Top Web Design Tools for Building Responsive Websites

With the incremental adoption of alternatives to the mainstream computers – phones and tablets – it is a wise choice to move from static to responsive website design, the solution for all matters of typography and layout of web pages.

Responsive web design not only saves any company time and money, it also enhances the user experience by providing much faster navigation and increased ease of use. As a web designer, we provide below a list of tools you can use in the design process to come up with the best results based on your personal achievements. You can get these tools and more from FreeSoftwareDiscounts.com, the home of System Mechanic discount packages and more.

Prototyping, layouts and wireframes

1. Responsive Wireframes

This useful tool can help you determine the actual ‘stacking’ of various responsive design elements in archetypal page layouts. It can also help you sort out various elements according to the degree of emphasis each element is likely to attract on different devices.

This tool comes with desktop as well as mobile versions of the usual wireframes mockups. These include guided entry, homepage, comparison pages, promo entry and product detail among others. You can also view different elements’ behavior on different devices using the ‘Toggle!’ function.

Multi-device layout schemes

These tools are useful for designers who are trying to choose from different presentations of existing website/webpage content.

2. Wirefy

This is the best solutions for developers and designers with a ‘content first’ approach to design and development. It provides for planning and restructuring of content in a simple and elegant way. It has fully functional wireframes that can be useful for client demonstration. However, working knowledge of CSS and HTML is necessary to gain full advantage of this tool.

3. Interface Sketch

Interface Sketch simulates that old sketching of website layouts using pencil and paper. It includes free options for printable PDF files on a host of devices – generic tablets, desktop browsers and everything in between.

Fluid Grids and CSS

These tools are useful when you want to do more than simply analyzing layouts and browsing – to get deeper into pushing of pixels and coding of main components of the site.

4. Style Tiles

This software provides a useful middle ground for designers and clients that wish to work together. This is because it is less labor-intensive than complete mockup tools, with clarity that is better than mood boards. Style Tiles provides a template in Photoshop style that allows the user to add and adjust basic layout elements, logos and colors according to specific user requirements.

5. Bootstrap

The design of this tool was by Twitter designers, and its aim is to ease the prototyping process. It comes with a ‘Customize’ feature that allows you to select all responsive elements that you need in a page. You can then download the finished version. It includes jQuery plugins, minified CSS and a host of other tools to make responsive web design simple.

6. Gridset

This tool is useable with a number of CMS’s e.g. WordPress, Joomla and Drupal and can as well work with the common graphics applications like Fireworks and Photoshop. You can share your grid layouts with colleagues, a feature that distinguishes Gridset as an outstanding prototyping and wireframing tool. It works well throughout the various phases of the website design production process.