The Best 10 Software to Use for User Experience Design in 2024

5 min read

close up photo black Android smartphone
close up photo black Android smartphone

Introduction

User experience (UX) design plays a crucial role in creating intuitive and engaging digital products. As technology continues to evolve, so does the software available to UX designers. The following are top 10 most popular software options for UX design and some of our personal favorites in 2024. Each of these tools offers unique features and capabilities that enhance the design process and help create exceptional user experiences. Let's dive in!

1. Sketch

Sketch is a popular vector-based design tool that has gained immense popularity among UX designers. Its intuitive interface and powerful features make it a go-to choice for many professionals. With Sketch, designers can create wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs seamlessly. The software's extensive plugin ecosystem allows for enhanced functionality and customization.

Pros:

  • Intuitive and user-friendly interface

  • Robust vector editing capabilities

  • Extensive plugin ecosystem

  • Efficient collaboration features

Cons:

  • Only available for macOS

  • Limited support for complex animations

Why we love it: Sketch provides a streamlined design experience with its focus on vector-based editing and its vast library of plugins. It allows for efficient collaboration and is well-suited for creating high-fidelity designs. Their recent update on prototyping function allows users to easily export their files on Sketch and turn them into interactive prototypes.

2. Figma

Figma is a cloud-based design tool that has gained popularity for its collaborative features and cross-platform compatibility. With Figma, multiple designers can work simultaneously on a project, making it an ideal choice for distributed teams. The software also offers powerful prototyping capabilities, allowing designers to create interactive experiences.

Pros:

  • Real-time collaboration

  • Works on both macOS and Windows

  • Powerful prototyping features

  • Easy sharing and feedback gathering

Cons:

  • Performance issues with large files

  • Less robust vector editing compared to some other tools

Why we love it: Figma's collaborative features make it an excellent choice for teams working on UX design projects. Its cross-platform compatibility and powerful prototyping capabilities enhance the design process and facilitate seamless collaboration.

3. Adobe XD

Adobe XD is a comprehensive UX design tool that offers a range of features for creating interactive prototypes and wireframes. It integrates seamlessly with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, allowing for a smooth workflow. Adobe XD also provides extensive design and collaboration capabilities, making it a favorite among many UX designers.

Pros:

  • Integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps

  • Powerful prototyping capabilities

  • Extensive design and collaboration features

  • Regular updates and new feature additions

Cons:

  • Performance issues with complex projects

  • Steep learning curve for beginners

Why we love it: Adobe XD's integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps and its powerful prototyping features make it a versatile tool for UX designers. Its regular updates and commitment to innovation ensure that designers have access to the latest tools and features.

4. InVision Studio

InVision Studio is a feature-rich design tool that offers a range of capabilities for creating interactive and visually stunning designs. It allows designers to create animations, microinteractions, and transitions to bring their designs to life. InVision Studio also offers collaboration features, making it easy to gather feedback and iterate on designs.

Pros:

  • Advanced animation and interaction features

  • Powerful prototyping capabilities

  • Collaboration and feedback gathering

  • Integration with other InVision products

Cons:

  • Steep learning curve for beginners

  • Limited vector editing capabilities

Why we love it: InVision Studio's advanced animation and interaction features make it an excellent choice for designers looking to create visually dynamic experiences. Its collaboration and prototyping capabilities further enhance the design process.

5. Axure RP

Axure RP is a powerful prototyping and wireframing tool that allows designers to create highly interactive and dynamic designs. It offers a wide range of features, including conditional logic, variables, and adaptive views. Axure RP is particularly well-suited for complex and data-driven applications.

Pros:

  • Advanced prototyping capabilities

  • Conditional logic and variables

  • Adaptive views for responsive design

  • Robust documentation and annotation features

Cons:

  • Steep learning curve

  • Limited vector editing capabilities

Why we love it: Axure RP's advanced prototyping capabilities and support for complex interactions make it a valuable tool for designing interactive and data-driven applications. Its robust documentation features also aid in the design process.

6. Principle

Principle is a powerful animation and prototyping tool that allows designers to create interactive and dynamic user interfaces. It offers an intuitive interface and a range of features for creating smooth and realistic animations. Principle is particularly well-suited for designers looking to create microinteractions and transitions.

Pros:

  • Intuitive interface for animation design

  • Powerful animation capabilities

  • Easy integration with design tools

  • Real-time preview on mobile devices

Cons:

  • Limited design and prototyping features compared to comprehensive design tools

  • Only available for macOS

Why we love it: Principle's focus on animation design and its intuitive interface make it an excellent choice for designers looking to create engaging and interactive user interfaces. Its real-time preview feature on mobile devices is also a standout feature.

7. Protopie

Protopie is a powerful prototyping tool that allows designers to create interactive and realistic prototypes without writing any code. It offers a range of features, including sensor-based interactions and conditional logic. Protopie's intuitive interface and easy learning curve make it a popular choice among designers.

Pros:

  • Intuitive and easy-to-use interface

  • Powerful prototyping capabilities

  • Sensor-based interactions

  • Conditional logic for complex interactions

Cons:

  • Limited vector editing capabilities

  • Less robust collaboration features compared to some other tools

Why we love it: Protopie's intuitive interface and powerful prototyping capabilities make it an excellent choice for designers looking to create interactive and realistic prototypes. Its sensor-based interactions add an extra layer of interactivity to designs.

8. Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud offers a suite of design tools that are widely used by UX designers. The suite includes applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects, which provide a range of capabilities for creating visual designs, illustrations, and animations. The integration between these applications allows for a seamless design workflow.

Pros:

  • Wide range of design capabilities

  • Integration between applications

  • Extensive community and learning resources

  • Regular updates and new feature additions

Cons:

  • Steep learning curve for beginners

  • May require a subscription to access all applications

Why we love it: Adobe Creative Cloud's suite of applications provides designers with a wide range of capabilities for creating visual designs and animations. The integration between these applications streamlines the design process and allows for seamless collaboration.

9. Marvel

Marvel is a user-friendly prototyping tool that allows designers to create interactive and visually appealing prototypes. It offers a range of features, including design handoff and user testing. Marvel's simplicity and ease of use make it a great choice for designers of all skill levels.

Pros:

  • User-friendly and intuitive interface

  • Design handoff and user testing features

  • Easy sharing and collaboration

  • Integration with other design tools

Cons:

  • Limited vector editing capabilities

  • Less robust prototyping features compared to some other tools

Why we love it: Marvel's user-friendly interface and design handoff features make it a valuable tool for designers looking to create interactive prototypes. Its ease of use and integration with other design tools further enhance the design process.

10. Balsamiq

Balsamiq is a wireframing tool that allows designers to create low-fidelity mockups quickly. It offers a range of pre-built UI components and a sketch-like interface, making it easy to create wireframes and iterate on designs. Balsamiq's simplicity and focus on wireframing make it a popular choice for designers.

Pros:

  • Quick and easy wireframing

  • Pre-built UI components

  • Collaboration and feedback gathering

  • Integration with other design tools

Cons:

  • Limited high-fidelity design capabilities

  • Less robust prototyping features compared to some other tools

Why we love it: Balsamiq's focus on wireframing and its sketch-like interface make it an excellent tool for quickly creating low-fidelity mockups. Its collaboration and feedback gathering features further enhance the design process.

Conclusion

Choosing the right software for UX design is crucial for creating exceptional user experiences. The top 10 software options for UX design in 2024 provide a range of features and capabilities to enhance the design process. Whether you prefer Sketch's vector-based editing, Figma's collaborative features, or Adobe XD's integration with other Creative Cloud apps, there is a tool to suit every designer's needs. Explore these software options, experiment with their features, and find the one that works best for you. Happy designing!