I’ve been in the design world for a while now and one thing I’ve learned is that there’s an incredible community out there always willing to share their knowledge and resources.
And you know what? That’s fantastic! We’re all in this together trying to push the boundaries of creativity and that’s why I want to share some of the incredible free design resources I’ve stumbled upon.
These are gems trust me and they’ve been a must for me especially when I’m on a tight budget or just need a little inspiration.
Color Palettes Galore
One of the first things you need to master is color theory and luckily there are fantastic free tools that can help you with that.
Have you ever felt stuck trying to find the perfect color combination for your design project? It’s a common struggle but there are incredible resources that can really help.
Coolors.co – Your Color Palette Playground
Coolors.co is a favorite among many designers and for good reason.
It’s been a lifesaver for me countless times.
This tool created by the brilliant Fabrizio Bianchi lets you create save and share color palettes in a snap.
You can even add a Google Chrome extension an Adobe add-on or download the ISO app.
It’s super user-friendly and has this great “random” function that will surprise you with unexpected color combinations.
It’s a great way to get out of a creative rut.
Colormind.io – Dynamic Color Inspiration
Another tool I really like is Colormind.io created by Vasilis Baimas.
It’s simple and dynamic perfect for getting those color juices flowing.
You can search for specific colors or just browse the recently added palettes for inspiration.
It’s a great way to experiment and explore different color combinations before committing to a final design.
Beyond Color: Triangles and More
Now let’s talk about something a little more geometric: triangles.
Yes triangles! They’re surprisingly versatile when it comes to design and there’s a fantastic resource that makes creating them a breeze.
Triangle Art with Trianglify.js
Quinn Rohlf has created a fantastic JavaScript library called Trianglify.js that lets you generate amazing triangular artwork as SVG images or CSS backgrounds.
Even if you’re not a coder there’s a generator you can use to create the output and then you can simply download it to your desktop.
It’s really cool.
There’s even a walkthrough to help you understand the math behind the artistry!
Icons and More from Talented Designers
We’re not done yet.
I have to mention Hanna Jung.
This designer has a treasure trove of freebies on Dribbble including animations icons and beautiful UI concepts.
If you haven’t seen her work you’re missing out! It’s seriously inspiring.
Font Awesome: A Design Icon Essential
And then there’s Font Awesome.
This is a must-have for any designer.
It’s filled with incredible vector icons that are perfect for any project.
Created by Dave Gandy this amazing tool is free and development-friendly making it super easy to integrate into your designs.
Freebiesbug: A Freebie Paradise
Have you ever heard of Freebiesbug? It’s a website created by Pasquale Vitiello and it’s a treasure trove of free design resources.
It’s absolutely overflowing with Photoshop files Illustrator files code snippets digital sketches and more.
You can download them or even contribute your own creations if you’re feeling generous.
Local: A Free Local WordPress Development App
And I can’t forget about Local! This is our own way of giving back to the development community.
It’s a free local WordPress development app that makes setting up a test environment incredibly fast and easy.
Forget about all those debugging issues and spend more time designing developing and launching WordPress sites.
A Huge Thank You to the Design Community
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all the designers out there who are sharing their amazing work for free.
You’re making the design world a better place and I’m eternally grateful for all the incredible resources you’ve made available.