The Best Programs for Your Design Ambitions

Two must-have tools to ensure there is no limit to your creativity.

Thanks to modern-day technology, there are SO many graphic design programs available. When beginning your design journey, you may want to start out with simple design platforms. Canva is one of my favorite websites for designing logos, business cards and social media posts. Oh, and did I mention its free? However, web-based platforms like these lack some of the more advanced features you may want to utilize as you get more comfortable with graphic design. Reaching that next level means working with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign.

1. Adobe Photoshop

This application allows you to do some truly amazing things with photos. You can remove distracting elements, work with layers, explore color modules and pretty much anything else you could imagine. It is astonishing in its compositing and manipulation. One unique thing that I loved about this application was that you can also use it to enhance the resolution of certain photos and change formatting. The software can be downloaded on Windows or MacOS. The image below is from Adobe's website. Check it out if you want to learn more about Photoshop. There are also so many free videos available to help you get started in the app.

2. Adobe InDesign

This software is for layout and page design and is one of the top tools for graphic design. It allows the artist to utilize photos, typography, video, animation, and so much more in a free-base layout. Take a look at the image below from Peachpit. InDesign has thousands of layouts to choose from for you to begin with. It's infinite design possibilities makes this software so unique. Like Photoshop, it is also available on Windows and MacOS. To learn more, check out Adobe's article about InDesign's possibilities.

Both of these programs offer 7-day free trials to see if it's a good fit for you. I also want to take a second to note that, although these programs are phenomenal, they do not ensure a good design. Creating good design is assisted by these platforms, but it is still imperative that you know and understand the elements of a good design. This means learning about visuals and observing them in the world around you. Understanding the art of graphic design is more important than any application. If you want to learn more about these, check out my article on Ten Design Elements Everyone Should Know.