Accept nothing less than the best

It’s natural to pause at the year’s end and think about what we’ve accomplished and learned. Now is the time to reflect on our progress thus far and think about ways to enhance our efforts moving forward. Similarly, I’ve been contemplating the many design tools that have improved my workflow and forced me to think outside the box.

Thanks to these tools, which range from user-friendly software to carefully crafted templates, I’ve approached my work with a newfound level of sophistication and nuance. These programmes have given me the means to skillfully and precisely implement my ideas, whether working on an illustration or a comprehensive branding strategy.

In addition to their utility, these resources have also sparked a sense of curiosity, encouraging me to explore new design methodologies and techniques.

So without further ado, Let’s dive in.

xTiles

It is a fantastic tool that allows you to create a visual workspace for your ideas and projects. I created my dashboard in xTiles, which combines all my plans for the year/month/week, work projects, and all the notes I need to return to later. I appreciate the quick notes feature. It instantly syncs my notes from the mobile app to the web version. It’s perfect for people who need extra context and want to see the bigger picture to support their thinking, writing, or creativity.

Creatives love it for its simplicity and flexibility. So whether you’re a writer, artist, designer, or just someone with many ideas floating around in your head, xTiles is the perfect tool to help you stay organized and on track

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Built for mars

Built for Mars are a renowned UX consultancy and a wealth of knowledge. With over 10000 hours of research compiled into 54 case studies, it is like a UX university without the fees.

They cover a wide range of topics and provide in-depth analysis from experts in the field.

They delve into the design and user experience elements contributing to the app’s high ratings and popularity. One example of their case studies is their analysis of an iOS app with an average rating of 4.9 stars after 500,000 reviews. So, they broke down what makes this app so successful.

Reading these case studies, you can understand what it takes to create a successful product and apply those lessons to your work.

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Absurd Illustrations

If you want to add some whimsy and quirkiness to your projects, absurd illustrations are just what you need.

Their surrealist vector artworks are perfect for livening up websites, presentations, apps, and articles. These illustrations bring a touch of paradox and playfulness to any project.

Whether you want to add some quirk to your landing page or inject humour into your app, our absurd illustrations will surely fit the bill.

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3D Transformer

As the name suggests, 3D transformed lets you turn any image into a beautiful 3D mockup with just a few clicks. It also comes with a Figma plugin, so you can quickly turn any frame into a stunning 3D mockup.

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Design systems for Figma

This is a collection of popular design systems from all over the world, each backed by code for easy implementation.

Featuring design systems from top companies like Spotify and Uber, you can access tried and tested templates and guidelines to ensure consistent branding and design across your projects. And if you need extra guidance, they have a fantastic blog with a wide range of discussions on design systems.

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Userbrain

Userbrain cloud-based platform is designed to help businesses measure and validate customer experiences through continuous feedback. With features like issue tracking, tagging, access control, and task management, you’ll have everything you need to ensure your customers have the best possible experience.

It also allows you to target specific audiences based on demographics like gender, age, and location and create custom test scenarios to get a feel for how your customers use your product.

If you need more than that, it also lets you automate your user testing schedule and even conduct periodic tests to ensure your customer experience is always top-notch.

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Kickass UX

Kickass UX’s mission is to reinvent UX design education and give you the skills and resources you need to thrive in your career.

Their team is dedicated to helping you excel at overcoming stakeholder subjectivity so you can make a significant impact in your field.

In their UX library, you’ll find a wealth of helpful articles and case studies to help you stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices. They also offer free templates to help you fast-track your work and save time.

And that’s not all — they also have UX kits and other helpful resources to make your journey to becoming a top-notch UI/UX designer easier.

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A stream of brands - ASOB

Are you a brand designer or someone who loves staying up-to-date with the latest visual identities? ASOB is a collection of unique visual identities. They curate the best creative works into carefully documented galleries.

But ASOB isn’t just for staying in the know — it’s also a comprehensive brand design library meant to inspire the creatives shaping the brands of tomorrow. You can use it to explore the library of visual identities, find inspiration for your next project and discover new typefaces,

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Superflow

Superflow has a vast library of styled Webflow components.

With Superflow, you can easily copy and paste a component into your project and customize it to fit your branding. No more wasted time on cloning templates — choose from their massive selection of components and work on creating the perfect website for your business.

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Apple & Banana

It is a publication dedicated to making every UX research study more easily incorporated into your projects. They understand that research in the real world can be messy, so they provide practical guidance to help you navigate it.

And the best part? Their publication is loved and recognized by researchers all around the globe, from big tech companies to small teams. So join the thousands of others and make your research fruitful with Apple & Banana.

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