Recently, more and more people choose to create a personal website as a mark of personal identity, a creative platform for a designer, a consulting storefront for a business person. Still, most people don’t know how to create a cool online portfolio design.
Here we come with some free online graphic design tools and free online websites to help you start making your own unique one.
Webflow
Alternative to WordPress
- Easy to use
- Keeps your site secure
- Response and Uptime
- Supports CMS
- Doesn’t have live chat or phone support
- Functions are limited in the paid version
Verdict: Webflow is a feature-rich web design tool that is a great alternative to WordPress. This is an ideal option for those, who want to create a website but don’t have enough coding knowledge.
Although Webflow is a fairly new product on the market, it includes the most important tools and functions to create content-driven websites. It has everything a user can expect from the best website editor. Webflow will be a perfect option for those, who want to create an attention-grabbing site to show off their skills and earn money in such a way.
Webnode
Modern online website creator
- Unobtrusive ads in a free plan
- Numerous trendy and responsive templates
- No page limit
- Ability to change SEO settings for all pages
- Free plan has a storage limit of 100MB
- No app store for extra site features
- Functionality isn’t rich
Verdict: Webnode is a modern WYSIWYG website creator for beginners. It allows you to create various types of business cards, landing pages, online stores and blogs. The distinctive features of the service are its appealing interface and simplicity. This software has basic functionality.
Webnode is designed for inexperienced users. That is why it has a simple interface and a minimum set of settings. Even if you are new to web design, you can cope with all the features of this free website design software.
However, Webnode has some downsides. First off, it is impossible to customize the design of the sections and individual elements. Also, it is rather inconvenient to manage the blog. The software isn’t bad by the standards of the WYSIWYG service, but it can boast of nothing special.
- Check out the best website builders for photographers.
Vectr
Best for in-browser editing
This graphic design software fits into two of our categories today. It’s free, and it’s easy to use for beginners. Vectr is a browser-based application that allows you to make basic graphic assets. You can edit layers of photos, design web pages, and access a range of tutorials to guide you.
Key Features:
- Web-based editing: There’s no need to download any dedicated software, because you can do everything in your browser. You’ll also be able to share documents in real-time for collaboration purposes.
- Scalable vectors: Vectr allows you to scale vectors to any size without compromising on clarity. There are both Vector and Raster options available.
- Cross-platform performance: You can sync your Vectr account across multiple platforms and download an app for your desktop.
- Knowledge guide: Vectr offers a range of tutorials and educational resources to help you learn how to use the software.
What we like:
- Accessibility: Since you can access Vectr on the web, you don’t have to worry if you don’t have a lot of space on your laptop or PC for extra software.
- Collaboration: The ability to work alongside your colleagues makes Vectr feel like a more professional tool, though syncing can be slow at times.
- Support: Vectr doesn’t just give companies access to a simple tool for graphic design, it teaches them how to get started too.
What we dislike:
- Very limited capabilities: There aren’t nearly as many features here as you’d get on a premium app. Photo and image editing is basic.
- Slow at times: Particularly when you’re using the service online, it can be quite slow.
Pricing: Free to use
Sketch
Best for prototypes and vector-based sketching
Sketch is a convenient vector-based tool for graphic design that’s available both as a web-based solution or a downloadable app. If you’re planning on designing an interactive prototype, or you want to sketch some plans of a new product, this is the product for you.
Key Features:
- Intuitive interface: Either online or on your desktop, the Sketch interface remains intuitive and convenient, with a clean layout. It’s easy to find components that you want to drag and drop into place, or experiment with layers.
- Design assistance: If you’re not used to designing mockups, then Sketch can help with giving you a helpful nudge in the right direction. There’s a library of artboard templates to work from, and grids or “snap” functionality to lock elements in place.
- Custom plugins: you can add plugins to the Sketch experience with help from the surrounding community and customize your workflow with native integrations too.
- Collaboration: You’ll have the option to share your designs with anyone you choose online through a cloud-based platform. It’s easy to test ideas this way.
What we like:
- Quick collaborative mockups: Mocking up designs and prototypes over the cloud is quick and simple. The collaborative environment works really well, with an activity feed that shows you what other designers have done.
- Extensions: It’s nice to have access to a range of additional developer plugins and tools. There are assistants that can help you to spot design issues, and plugins that can automate parts of your work.
- Libraries: You can download a bunch of libraries with iOS icons, and common solutions for user-interface design.
What we dislike:
- It’s really just for prototypes and UI design, not for photo editing
- There are limited illustration capabilities, and low support for high resolution
Pricing: Yearly subscriptions start at $99 per year.
GIMP
Best open source
The Gnu Image Manipulation Project, or GIMP, is a well-known alternative to Photoshop for people with limited funds. The product contains a lot of similar features, such as the ability to work with professional layers and fine-tune snap functionality.
Key Features:
- Customizable interface: There’s a full photo editing interface available which you can customize to suit your needs. There are tons of plugins out there from the GIMP community that allow you to add new functions too.
- Photo enhancement: You can fix perspective distortion, experiment with filters, and use various corrective tools in an intuitive environment.
- Digital retouching: There are tons of ways to digitally retouch your images through things like clone and healing tools.
- Multiple file formats: Export and import images in a range of file formats ranging from PNG to TIFF and GIF.
What we like:
- Regular updates: Because the GIMP environment is powered by a community of developers, you can expect a lot of regular updates and new features.
- Tons of flexibility: Aside from offering a range of file formats, GIMP also supports a host of platforms, including GNU, Linux, Microsoft, Mac, and more.
- Community: Community support is excellent, with plenty of brushes, texture packs, and extra features to download online.
What we dislike:
- The adjustment layers are difficult to work with at times, and can be quite buggy
- The interface isn’t well-suited to mac users.
Pricing: Open source and free to use.
Inkscape
Best free vector software
Vector software can be pretty expensive, depending on the features you need. Inkscape offers an alternative to pricey software packages, by delivering a free, highly accessible tool full of fantastic features. There’s a community gallery where you can get inspiration for your work and tons of learning resources to get you started.
Key features:
- Object creation and manipulation: Inkscape is an impressive vector creation tool with free-hand drawing options, a text tool, embedded bitmaps, shape creation and clones. You can transform objects whoever you choose, group objects, and even work in layers.
- Regularly updating capabilities: The robust community behind Inkscape is part of what makes it so impressive. The service is constantly updating, with new features and functionality appearing all the time.
- Open-source code: If you have a little developer knowledge yourself, you can access the open-source code in Inkscape to make your own changes.
- Various editing functions: From fill and stroke capabilities to text support and rendering, the Inkscape feature list contains many of the tools you would expect from expensive products like Adobe illustrator.
What we like:
- User experience: Open-source software can be complicated and clunky, but that’s not the case with Inkscape. The streamlined interface combined with knowledge articles and guidance makes it easier to pick up as a beginner.
- Lots of customization: As mentioned above, this is an open-source software. If you have the know-how, you can easily make your own changes and set up integrations.
- Convenient bonus features: Users can leverage various presets, filters, and more to simplify their work. There are even Bezier handles for easier node movement.
What we dislike:
- The mac version tends to have a lot of bugs and functionality issues
- Processing is a little slow compared to other solutions
Pricing: Completely free.
Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design
Lectures: 9 | Length: 36 minutes | By: Ellen Lupton
Whether you’re new to graphic design or an old pro, everyone has to start somewhere. Generally, that means starting with the basics which is the focus of the Graphic Design Basics: Core Principles for Visual Design. This 36-minute class will walk you through 5 basic principles of graphic design.
Another class taught by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips will show you how to use those basic principles in projects that range from creative design, marketing, and even photography. Through the course, you’ll learn:
- How to identify and define the 5 basic principles of design
- How to critique your own work looking for balance and effectiveness
- How you can apply each concept to your future projects
Creating Brand Systems: An Overview of Combining Logos and Type
Lectures: 7 | Length: 18 minutes | By: Mike Ski + Jessie Jay
Taught by Mike Ski and Jesse Jay, designers from True Hand, the Creating Brand Systems course asks students to consider how a great logo or brand system comes to be. Through the six video courses, Ski and Jay describe the collaborative process they used to create the logo for Kensington Quarters, an eatery in Philadelphia.
A shorter class than most, the Creating Brand Systems course is designed with designers, illustrators, enthusiasts, and creatives in mind. Those looking for a high-quality walkthrough of what it takes to create a dynamic logo that can be used across many different channels and applications will want to check this course out.Take Class
Typography That Works: Typographic Composition and Fonts
Lectures: 10| Length: 36 minutes | By: Ellen Lupton
When you’re starting as a graphic designer, you may spend a lot of time perfecting the logo that portrays your brand to prospective clients, but what about the typography on your website or business card? What is that telling your clients about not only your business but about you as well?
Also taught by Ellen Lupton, curator of contemporary design at Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, this course teaches you the difference between good typography (which can be very beneficial for you or your client) and bad typography (which can have adverse effects). In this course you’ll learn:
- Sans + Structure – Learn what gives the sans serif typeface its special character
- Serif + Details – Exploit the details of the full-bodied serif type family
- Slab + Customization – Learn what to do with slab faces, described as heavy furniture by the syllabus
Conclusion
I know, you’re very busy and don’t have the time to hire a graphic designer. I get it. But what you may not know is that, despite popular belief, creating graphics doesn’t require an artistic bone in your body and can be done even by the most non-artistic person living to breathe on this planet. Here are 15 tools that will help you create high quality designs for blog posts, social media and more — without knowing a thing about design .