The software we use everyday and why
As designers we are constantly jumping between various different pieces of software because they’re all designed to be used for different purposes.
Here are some of the teams favourites and why…
Illustrator
Starting off strong with Illustrator! Illustrator is a vector platform so it allows you to create completely scalable artwork; crucial for creating a logo suite that will work on every size and platform. The software has tools which help to manipulate shapes and strokes in order to create unique and interesting assets – a great tool for creating more detailed assets like logo marks and graphic devices.
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“I'm most at ease with Illustrator and thoroughly enjoy crafting vector-based graphics, ranging from logos and illustrations to typography. I love the range of different tools and features!”
Evie
InDesign
InDesign is a great tool to use for all print related materials such as business cards, pull up banners, flyers – you name it, InDesign can do it (with our input, of course!). It’s ideal for creating multi-page documents or longer printed material such as catalogs, brochures or even books. We often pull assets created in illustrator into InDesign or Sketch files to help enhance the creative.
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“If software was a comfort blanket, InDesign would definitely be mine – as having worked with it for a long time now (starting out as a purely print designer) I feel totally comfortable with how to use it to get the best out of it. I love the flexibility and capabilities it has to help create really engaging pieces of artwork, and I love that I still learn new things even after all this time!”
Emily
Sketch
We use Sketch for the majority of our digital content. Its main purpose is for designing the UI and UX of mobile apps and websites, but we also use it to design social content as this will be viewed via an app or website. Within Sketch you can create symbols which are great for assets that will repeat across a design (such as buttons or navigation) these can then be edited in one place so that all instances of the asset in the design will change. Sketch also allows us to collaborate with other members of the team, work on the same piece of work at the same time and easily leave feedback to each other.
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“My favourite software is Sketch because it's super versatile and easy to learn. It's great for web design or any content that will appear online such as social media content. You can collaborate really easily in Sketch too which means the team can work on a task together!”
Megan
After Effects
When producing motion design within the studio we primarily use After Effects as this is very efficient to create 2D and 3D animations with vectors and rasterised art. What we love about this software is how versatile it is, it can be used to create motion designs, visual effects and animations. It integrates seamlessly with other Adobe applications, providing the flexibility and tools to bring your visions to life.
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“My favourite design software is After Effects (shocker!), what I like most about the software is how versatile it is, it can be used to create motion designs, visual effects and animations. I love using it to bring my designs to life!”
Imogen
”My favourite design software is After Effects because it allows me to bring new life into static graphics which has the potential for more engaging content!”
Ben
Photoshop
Photoshop is a vast software that is great for many purposes. One of the main things we use Photoshop for photo editing. With Adobe’s new AI feature we can easily extend the background of images, add or remove certain features and much much more. Photoshop is also great for masking subjects within an image to create seamless cut outs. There is also a range of features to edit the lighting, noise, saturation or hue of a photo. The options are endless!
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“I love Photoshop for many reasons, but mainly because of it’s unparalleled versatility and creativity. It allows for full creative control, and the functionality within the software means you can create anything and everything – the AI tools are pretty great too!”
Lucie
Combining softwares
When working on a big project that includes lots of deliverables we often jump across multiple different softwares. Using each one for its strengths in a particular area, this might look like…
Designing a pattern in Illustrator which can be used in a brochure we’re creating within InDesign
Designing logos in Illustrator to be scaled up to a large shop front being designed in InDesign or to be placed in a website design created in Sketch
Using Photoshop to create a cut out of a person by remove backgrounds, then bringing this into other software to create dynamic, engaging assests
