The past year was a banner year for UX design. With it came essential tools that designers need to take note of. We’ve done our homework to present you with the best UX tools to improve your work as a UX designer. Go forward, get creative and get it done!

Figma

This tool has a lot in common with Adobe Photoshop and Sketch. Not many other interface design tools provide real-time collaboration, which is one element that makes Figma stand out. Another is that it is cloud-based, which allows several people to collaborate on the project from inception to completion. This is a great option if a group of individuals are working remotely. If you travel often, or if you work from both the office and from home, a cloud-based software is a great tool to have in your arsenal.

Subform

Based on CAD, this design tool originally came onto the scene as a Kickstarter project. User interface design is tricky and there are naturally some limitations to it. This tool seeks to solve that. It lets you come up with a responsive layout, construct stageful components, make sure that styles are the same across the board, and so much more. Subform is in direct competition with Sketch as well, because it makes it easier to complete monotonous production tasks.

Invision

Like some of the other tools out there, Invision is all about collaboration and provides a platform for workflow and prototyping. However, it stands out from the rest because it has a management section that focuses on design. When you access it, you can easily see comments and get in touch with others that are collaborating on the project. There is so much that you can do with Invision. It’s definitely worth a second look.

Atomic

Are you interested in designing prototypes that look like the real thing? You'll have no trouble if you use Atomic. Not only can you make scalable prototypes, but you can also import designs from just about anywhere. There are many different functions and tools available, so you can do a lot with your prototype. Best of all, the demo version is available at no cost.

Marvel App

Marvel is all about collaboration, prototyping and design. When you open up Marvel, there is a tool called Marvel Canvas that lets you get right to work on a design. Sketch and Photoshop are supported and you may be able to merge Google Drive and Dropbox as well.

Mockplus

Mockplus is a really helpful tool. It is an efficient way to prototype for various platforms, including desktop, web apps and mobile. Previous prototyping tools, like Justinmind and Axure, were difficult to use and not very intuitive. Mockplus, however, is different. The user interface is simple to understand, so much so that you can start using the tool right after you open it. If you have never used it before, you likely won't need to look through the training manuals or watch the tutorials. Mockplus is inexpensive and gets the job done quickly.

Frontify

If you need a style guide or want to work on branding, Frontify is the tool for you. It is an efficient way to give better documentation. It has a color picker available in the browser, and there is also a color name proposal. Frontify is different from other tools because it’s a development tool that helps with web design. Its interface is very clean and efficient, making it easy to use.

Attensee

This tool is all about visual attention distribution. You can find out whether your design does what it was intended to do. With split-design, you can view different layouts to see which you’d ultimately want to go with. You can also make it better as you go along. You can even make surveys and tests to find out from users what they think of what you are doing. It gives you facts and figures to understand what catches your users’ attention. Plus, the split-design lets you view different layouts to see which you’d ultimately want to go with.

Proto.oi

If you are interested in putting animations in your applications, Proto.oi is the tool you need. You can take any element within your design and animate it by choosing a user interaction that will alter its state.

Pidoco

Pidoco allows users to drag and drop, which means it is very easy to create a prototype. No programming is required, and you can still design interactive projects that allow users to sound off on what you are doing.

As a UX designer, it’s important to embrace new technologies. New programs can make a serious impact on the beautiful work you’re doing and enhance it like never before.