In Articles Jul 8, 200955
50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer
As more and more web based tools solely created to help designers and developers in their mission to overpower sturfy web design come to life, we are plastered with one decision to make. Which of these tools benefit me the most? Many of these tools will indeed allow you to become a much better designer with the aid of tools that will help you code faster and become a bit more organized. This will allow you to actually save a great deal of time while also practicing good organizational skills all in one.
Below you will find 50+ tools that will make you a better, faster, and more collective designer, if you use them correctly.
Coding and Design
Panic Coda
Panic Coda, a shareware web development app for Macs. It allows you to reduce the amount of clutter when it comes to applications such as an FTP client, CSS editor, a version control system, and more.
Firebug
Firebug is a free, open source in-browser web development application for Firefox. Notible features include: HTML and CSS editing that lets you swiftly debug, analyzing JavaScript, and a creative Document Object Model (DOM) inspection tool that aids you in quickly seeing how the elements of a web page relate to each other.

Blueprint: A CSS Framework
Blueprint lets you reduce the amount of CSS code you’re normally obligated to write by using common styles that developers regularly use such CSS reset and the embedding of images.

CSSTidy
Widely used as an opensource CSS parser and optimiser, CSSTidy is available as an executeable file (for Windows, Linux and OSX). This useful app allows you to quickly and effectively “tidy” up your CSS sheets without the necessary hassels.

Web Developer Firefox Extension
Web Developer is a Firefox extension that every developer should have, it’s sort of a tool box all in its own. It provides you with tools to conduct tests (including testing for broken images or links), testing layouts in multiple screen sizes, viewing cookie information, HTML, CSS sheets, and validating mark-up.

BB Edit
BBEdit is a full-featured text editor very similar to Textmate. The BBEdit product page even has a section for web developers to see the benefits of BBEdit. For those Mac users who think BBEdit is better than Textmate, it’s usually because BBEdit is a Cocoa application, and TextMate is a Unix application.

HTML Entity Character Lookup
This lookup app allows you to quickly find an entity or tag based on how it looks. For example, an < or a quick note.

Blue Print CSS Frameworks
Blueprint is a CSS framework, which aims to cut down on your development time. It gives you a solid foundation to build your project on top of, with an easy-to-use grid, sensible typography, useful plugins, and even a stylesheet for printing.

ColorZilla
This an advanced Firefox add-on that includes features such as an Eyedropper, ColorPicker, Page Zoomer and much more.

Typetester
Typetester is an online application for comparison of the fonts for the screen. Its primary role is to make web designer’s life easier.

CSSedit
CSSedit is developed by the same company that offers Espresso. CSSedit is mainly a text editor focused specifically on CSS (as you can tell by the name). Among several of the text editors available, this app is perfect for those designers who strive to produce sites and templates within an allotted time span.

Designers Toolbox
This app has an array of print and web document sizes that can easily come in handy to the designer on the go.

MAMP
MAMP allows you acquire your own local server and have it up and running within 5 minutes. The abbreviation MAMP stands for Mac, Apache, MySQL, and PHP-Perl-Python. Because it’s based on giving you the freedom to choose whichever sever side language you prefer. MAMP is pretty much your “One-Click-Solution for setting up your personal webserver”.

FileZilla
One of the best free FTP tools around. FileZilla provides unlimited uploads and downloads and supports resumption of transfers when your connection is broken. FileZilla comes in two flavors – full-featured FTP client, and FTP server. Both support FTP over open connections, SSL/TLS (FTPS) and SSH FTP.

KompoZer
KompoZer is a WYSIWYG Web-authoring system with built-in site management tools and CSS management system.

Clean AJAX
Clean is an open source engine for AJAX, that provides a high level interface to work with the AJAX technology. It can be plugged in any page or DHTML framework because it was designed in conformation with the separation of concerns principle, keeping focus on AJAX issues.

Sajax
Sajax is an open source tool to make programming websites using the Ajax framework — also known as XML HTTP Request or remote scripting — as easy as possible. Sajax makes it easy to call PHP, Perl or Python functions from your webpages via JavaScript without performing a browser refresh.

JSUnit
JsUnit is a Unit Testing framework for client-side (in-browser) JavaScript. It is essentially a port of JUnit to JavaScript. Also included is a platform for automating the execution of tests on multiple browsers and mutiple machines running different OSs. Its development began in January 2001.

Stylish
This add-on is often considered for web site tweakers, however it can also be used to add or remove CSS and design elements on the fly, without even having to login to your web site.

Expresso
Expresso is a vastly growing popular text editor. It allows you to quickly organize, preview, find, and expand code. Preview your progress and easily publish websites with the click of a few buttons. However, it currently requires Leopard to operate.

Wufoo
Wufoo is an application that helps you build amazing online forms.

Aviary
Edit images, create mind-blowing effects, design logos, find colors, collaborate, and more.

CakePHP
CakePHP is a rapid development framework for PHP that provides an extensible architecture for developing, maintaining, and deploying applications.

CodeIgniter
CodeIgniter is a powerful PHP framework with a very small footprint, built for PHP coders who need a simple and elegant toolkit to create full-featured web applications

Task Management Apps
Base Camp
Basecamp works with a variety of iPhone apps, third-party billing/invoicing tools, mock-up review software, time tracking tools, widgets, and more. Today it’s one of the leading web-based project collaboration tool.

Versions
Because we don’t all have photographic memory and genius time management skills Versions was created. This software allows web designers, developers, and more to manage their client’s projects without dealing with all the said hassle’s. Don’t worry, if you’ve never worked with Subversion this app should be a breeze even to the most of novice users.

QuickSilver
QuickSilver can categorized as an extendable interface that enables you to quickly launch apps, manage contacts, shortcuts, music, images, and several other programs.

Backpack
Backpack is an easy intranet for your business. Store, share, discuss, and archive everything that’s essential for your team. Safe and secure.

Rescue Time
You can identify employees who are aren’t working very hard. You can identify employees who are under tasked, but are afraid to speak up about it. You can identify employees who are unmotivated. You can see how environment variables in the work place effect aggregate productivity. For example, when a team doubles in size, how does that change how people spend their time? How has productivity changed since you changed the layout of the office? What would happen if you instituted a “no email on Fridays” policy?

Tick
Tick is a simple and friendly time tracking application to help you stay on budget.

Punchy Time
PunchyTime is a simple time tracking tool for creatives (ad agencies, web-dev shops, etc). It makes it really easy for your team to enter time “as they work” instead of letting it all pile up till the end of the month (which is how billable hours get lost). The interface is quick, simple, and even a little fun. Get in, get out, get back to work.

Time Out
The human body isn’t built to sit in one position for endless hours, gripping a mouse or typing on the keyboard. Dejal Time Out is here to help. It will gently remind you to take a break on a regular basis. Time Out has two kinds of breaks: a “Normal” break, typically for 10 minutes after 50 minutes of work, so you can move about and relax, plus a “Micro” break: a very brief pause of typically 10 seconds every 10 minutes, so you can remember not to tense up too much for long periods.

Clocking It
Prove to your clients that you’ve spent ‘that much time’ on their projects. Time tracking can be simple or detailed. Enjoy flexible reporting, multiple ways to communication and an interactive gantt chart and scheduling.

Google Docs
We’ve met folks who still haven’t tried the Google Doc applications, and we don’t know why. Use their documents, spreadsheets, presentation and PDF utilities and organize them by user or topic. You can share everything or nothing with your team. Also integrates a chat feature.

Flow
Flow works as a visual workflow manager that allows you to have full control over the current project you may be working on. Visit the Flow site to get a much better feel of this workflow management software.

EverNote
EverNote easily lets you capture information within any given environment utilizing whichever device or platform you prefer, then it makes this information available and searchable any time you want, from virtually anywhere.

ProjectPier
Very similar to the popular Basecamp, this free, open source and self-hosted PHP application is perfect for managing tasks, projects and teams.

SlimTimer
From the SLIMTIMER you can create tasks and even share them with your coworkers and those you report to. Open the SLIMTIMER and click on a task to start the clock and click again when you’re finished. If you’ve completed the task click the checkbox to mark it off. Close the browser when you’re done.

TuDu List
Tudu Lists is a very simple application, which you can start using in seconds – but with some advantages over your home-made Excel todo list.

Finance, Billing, & Accounting
FreshBooks
Send, track and collect payments quickly. Great for teams, freelancers and service providers. So easy to use, FreshBooks saves you time and gets you paid faster. You’ll actually love invoicing.

Billing Manager
Intuit Billing Manager is the fast, easy, FREE way to manage your invoicing online. Use the Billing Manager web site to create customized, professional invoices, send them by email and track payment history and status — all on one place. Spend less time on your paperwork and more time on your customers.

Blinksale
Blinksale is perfect for anyone who needs to invoice clients for services or products sold. Blinksale is an excellent choice for attorneys, accountants, designers, IT professionals, software developers, journalists, contractors, engineers, architects, videographers, and more. Basically, if you need to send invoices, Blinksale can work for you

WORKetc
WORKetc provides serious business owners with all the software they need to build seriously successful businesses. We combine CRM, Projects, Billing, Timesheets and more with a powerful automation engine to help take your small business to the next level.

Billings
Billings great for the freelance web designer who has a stable and growing list of clients. It’s a productive invoicing tool that integrates the Mac interface with several useful features that’ll save you lots of wonderful time.

On The Job
On The Job is a complete application that lets you track time, expenses, and simple client invoicing so that you’re able to always remain organized. If you have clients that reside in other countries then you can take advantage of the multiple currency billing option.

Time59
Be more organized with less effort. Time59 keeps track of the work you do, gets your invoices out quickly, and manages client payments. Your Time59 account can be accessed from any internet connected computer… at home, at your office, or on the road.

Money3
Money3 is a great accounting program developed for Mac OS X users. It’s the latest in money management apps and offers a high-quality GUI and the ability to manage various types of accounts. You can also plan out and easily track your budgets.

LessAccounting
Send Invoices & Proposals. Send html and pdf, download pdfs. Zap proposal into invoices. Tracking expenses is easy with nightly bank data aggregation. Automatically import bank transactions, data entry is boring.

XE Currency Converter
XE is an easy-to-use tool that will show you the current conversion rate. Simply enter the amount, the currency you’re converting from, and the currency you’re converting to and it will show you an up-to-date calculation.

FreeAgent
Manage your projects and contacts, track the time you spend and create flexible timesheet reports. Create great looking invoices with no fuss. Email them to the client and easily track through to payment. FreeAgent makes sales tax reporting a snap, and you can easily customise it for your country.

Cashboard
Time tracking, invoicing, estimates, and online payments done your way. Cashboard does it all, and does it for free.

Bill My Clients
BillMyClients.com is a hassle-free way for businesses to quickly & easily create and print invoices and bills online.

LiteAccounting
LiteAccounting is an online application that gives you the tools you need to invoice and receive payment from your customers.

Xero
Xero is an online accounting system designed for small businesses and their advisors. It’s simple, smart and secure. Easy bank reconciliation keeps your accounts accurate and up to date. Automatic bank feeds get your transactions in to Xero without effort. At the heart of Xero is a full accrual accounting system which automates and simplifies your day-to-day bookkeeping.








55 Comments
Jul 8, 2009
[...] the original post here: 50+ Tools to Make You a Better, Faster, & More Collective Designer 08 Jul 09 | [...]
Jul 8, 2009
Xero is brilliant! Makes basic accounting work so easy, highly recommend it.
Jul 8, 2009
Thanks for the list of apps.
For those of you who may be interested in similar lists of online (or desktop) task management software, I’ve compiled a catalog of lists and reviews at http://www.taskmerlin.com/project-management-software-directory.aspx (note: also includes to-do list and GTD software).
Jul 8, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools to Make You a Better, Faster, & More Collective Designer | Design Reviverdesignreviver.com [...]
Jul 8, 2009
Thank you for compiling and sharing this great list of tools.
Jul 8, 2009
Great list of tools! Thanks for sharing!
Jul 8, 2009
Type Tester is one I hadn’t seen, but will no doubt use in the future. Evernote is another I have been promising myself I will try. Perhaps I’ll get to it this week. Thank you for the list.
Jul 8, 2009
Wow, this is very useful and it’s a well needed unique post around the web in this field. Great work
I featured it in today’s ZK Times issue: http://zachkrasner.com/July-8-2009
Jul 8, 2009
Awesome, Thanks for taking the time to put this together.
Jul 8, 2009
For time tracking, I also recommend RubyTime http://rubytime.org
Jul 8, 2009
excellent list. It’s got a little bit of a slant towards Macs though.
I am also surprised that Blueprint made it onto your list twice. same thing, just 2 different URLs.
Jul 8, 2009
Oh. My. Lord. Thank you so much. o_o
Jul 8, 2009
[...] recomiendo que des un vistazo al artículo 50+ Tools to Make You a Better, Faster, & More Collective Designer, de DesignReviver, donde encontraremos más de 50 herramientas que le harán mejor, más rápido y [...]
Jul 9, 2009
Great collection, I love trying out new apps and this helps to find them!
As for task management, I would suggest using Things http://culturedcode.com/things/
Jul 9, 2009
Hey
This is really useful
Amy
Jul 9, 2009
but this is all developer stuff – i cant see how any of this would benifit my designers photoshop skills – i think the title should be changed from designer to html developer.
all except aviary – but it is still fairly useless compared to what my designer has in illustrator and photoshop
Jul 9, 2009
Two words: Notepad … Browser.
Jul 9, 2009
[...] Secret Diary of Steve Jobs: Let’s all take a deep breath On-page SEO – The Google Way 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer Design Your Own Icons 25 Tutorials and Articles Designers MUST FreshBump Blog Archive A-Z Of [...]
Jul 9, 2009
How am I going to tell my boss I’m not as organized and efficient as he wants me to ?? (He knows you made that awsome list… and asked me to boomark it).
Jul 9, 2009
[...] Más de 50 herramientas para diseñadores. En inglés. vía: DesignReviver [...]
Jul 9, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer | Design Reviver Nice list of tools for designers and freelancers. Especially like all the time keeping apps. (tags: design resources lists) [...]
Jul 9, 2009
[...] Link [...]
Jul 9, 2009
Thank you for this very helpful linkcollection.
Jul 9, 2009
May I also suggest Intervals for time tracking and task management? It was built by a web design agency for web designers.
Jul 9, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer | Design Reviver. Categories: Top 50 Lists Tags: designer, efficient, organized, tools Comments (0) [...]
Jul 9, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer | Design Reviver (tags: tools design) [...]
Jul 9, 2009
This is all really helpful stuff you’ve put together in this list. I like the look of Filezilla (good name for a start) the fact that you can resume file transfer looks like a particularly useful feature.
Jul 10, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer: http://designreviver.com/articles/50-tools-to-make-you-a-better-faster-more-collective-designer/ [...]
Jul 11, 2009
Hi Henry,
You should also check Fanurio: http://www.fanuriotimetracking.com
Fanurio is a desktop application designed to help freelancers manage their work and be paid for it. With Fanurio you can customize invoice templates using your own layouts and export them to HTML or PDF. It also has idle time detection and it can be used on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Jul 11, 2009
Cool
Jul 11, 2009
Great stuff. thanks for taking the time in helping many of us. creativekiwie.com
Jul 11, 2009
Great stuff. thanks for taking the time in helping many of us.
Jul 12, 2009
So many tools I didn’t know yet… Tudu looks great!
Jul 13, 2009
You post convinces me and others to bookmark and share. What a great resource for us!
Jul 13, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer; [...]
Jul 14, 2009
I already tried about 50% of them and use 90% from the top 10 you mentioned. Thanx
Jul 14, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer (DesignReviver.com) Another great list of blogs and tools that are mainly for developers, that will both help you work faster and more efficiently. [...]
Jul 14, 2009
Well, I tested tudu and it rather often is rather slowly… http://www.rememberthemilk.com in my eyes works better and faster.
Jul 15, 2009
Thank you for this comprehensive list of design tools. I work for a SEO and web design firm so many of these tools will be very useful to our company. I can’t wait to share this post with my coworkers.
Jul 16, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer [...]
Jul 17, 2009
[...] es útil para todos. Pero el hecho de que sean tantos, como bien nos dice la gente de DesignReviver, es que nos hace complicado el decidirnos por una. La idea es simple: probamos, descartamos y [...]
Jul 19, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer; [...]
Jul 22, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer [...]
Jul 22, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer [...]
Jul 22, 2009
[...] 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer [...]
Jul 26, 2009
Great list, I didn’t know about Flow and TimeOut. Thanks! CSSTidy isn’t so useful though, I prefer cleancss(.com) or styleneat(.com)
Jul 26, 2009
[...] 9 principios del Diseño Web – Beautiful Personal Portfolios – 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer – MeeCSS – 50 reglas ridículas de Diseño – Alternative Ideas For Designing A Web Portfolio – How [...]
Jul 28, 2009
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Jul 28, 2009
great task management and finance lists – couple of suggestions to add:
Action Method for project management – you can store resources and capture ideas as well as plan projects in action steps.
For UK based readers – MyCake.org for book-keeping with a twist, as it has a great comparison tool for benchmarking your business against others in the same industry.
Jul 30, 2009
[...] Read more here: 50+ Tools To Make You a More Efficient & Organized Designer | Design Reviver [...]
Aug 14, 2009
DeskAway is a cool project management app too, should check that out
http://www.deskaway.com
Nov 25, 2009
Try HyperOffice collaboration software. It is the oldest company to offer web based collaboration tools.
Dec 1, 2009
The best design for Google’s:)
Dec 9, 2009
Gotta start using Basecamp tomorrow …. this just reminded me. Hope it’s good? !
Jan 13, 2010
For Billing, I like CompassBill (www.compassbill.net).
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