Vous débutez en tant que designer mobile indépendant. Quels sont les outils et logiciels indispensables à votre succès ?

Your design software is essential for creating high-quality mobile designs. Choose a tool that supports vector graphics, offers a rich library of elements, and enables you to easily create wireframes, prototypes, and visually appealing interfaces Recommended Tools: Figma: A cloud-based tool perfect for collaboration, allowing clients and team members to provide feedback in real time. Sketch: A popular choice for UI/UX design, offering robust features for mobile app layouts. Adobe XD: Great for designing and prototyping interactive experiences with smooth integration into the Adobe ecosystem. Choosing the right software will streamline your workflow.

Figma, Photoshop, and Illustrator are the 3 most basic design software tools that one must learn. If you want to implement 3D elements in your design I would suggest learning tools like Blender or Spline.

Nowadays, Figma cover most of features thatmobile designer needs. You can prototype, iterate, design, animate and collaborate with your team in one place. First of all, you need to boost your practical skills there and learn how to use auto-layout, constraint, variants and variables to be more effective during your work.

Choosing versatile design software is crucial for mobile designers, offering vector graphics, UI elements, and collaborative features. Tools like Figma or Adobe XD allow for detailed wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, while enabling scaling without compromising quality. Real-time feedback and collaborative tools are essential for client revisions and peer reviews. Robust software ensures efficient work, high-quality standards, and impactful designs for clients and audiences.

To effectively convey your design vision, prototyping tools are crucial. They transform static designs into interactive experiences, allowing users and clients to engage with your concepts as if they were fully functional apps. This is vital for user testing and ensuring client satisfaction before moving into development. Recommended Prototyping Tools: InVision: Excellent for collaborative feedback and showcasing interactive prototypes. Figma: Integrates design and prototyping, offering easy sharing capabilities for stakeholders. Axure RP: Powerful for creating intricate interactions and user flows. right prototyping tool, help to elevate your design process, enhance user testing, and provide a clear vision of the final product to clients

As a senior mobile UX designer, I’ve extensively used various prototyping tools throughout my career. Initially, I relied on Sketch for high-fidelity mockups and InVision for clickable prototypes, which facilitated stakeholder feedback. As I progressed, I transitioned to Figma for its collaborative features, enabling real-time editing and component management. For complex interactions, I used Adobe XD for its animation capabilities and Axure for detailed, data-driven prototypes, especially in enterprise applications. Currently, I explore tools like Framer for dynamic interactions and prioritize seamless integration with developer handoff solutions to enhance the overall mobile user experience.

The best tool for prototyping is Figma, You can also use protopie but it is a paid tool. I mostly use Figma if you want to show an overview of the animated interactions I prefer After Effects for that.

Prototyping is crucial for validating ideas and refining user experience. Tools like InVision and Figma enable creating interactive prototypes that feel close to the final product. These tools allow for dynamic transitions and animations, allowing clients and users to experience the design as if it were on a real app. An intuitive prototyping tool is essential for effectively communicating design intent and securing client buy-in. By providing a clickable, realistic prototype, clients can envision the final product, gaining valuable insights for design improvement before development.

The most popular project management tool is JIRA. Most of the companies use them but it may be a little complex to someone new. I would recommend Asana or ClickUp to manage your projects.

Effective organization is crucial for managing multiple projects as a freelance mobile designer. Project management software can help you stay on top of deadlines, deliverables, and client communications. Trello: Uses boards and cards for easy task management and visual tracking of project progress. Asana: Offers robust features for task assignments, project timelines, and collaboration. Monday.com: Provides customizable workflows, allowing you to tailor project management to your specific needs. Using the right project management tool helps you maintain a clear overview of your workload, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines, which is essential for building client trust and ensuring a successful freelance career.

The author suggests using project management tools like Trello and Asana to streamline freelance project management. These tools help track deadlines, tasks, and phases, allowing for clear communication and transparency with clients. They also offer features like task assignments, deadline reminders, and file-sharing options. The author believes that keeping all project elements in one place provides peace of mind, enables consistent meeting of client expectations, and maintains a professional approach.

In freelancing, effective communication is essential for success. You need apps that enable seamless interaction with clients and, if applicable, team members. Look for tools that support instant messaging, video calls, and file sharing. Recommended Communication Apps: Slack: Ideal for instant messaging and collaboration, with channels for different projects and easy file sharing. Zoom: Perfect for video calls and meetings, offering reliable connectivity and screen-sharing features. Microsoft Teams: Combines chat, video calls, and file sharing, making it a comprehensive collaboration solution.

One of the best communication apps is Microsoft Teams. It provides everything from video calls to large document sharing. Other than that you can use Skype, Slack, Telegram, etc. There are too many communication apps out there.

Most of the teams I've collaborated with use Slack or Microsoft Teams. Be open to any collaboration app to be flexible with your customers and open to discussions.

The author emphasizes the importance of clear and consistent communication in successful freelancing. They use Slack and Zoom as reliable tools for client interactions, offering instant messaging, video calling, and file-sharing capabilities. These tools help build trust and maintain momentum on projects, especially in frequent client input situations. Being easily reachable and responsive has streamlined project discussions and strengthened client relationships, making them essential for successful freelance work.

During a recent project for a mobile banking app, I explored various user testing platforms to gather insights. I started with Lookback, conducting moderated sessions where users navigated the app while I observed their reactions. One user struggled with navigation, highlighting a critical flaw in my design. Next, I used UserTesting for unmoderated tests, sharing prototypes with a diverse audience. The platform’s analytics revealed patterns in user behavior that guided my refinements. Finally, I turned to Maze for quick usability tests. Its easy integration allowed me to gather feedback on specific features rapidly. These insights transformed design, leading to a successful app and reinforcing the importance of user testing platforms.

🧪 UserTesting: Provides real-time feedback with recorded sessions from real users. 🔍 Lookback: Allows live interviews and session recording for in-depth feedback. 🎯 UsabilityHub: Specializes in quick feedback on design decisions, like navigation or preference tests. 📊 Optimal Workshop: Great for information architecture testing, like card sorting and tree testing. 💡 Maze: Offers fast testing with actionable insights, directly from your prototypes. 🖥️ Hotjar: Analyzes user behavior with heatmaps, session recordings, and user surveys. 📱 TestBirds: Focuses on crowdtesting, ideal for mobile apps and websites. These platforms help streamline user feedback and enhance your design process!

User testing is crucial for validating and refining designs, providing insights into user behavior and preferences. Platforms like UserTesting and Maze offer valuable insights, revealing usability issues. Real user interaction can reveal usability issues, prompting design adjustments before the final product goes live. Data-driven refinements and session recordings ensure designs meet user needs effectively. Integrating user feedback early enhances user satisfaction and the success of the end product.

Be curious and follow brilliant designers on LinkedIn, YouTube or Instagram - any platform you like. To improve your practical skills and design eye, I recommend you use the decomposition method. Go to Mobbin.com for screenshots of a popular app and think about why the design team uses that particular palette, why that particular font size, pay attention to details and interactive elements, what icons are there, why ets. Another recommendation - copy the screens there and try to recreate them in your Figma file to practice your skills and understand why certain elements are placed in that particular place, as well as, fonts, colors, layout.

If you are a beginner, I suggest going through Design courses on Udemy. When you learn basic and want to move to more advanced learning, follow some great designers on social media like YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.

The author highlights the importance of staying updated on mobile design trends and tools for freelance design growth. They use online platforms like Udemy, Coursera, and DesignLab to learn industry best practices and skills. They also regularly explore design forums and join design communities to learn from others. Upskilling on emerging trends like dark mode design and micro-interactions helps them provide innovative solutions. Continuous learning keeps their work fresh and aligned with market demands.