Like graphic design, digital design is a field where creativity meets technology. As a result, software and digital design typically go hand in hand. However, because digital design can encompass many different project types, it can be hard to suss out which software tools you need to meet your goals. In this article, you’ll learn about the most commonly used digital design software along with which tools are most useful for specific tasks. 

What is a Digital Designer?

The simplest way to describe a Digital Designer is as a visual media creator who emphasizes interactivity. These designers are distinguished from other classes of designers by their focus on how people experience their designs. Rather than focusing solely on what their designs communicate visually, Digital Designers spend considerable time perfecting components like information architecture and accessibility. To improve user-friendliness even more, digital design projects often include prototyping and preparatory phases that incorporate demographic research. 

Digital Designers are best known for their digitally generated graphics, animations, and visual effects, but many Digital Designers also create full-scale websites and apps. If one type of project piques their interest more than others, a Digital Designer can specialize in a unique aspect of digital design. Some Digital Designers choose to highlight primarily digital projects, while others work exclusively on preparing interactive print designs for marketing. 

Because digital design is an umbrella term that includes many different design niches, most digital design professionals collaborate with a team. Their team may include fellow Designers, Project Managers, Product Designers, and IT professionals. 

What Software Do Digital Designers Use?

While there are numerous tools used across the different niches within digital design, there are several tools that every digital design professional uses regularly. Unsurprisingly Digital Designers share many tools in common with Graphic Designers, but also additional tools for prototyping.

Figma

Designed for testing interactive design prototypes, Figma is a UI design tool that makes it possible for designers to give their designs a practice run. In Figma, designers can create complex prototypes for websites and apps. Rather than remaining stagnant, these prototypes offer interactive capabilities that make it possible to test and improve functionality in real-time. While receiving active feedback from users, designers can also collaborate with their design team through the software interface, resulting in a more streamlined process.

Photoshop

The number one tool in the world for image editing, Photoshop is ideal for altering preexisting images. It’s popularly used to strip undesirable features from images (such as acne scars and distracting background objects). In a reverse play, Photoshop can also be used to add or adjust components (who doesn’t know the old resize a model’s waist trick?). If subtle changes are all that’s needed, Photoshop can also adjust less obvious features such as color, contrast, brightness, and sharpness. 

Digital Design Certificate: Live & Hands-on, In NYC or Online, 0% Financing, 1-on-1 Mentoring, Free Retake, Job Prep. Named a Top Bootcamp by Forbes, Fortune, & Time Out. Noble Desktop. Learn More.

InDesign 

With a selection of tools that are perfect for designing elegant page layouts, InDesign is especially popular in the print and publishing industries. This tool allows designers to balance images and text harmoniously on a page. InDesign is commonly used to create advertisements, infographics, ebooks, and magazines. Because it supports image files created with Photoshop and Illustrator, InDesign also integrates seamlessly into a designer’s workflow. 

Illustrator

Though Photoshop can be used to create a brand-new image from scratch, the tool’s pixelated graphics may diminish in quality if resized. For image creation projects, Illustrator is the ideal tool as it allows finished designs to be resized infinitely without diminishing. Draw a logo in Illustrator and you can miniaturize it for mobile apps before expanding it to fit a massive business sign. While Photoshop’s tools are well suited to editing images, Illustrator’s creative toolbox includes a satisfying selection of painting and sketching features. 

Other Tools

The diverse selection of other tools commonly used in digital design includes: 

How to Learn Digital Design Software

With many different ways to learn digital design software, you can customize your learning plan to your needs. Because they’re highly effective, live classes remain today’s most popular way to learn. Whether you participate in live classes either in-person or live online, you’ll have easy access to an instructor who can provide answers and help you overcome challenges in real-time. In-person courses offer face-to-face interactions at a physical location, but require a commute and may be unavailable in some locations. Meanwhile, live online classes enable you to learn from any location with an internet connection and provide a similarly interactive experience to in-person classes (albeit through a video conferencing platform). 

Through Noble Desktop’s in-person and live online classes, you can get training in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Figma, and WordPress. 

If you’re looking for an even more flexible learning format, on-demand training allows you to learn at your own speed without a live instructor. In this format, you’ll receive training in the package of pre-prepared self-study materials. These classes are typically less comprehensive than live courses and can be less effective due to limited instructor support and nonexistent class structure. However, on-demand training is worth considering for hobby training or as a way to supplement other training courses.

You may also consider using free materials to teach yourself digital design software. Online tutorials, articles, and videos are useful resources for getting the hang of basic software skills, but likely won’t be enough if you need to master these tools in preparation for a digital design career. Like on-demand classes, free content doesn’t come with a live instructor or class structure that can help you move past challenging hurdles. In addition, free learning content is frequently long out of date, and may even teach you bad design habits. 

If you’re looking for high-quality free resources, Noble Desktop publishes a Learn Design blog with free video tutorials. This vocational school also offers a variety of free design seminars and training workbooks. 

Other Skills Needed to Become a Digital Designer

To make the most of your digital design software, you’ll also need to acquire a number of other skills. 

Specialty Skills

As a broad field with many different potential career paths, digital design can involve many different niche skills. Depending on their career focus and the projects they usually work on, each designer’s skill set includes a unique mix of specialty skills. Among them are: 

Universal Soft Skills

Creative Problem-Solving

Creativity may seem like an obvious requirement to becoming a Digital Designer, but you may be surprised to learn that creativity in digital design isn’t just about creating uniquely aesthetic designs. Rather, it includes stepping outside of your regular mindset to consider how other people might experience your design while interacting with it. After identifying user’s needs as well as problems with your design, you’ll need to think outside the box to generate user-oriented solutions. 

Applied Design Theory

Anyone can learn how to use design software, but simply learning how to use a tool doesn’t guarantee great results (you may know this already if you’ve ever tried to cut your own hair). When it comes to digital design, gaining specialized knowledge of design principles and how to apply them situationally can level up your designs. Common design principles used in digital design include typography, composition, and color. 

Communication and Emotional Intelligence

Among the top skills needed in digital design, effective communication is a prerequisite to ensuring that a client's vision comes through in a final design. However, communication skills don’t just allow designers to work effectively with team members and clients. They also enable them to create more user-centered designs. A great Digital Designer should be able to predict how people will experience and interpret components of a design, intuitively recognizing features that might present accessibility barriers. To improve their designs, the best Digital Designers also welcome and implement feedback humbly. 

Time Management and Planning

In the professional arena, digital design projects typically revolve around deadlines set by clients or employers. In addition, digital design projects naturally require several phases of preparation (such as the user-research phase), making it vital to create a plan and stick to it to finish in time. Unsurprisingly, digital design professionals who complete projects on time are more likely to maintain positive relationships with clients. Through a consistent track record of on-time finishes, designers can also build a reputation that brings in more clients over time. 

Learn the Skills to Become a Digital Designer at Noble Desktop

Want to learn design in a supportive environment? Noble Desktop offers highly-rated design classes covering a range of digital design topics for students at all levels. In addition to shorter classes, you’ll find a variety of career certificates that provide comprehensive training, complete with one-on-one mentorship and professional experience opportunities. Start your journey now by signing up for training live online or participating in face-to-face classes at the school’s NYC campus. 

With the hands-on training you’ll get in the Digital Design Certificate, preparing for a digital design career isn’t hard. Even if you start with no experience, you can learn the UI design and graphic design skills you need to launch your career in a matter of weeks. Instead of sitting through dull lectures, this program will teach you practical skills through activities and projects. In addition to mastering tools like InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Figma, you’ll gain the expertise necessary to apply design principles for truly stunning results. 

Learn the skills to make websites and apps that are truly user-friendly in UX & UI Design Certificate. Working with a team, you’ll create your own interactive digital interfaces from start to finish, resulting in work you can proudly display in your portfolio. Rather than focusing only on aesthetics, you’ll learn how to research your target users and prototype to improve accessibility. This course also includes a job preparation segment designed to help you workshop your resume and create the perfect portfolio website. 

If websites are your jam, you can make it into a career by joining Noble Desktop’s Web Design Certificate program. Work toward an impressive portfolio with hands-on assignments that will help you learn a combination of design, coding, and software skills. Quicker than you know, you’ll acquire a versatile skill set that includes UI design theory, Figma, WordPress, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Before you’re through, you’ll also have the chance to build a high-quality portfolio website with help from your expert mentor.