User experience designers use UX tools—often purpose-built software—at different stages of their work. For example, designers test their assumptions using prototyping software (e.g., Balsamiq) and do usability testing with other software (e.g., Loop11). To stay competitive, brands make UX tools extremely easy to learn.
"The specific tool doesn't matter quite as much, because the tools change all the time. So, you want somebody who can quickly learn new tools."
— Daniel Rosenberg, UX Professor and Executive
See why what you know and how to do it is more important than the UX tools you use.
Throughout the stages of the UX design process designers use tools to help create digital or physical representations of their ideas. “UX tool” may refer to any technology you use this way – be it to apply design principles in prototyping or simply record ideas. At the lower levels, UX tools are basic aids such as the markers, Post-its and whiteboards teams use during brainstorming sessions. Similarly, you use physical UX tools when you do paper prototyping.
At the higher levels, UX tools are the software you use to advance your and your team’s ideas – ranging from free to premium options. You can divide these between software that helps in copywriting (e.g., Grammarly), team collaboration (e.g., Dropbox) and various other types of tools:
Questionnaire tools – To gather users’ information and feedback in quantitative research: E.g., Google Forms, SurveyMonkey.
Flowcharting tools – To help predict users’ needs, thoughts and actions and align these with business needs through flowcharts: E.g., LucidChart, OmniGraffle.
Low-fidelity prototyping/Wireframing tools – To realize more-basic visualizations of potential solutions to problem statements: E.g., Marvel, Balsamiq.
High-fidelity prototyping and user interface (UI) design tools – To realize sophisticated visualizations of design solutions: E.g., Sketch, Figma.
Usability testing tools – For qualitative research and to test the usability and accessibility of solutions (e.g., as prototypes): E.g., Loop11, UserTesting.
Handoff tools – To send completed design work to developers: E.g., Mockplus iDoc, Zeplin.
Author/copyright holder: Microsoft. Copyright terms and license: Fair Use.
Microsoft Visio is a feature-rich flowcharting tool that has a similar UI to the Microsoft Office suite of apps, which means you probably don’t have to learn to use it.
Before reaching for any UX tools, you should consider:
What you do matters more than the tool you choose – UX tools are instrumental to—not guarantees of—your success. As a designer, you can only make impressive and useful solutions if you know what goes where and why. UX experts and recruiters agree that skills come first. So, you should always start with important UX considerations and know what you want to achieve. Then, you select the best tool for the job at hand, even if it’s only pencil and paper. Otherwise, you’ll constrict your vision because the tool can frame your ideas and blind you to users’ needs. Beautiful, trendy-looking products won’t necessarily prove you empathize with users.
UX tools are constantly evolving – New tools and third-party add-ons to existing ones keep appearing on the market. So, it’s vital to stay grounded in the timeless principles of human psychology and your craft, instead of chasing the fleeting shadows of software’s freshest updates. Software will keep changing; users’ brains won’t.
Organizations use different tools –Company practices—including choice of UX tools—vary. Moreover, with time, they’ll switch to the next best thing for them.
Know your Tool like a Pro:
Learn by doing – Practice makes perfect.
Take advantage of the tool-makers’ free tutorials – Intense competition means software brands must battle for customers. That translates to extremely detailed and easy-to-use walkthroughs for you. Should you need further guidance, however, you can turn to external resources and courses.
Overall, your brain is the most precious UX tool you’ll ever have. Professionals are tool-users, but not all tool-users are professionals. What counts is that you can adapt to and learn different UX tools to apply your skillset. From the earliest design phase, you should guide your choice of UX tools with an eye for how your users might encounter your brand, move through subtasks and ultimately reflect on their experience.
Take our UX Portfolio course to understand UX tools in depth.
Read enterprise and start-up designer Fabio Muniz’s approach to UX tools.
Here’s a constantly updated list of in-demand UX tools.
Beginner UX designers need reliable, intuitive tools that support learning and practical design work. Some essential tools include Figma for interface design and collaboration, Miro for brainstorming and user journey mapping, and Notion for organizing research and project tasks.
Figma offers a user-friendly platform to design interfaces and create prototypes, all in a browser, and its collaborative features make it ideal for teamwork. Miro helps visualize user flows and design thinking processes with its flexible whiteboards. Notion lets designers document insights, plan projects, and manage tasks in one place.
A good place to start is by redesigning a simple app screen in Figma. You can use Miro to map out a user journey for a fictional product. Then, document usability test notes in Notion.
Remember that tools upgrade over time, and the market can see UX tools come and go—rely on your skillset and keep current with which tools help with what area of UX design.
To choose the right UX tool, match the tool’s capabilities to your project’s stage, goals, and team setup. Focus on tools that streamline your workflow, support collaboration, and align with your design deliverables.
To start, identify your project’s needs: ideation, research, wireframing, prototyping, testing, or handoff. For early-stage brainstorming, it’s a good idea to use a certain set of tools. For interface design and prototyping, others can make good choices. For usability testing, there are other options still. Check if the tool integrates well with others in your stack; this saves time and reduces friction.
It makes good sense to evaluate tools using trial versions. Prioritize cross-functional collaboration—developers and stakeholders should easily interact with your outputs. Rank tools based on learning curve, cost, and scalability.
Enjoy a feast of considerations and selections in our article Top UX and UI Design Tools for 2025: A Comprehensive Guide.
UX designers use different tools for wireframing, prototyping, and testing because each phase demands distinct functions—quick layout sketching, interactive flows, and user feedback collection.
Wireframing tools focus on structure, letting designers sketch ideas fast without distractions. Prototyping tools simulate real interactions and flows to refine usability. Testing tools capture actual user behavior and insights. Separating tools improves focus and effectiveness at each stage.
It’s best to start wireframing with low-fidelity sketches, then move to mid-fidelity prototypes. Use dedicated testing tools to validate assumptions before you get to the handoff stage. Don’t overload one tool for all stages; it leads to inefficiencies.
Check out recommended picks in our article 8 Best Prototyping Tools for UX Designers in 2025.
To collect and analyze user research with UX tools, use platforms that support data gathering, synthesis, and visualization. Tools like Dovetail, Optimal Workshop, Maze, and Google Forms are great choices to streamline the process from recruitment to insight generation with.
For example, Google Forms helps collect survey data efficiently. Maze supports unmoderated usability tests and organizes quantitative metrics. Optimal Workshop excels in card sorting and tree testing. Dovetail lets you import, tag, and synthesize interview transcripts or testing sessions, highlighting key themes and trends.
Try these actionable insights:
Begin with structured questions and clear objectives.
Record and transcribe interviews for deeper synthesis (always secure users’ consent for recording).
Tag user quotes and behavior patterns to identify insights and pain points.
Explore the vast realm of user research to understand how to make the most of opportunities to fine-tune design solutions for what real users need.
To run remote usability tests effectively, use tools that record user interactions, capture feedback, and support real-time or asynchronous testing. Top tools for that include Loop11, Maze, UserTesting, Lookback, and Useberry.
For example, Maze integrates with Figma to test prototypes and gather quantifiable insights. UserTesting offers real-time sessions and detailed analytics. Lookback records user sessions with voice, screen, and face, enabling in-depth analysis. Useberry lets you run unmoderated tests directly on your design prototypes.
Try these actionable insights:
Use unmoderated tests for early feedback and moderated ones for deeper exploration.
Define clear tasks and success metrics before testing.
Combine video feedback with analytics to uncover usability issues.
Enjoy our Master Class How to Get Started with Usability Testing with Cory Lebson: Principal User Experience researcher with 20+ years experience and author of The UX Careers Handbook.
Yes, several UX design tools support A/B testing, but they usually integrate with analytics platforms or specialized testing tools like Optimizely, VWO, or Maze.
UX design tools generally don’t tend to run A/B tests themselves, but they do let designers create variant designs for testing. Tools like Maze let you import these prototypes and run A/B tests by measuring which design performs better on real users. Platforms like Optimizely embed variants into live websites and track user behavior statistically.
Try these actionable insights:
Use tools like Maze to test design variants early in your prototyping phase.
For live products, integrate Optimizely to test layout, copy, and flows.
Define clear goals (clicks, signups) and run tests long enough to reach statistical significance.
Discover how A/B testing can help you find which versions of your prototypes and design solutions do better with users.
To track user behavior and interactions on a website, you can use tools like Hotjar, FullStory, Mixpanel, and Google Analytics. These platforms offer session recordings, heatmaps, event tracking, and funnel analysis for you to understand user actions.
Hotjar and FullStory provide heatmaps, scroll depth, and session replays to reveal how users navigate and where they drop off. Mixpanel tracks specific user events—like clicks or conversions—and segments users by behavior. Google Analytics delivers quantitative data on traffic sources, bounce rates, and engagement metrics.
Try these actionable insights:
Begin with heatmaps to find out where users click content.
Analyze session replays to expose friction points.
Use Mixpanel or GA to quantify drop-offs and refine your design based on real usage.
Explore the power of analytics, important considerations, and how they help design efforts, as William Hudson, User Experience Strategist and Founder of Syntagm Ltd, discusses:
Author: Stewart Cheifet. Appearance time: 0:22 - 0:24. Copyright license and terms: CC / Fair Use. Modified: Yes. Link: https://archive.org/details/CC1218greatestgames
To import data from research tools into your design tool, use integrations, plugins, and structured content like CSVs or tagged insights. Tools like Figma and UXPin support this via third-party apps and APIs.
Research platforms like Dovetail and Maze allow you to export user insights as CSVs or text files. You can then use plugins like “Google Sheets Sync” or “Content Reel” in Figma to inject real data into your mockups. UXPin lets you import JSON data to populate real UI components. These imports bring authenticity to your designs and align them with actual user insights.
Try these actionable insights:
Export tagged insights or CSVs from your research tool.
Use Figma’s Content Reel or Google Sheets Sync plugins to add names, quotes, or test results.
Enjoy our Master Class How to Build Your UX Toolbox with Susan Weinschenk—“The Brain Lady”—Chief Behavioral Scientist and CEO, The Team W, Inc. and author of multiple best-selling books, including 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People—and Guthrie Weinschenk: Behavioral Economist & COO, The Team W, Inc., specializing in behavioral economics, decision-making, and business strategy. He’s also the host of the Human Tech podcast, and author of I Love You, Now Read This Book.
Focus on metrics that uncover usability, engagement, and conversion: task success rate, time on task, click-through rates, drop-off points,and error rates. These indicators highlight what works and what hinders your UX.
Task success rate measures if users complete key actions. Time on task and error rate show ease of use. Click-through rates track engagement with UI (user interface) elements. Drop-off analysis pinpoints where users abandon flows. Taken together, these metrics form a holistic view of user experience and can help you prioritize improvements.
Set benchmarks for success and failure.
Use tools like Hotjar or Mixpanel to track behavior and trigger surveys.
Analyze funnels and heatmaps to isolate pain points.
Explore the many uses and applications of quantitative UX tools and analytics in our course Data-Driven Design: Quantitative Research for UX.
Remember, the more you learn about design, the more you make yourself valuable.
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