual subscription. The app works on both devices Windows how much in MacOS, And smartphones Android e iOS.
Creation
Adobe capture
O Adobe capture is an application that complements the others software da Adobe - Illustrator, Photoshop e InDesign -, with it it is possible to extract a part of common photos transforming it into an asset, such as an icon, color, font, theme, texture, interface, geometric pattern, 3D material or vector project that can be saved and used in another app . In addition, you can also edit the assets and even make changes with the RGB and HSB sliders.
Very complete and with a practical and modern interface, the with works as a union of apps Adobe Brush, Adobe Shape e Adobe color. To have access to the application it is necessary to link it to a Creative Cloud which will also allow the synchronization of the assets and the library with the applications desktop with and furniture from Adobe. O Capture It is free and aimed at the most advanced public.
The app is available for Android e iOS.
Adobe Illustrator
O Adobe Illustrator is an with Used by designers graphics with focus on illustrations for creating logos, icons, packaging, images and many other visual products with professional quality even for 3D objects. The images created by Illustration can be infinitely enlarged or reduced without losing sharpness or blurring as they are made of dots, lines and curves instead of pixels.
And you don't even need to be a drawing expert to use the program, it's possible to work with customizable models or with the shape builder, modifying colors, fonts and other options. But for designers, the app can provide an experience as natural as using a pen and paper. The monthly plan Adobe Illustrator costs R$ 90,00 with 100 GB of cloud storage.
O Adobe Illustrator is available for iPad on iOS.
Adobe InDesign
O Adobe InDesign essential for professionals working with Design e layout of pages for digital and print media. With it you can create books, digital magazines, eBooks, posters, letterheads, brochures, postcards, interactive PDFs and more. Because it is a simple and easy-to-learn application, it can be used by both beginners and professionals. The monthly plan Adobe InDesign costs R$ 90,00 with 100 GB of cloud storage.
Adobe Lightroom
It is impossible to use social networks, work with Design or photography and not have heard of the Adobe Lightroom. It is an image editor and manager used to make quick edits — such as adjusting brightness, contrast, saturation, lighting, effects and filters, among other features — on images, automating adjustments or editing a large number of images at the same time. Despite being a free application, some features available on Lightroom can only be used in the paid version – the monthly plan costs BRL 43,00 with 1 TB of cloud storage.
O Adobe Lightroom is available for Android e iOS.
Adobe Photoshop
O Adobe Photoshop is a classic photo and editorial image editing and treatment that cannot be left out of our list. It is the program Design full graphic — with photo manipulation tool, 3D art, typography, and even animation — a favorite of many professionals. With it you can not only remove or isolate objects, edit paths and use a multitude of artistic brushes, but also use advanced drawing tools to create sharp illustrations.
However, if the goal is to create art from scratch, the Adobe Illustrator is the most suitable. While the Photoshop it is raster based and best suited for photo editing. The editor option Adobe it may not be ideal for beginners or amateurs, but there are many tutorials available on the internet and its interface is very intuitive and customizable. Adobe Photoshop costs R$ 90,00 with 100 GB of cloud storage.
The app is available for iPad on iOS.
Canva
O Canva is currently the platform for Design most popular graphic and used by professionals in the e-commerce and social media. It is a simple editor that can be easily used by beginners and even amateurs who don't have knowledge of more advanced apps like Adobe Photoshop ou Illustration. With several options for customizable templates fonts, icons, colors, effects and other assets, you can create a project from scratch or from a template editable.
with an interface clean, Canva allows a professional finish on flyers, folders, posters, invitations and advertising material even for those who do not have much experience. Despite being a free application, which can be used via the web without the need for installation, some features are only available in the paid version. The available plans are Pro (R$ 34,90 per month for up to five people), with a free trial of up to 30 days and the Enterprise (R$ 110,00 per month for at least 25 people).
O Canva is available for Android e iOS.
CorelDraw
O CorelDraw is an with professional graphic illustration available for free trial or subscription only. Unlike other programs on the list, it is not easily used by hobbyists or beginners in Design graph, so if this is the case, many simpler and more intuitive alternatives are more advantageous. However, it is a top-notch option for professionals, as it has customizable templates presets, frames, 600+ gradients, 1000+ fonts, 48 export formats and other advanced features.
InShot
Unlike the other apps on our list, InShot is a video editing application that can be used by both professionals and beginners in simple projects. If you are looking for an editor that is user-friendly, allows you to add effects and perform the most common operations with just a few taps, that is, without spending hours and hours on editing, this is the right app.
The app offers the main editing features such as cropping, changing speed and volume, duplicating the video, special effects, adding subtitles, emojis and soundtracks, among other features that can be used directly on social networks. Including, the InShot has some features designed specifically for the Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. The app has free features and a paid option that includes more advanced features.
O InShot is available for Android e iOS.
Pantone studio
With Pantone studio it is possible to have access to more than ten thousand color options. The app allows you to create color palettes, extract colors from photos or images from a Pinterest, Facebook, Tumblr ou Instagram and visualize tones on flexible 3D papers and fabrics. Palettes can be sent to an account at Adobe Creative Cloud. The app is only available for iOS and allows 7-day free trial, for monthly subscription ($4,99) and one month for annual subscription ($29,99).
Pixlr
Simple and easy to use, the pixelr is a free photo editor that delivers results from Design professional graphic and can be compared to Adobe Photoshop, considering its basic tools. No need for advanced experience, any user with basic editing knowledge can master it in a few minutes. Currently, there are three versions of the image editor: the pixlr X, a more modest option with fewer features, the Pixlr E, full version for professionals and the Photomash Studio, a version more focused on the e-commerce and for social media, as well as the Canva.
The service also stands out for having support for layers (layers), masks and RAW format files, making life easier for photographers who prefer to work with a file that has not gone through a compression algorithm. In addition, it has artistic filters and automatic optimization options for those who don't have many skills. Although free in its version with ads, some features of Pixlr are paid and available in two different monthly plans: the premium for $4,90 and the creative pack for $ 29,99.
The app is available for Android e iOS.
Procreate
O Procreate is an illustration, sketching and painting app only available for iOS. Its use can even resemble a creation made on paper, which is why it is the favorite app of many creative professionals who like the traditional effect. With it, you can import files from other devices, use gestures to zoom in or out of art, undo details and choose from a wide variety of brushes, all in different workflows.
The main difference between the app and the Adobe Illustrator is that the Procreate is an editor with a super-fast graphics engine (Valkyrie) while the Adobe is based on vectors. However, the exclusivity of the app for the use of iPad e Apple Pencil could be a disadvantage.
GIMP
GIMP is a great free alternative to Photoshop, it is an open source project for end users, which means that the platform was developed (and is maintained) by many different programmers. One of the best features of GIMP is its wealth of plugins e scripts. With layers, masks, advanced filters, color adjustments and transformations, which are fully customizable, the program has excellent functions. As some of these tools are replicas of the Photoshop, as the function liquidate.
However, you may need more experience to master the editor. But it might be a good idea to spend some time reading its manual, because with the app it is possible to export images in more than 40 different formats and operate on different operating systems, such as Linux and Windows.
Sketchbook
The app Sketchbook is ideal for a graphic designer or creative professional who wants to create sketches, drawings or even final projects in smartphones — although it is also available for PC. With more than 10 million downloads Only in Google Play, the app is free and has different types of customizable brushes, markers, airbrushes, rulers, droppers, fills, layers and symmetries so you can let your creativity flow at any time. Attention, the app is another product of Autodesk.
The app is available for Android e iOS.
VSCO
VSCO is a photo and video editing app that can be used by amateurs, beginners and professionals. You can add filters and textures, as well as adjust light, colors, contrast and saturation, among other basic editing methods, for free. For advanced editing such as HSL and split tone, you can subscribe to the app, the annual fee is US$ 20,00. You can also buy filters in your library of over 200 copies, directly in the app.
The app is available for Android e iOS.
WhatTheFont
Did your client send you a reference with a specific source that you are not aware of? O WhatTheFont is the AI powered app that can solve the problem in few clicks. ideal for designers and creative professionals, the app identifies for free fonts from photos, informing the name of the font used and other options of similar fonts existing in its database with more than 133 thousand styles. It is also possible to try out a specific text in the selected font.
WhatTheFont is available for Android e iOS.
To relax
12min
Having a creative block and need to focus on other things for a while? the app 12min can help you with that. The developers of app assembled a team specially to read, analyze and synthesize non-fiction books into an audio or text of 12 minutes. With the app you can learn something new in just 12 minutes during a break, or even choose your next reading.
Currently, the app has more than 2500 works in Portuguese, English and Spanish in the catalog and more than 1 million users in the world. Non-subscribers can listen one free review per day. Already subscribers have unlimited access and can make download to listen whenever you want. There are two plan options, the individual annual plan (R$ 299,99, with a 3-day trial period) and the plan for companies, starting with 10 users.
The application 12min is available for Android e iOS.
Insight Timer
Meditation can be a method to unlock creativity, relieve the stress of a tiring day at work, or even calm anxiety about deadlines. It's the Insight Timer it's the app Free number one for that. With meditations and guided lectures, podcast, music and classes for those who don't know how to meditate, the app has already won the App of the Year award by the magazine Time. The version premium of the application, which allows you to make download of meditations to listen offline, pick up where you left off from meditation and listen to the audios in superior quality, is available for $9,99 per month or $59,99 per year.
The application Insight Timer is available for Android e iOS.
Spotify
Service streaming most popular and used music in the world is also a great option to relax in your spare time. With songs for every moment, podcast e playlists with different themes, Spotify it can even serve as inspiration for creative professionals. The app is available in version Delivery to Italy takes one or two business days with ads, and in versions premium: Individual (R$ 19,90 per month), Duo which allows two accounts (R$ 24,90 per month), Family for up to six family accounts with the same address (R$ 34,90 per month) and the Stadium (R$ 9,90 per month).
O Spotify is available for Android e iOS.
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Need help with your creative process? check now 12 online design tools for creative professionals.
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