“Make it simple, but significant.” – Don Draper, Mad Men
Tools & Trends | 2 min read
As a designer, there are so many things you have to do. From knowing about websites that allow you to download vector files to finding stock images, you have to stay updated because these things are at the very core of the design industry.
Most new designers don’t know about design resources, which ends up affecting their work and speed. But when they do, they can see a significant improvement in their designs. A designer can never really unleash their potential unless they’re not familiar with the crucial resources.
But don’t worry because we’ll be telling you about 9 free design resources in this blog. We’re sure that after reading this blog, you’ll see major improvements in your work.
Are you ready for the amazing information in this blog? Let’s start.
Dribbble
Dribbble is easily one of the most popular design resources on the internet. It’s a website that allows designers to share their work in the form of screenshots and it has a very active community where you can find feedback and inspiration.
You don’t need an account to benefit from Dribble. You can do most things without an account and this honestly, is one of the best things about the platform.
But if you want to become a part of the community or leave comments, you’ll need an account and then you can upload your design work as well.
Pexels
If we have to list one of the best websites for royalty-free images, Pexels would easily take the cake. The reason for this is that photographers across the world generously donate their pictures, because of which there is a wide range of pictures to choose from.
You don’t need an account on Pexels, which is great because not everyone wants to sign up for things. However, if you create an account, you can save your favorite photos and also get a weekly digest of the best photos on Pexels.
The Noun Project
Every designer, especially web designers know the value of icons. Without icons, it is impossible for them to create a beautiful website that makes the User Experience (UX) better.
The Noun Project is a website for every designer who uses icons regularly. You can find more than 2 million icons on the website and they come in different formats including SVG, PNG and EPS.
What’s even better is that you can use these icons for free, but if you want to donate, you can do that as well.
Unsplash
Just like Pexels, Unsplash is a great website for royalty-free images. Although the collection isn't in millions, the quality of photos is top-notch.
What we love about Unsplash is that you don’t have to be a designer to find good photos. In fact, there are many photographers who share their work on the website and you can even submit yours.
Another great thing about Unsplash is that you can download an image in different qualities, meaning you don't have to download every image in MBs, which actually slows down a website.
Dafont
As a designer, you must know the importance of typography. In case you don't, you can read this blog where we highlighted important things in typography. So, coming back, we know you want a website that you can use to download fonts. We have the perfect website for you- Dafont.
Dafont is a website where you can find more than 13,000 fonts. What’s even better is that these fonts are free to download and use. You can even check the number of downloads in front of each font to know which ones are actually popular.
We guarantee that you'll love this website because of the large number of fonts you can choose from.
Coverr
It is pretty common for graphic designers to use stock videos in their work. Sometimes, only photos aren't enough. Also, videos are better able to depict what a business or an event is about.
In any case, if you need stock videos, Coverr is the website for you. It has a wide collection of high-quality videos and all of them are free to use. The best part about Coverr is that it adds new videos every week, so you always have something new to work with.
You can even select the type of videos you want to see, meaning if you're in the Travel section of the website, you'll only see videos related to Travel and nothing else. We feel this is a great way to keep things organized because most websites show you videos that aren't even related to what you're searching for.
Placeit
Only a designer knows how crucial it is to use mockups. They're required for new businesses because they can check how their logos and text would look on real-life items.
If you're looking for a website that has a wide range of mockups, Placeit is the one you should go to. It offers both free and premium mockups and the best part about it is that you can use them without having to worry about any copyright issues.
Behance
We love Behance because it's a website where you can find some of the best design work in the world. If you're looking for inspiration or want to learn more about design, this is the website you should visit.
What's even better is that Behance is a community of designers and you can connect, learn and collaborate with them. Moreover, when you show in your portfolio that you have a solid presence on Behance, you can really benefit a lot because employers will take note of it.
Canva
Canva is a website that is used to create online designs. There are so many things that are good in Canva that we sometimes wonder why people use applications that require a strong PC.
First of all, Canva is free to use and you don't need an internet connection. Secondly, it has a wide variety of design tools that you can use to create your design.
Last but not the least, there are many people who design templates on Canva and you can download them for free. In fact, we suggest you start creating your own templates because premium ones can fetch a lot of money.Â
Conclusion
Design resources are important for any designer, whether you're a beginner or an expert. The 9 design resources we listed above are some of the best in the industry and we suggest you use them to improve your design skills.
These design resources will help you in different ways. For instance, Dafont will help you improve your typography skills, while Coverr will help you add videos to your design work.
What's even better is that all of these design resources are free to use so you don't have to worry about spending any money. We hope you make the best use of them!