What’s new for designers, October 2014

October 21, 2014

The October edition of what’s new for web designers and developers includes new web apps, content management systems, iOS apps, email resources, social media tools, project management apps, CSS tools, and some really great new fonts. Many of the resources below are free or very low cost, and are sure to be useful to a lot of designers and developers out there. As always, if we’ve missed something you think should have been included, please let us know in the comments. And if you have an app or other resource you’d like to see included next month, tweet it to @cameron_chapman for consideration.

Elokenz

is a blogging toolbox that includes tools for engaging with readers on social media, tracking performance, and semantic search engine optimization.

Storify

is an easy-to-use platform for engaging with others on social media. It includes tools for managing breaking news, live events, brand campaigns, captured chats, and more.

Adobe Color CC

makes it easy to create color palettes from any image on your iOS device, wherever inspiration strikes. It includes an interactive color wheel, preset color modes, and more.

Adobe Brush CC

lets you create Photoshop and Illustrator brushes right on your iPad or iPhone.

Adobe Shape CC

Want to create a vector shape from an image? Adobe Shape CC makes it simple to turn any high-contrast image into vectors, right on your iOS device.

Edge Commons

is a collection of “dirty little helpers” for using Adobe Edge Animate. It includes helpers for parallax, spotlight, adaptive layouts, and more.

Gleez CMS

is an open source and extensible CMS that’s built on the Kohana Framework. It includes support for modules, themes, widgets, users and groups, and more.

AllTheFreeStock.com

curates free stock images, videos, and icons from various sources, all of which are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero license.

Anchor

is free, self-hosted invoicing software that makes it easy to get paid with PayPal or Stripe.

GifDeck

is a tool for converting your SlideShares into animated Gifs. All you have to do is paste in your SlideShare URL.

Mapbox Studio

is a vector-driven map design app. It includes typography options, imagery and effects tools, and more.

Dimensions

is a Chrome browser extension that makes it easy to measure anything in your browser. You can measure between images, input-fields, buttons, videos, gifs, text, icons, and anything else you see in the browser.

Mix

is a collaborative design app from FiftyThree that lets you build upon the designs of others. You can write, design, sketch, and more.

Fitter Happier Text

gives you fully fluid, performant headlines using JavaScript and JSON.

Design Kit

is a set of design tools for human-centered design. It’s available in hard copy for purchase, or as a free PDF download.

Takana

is a live SCSS and CSS editor. It lets you see your changes live, in the browser, as you make them.

Apple Watch GUI PSD

This Apple Watch GUI PSD is a great resource for designers looking to get started with Apple Watch apps.

Pictura

is a simple Photoshop plugin for searching Flickr right from within Photoshop, and then using images you’ve found right into your project without an outside download.

DragGradients

is a simple gradient generator that lets you drag and drop points within your browser’s viewport to create a custom gradient. You can customize the colors (including how many) and then download the CSS.

Dropbox Guide

These Dropbox Guides are available for both Users and Admins, and including information on how to best utilize Dropbox for your business.

Random CSS Gradient Generator

The Random CSS Gradient Generator generates a completely random gradient, which you can then grab the code for.

Email Design Guide

MailChimp’s Email Design Guide offers up some great advice on how to best convey your email message, with better use of images, fonts, and more.

Basscss

is a collection of base element styles, utilities, layout modules, and more designed for speed and performance, as well as scalability.

UX Companion

is a glossary of UX theories, tools, and principles for your iOS device. You can learn new concepts and techniques, and then dive into more in-depth hand-picked resources.

Random Users Generator

This simple Random Users Generator makes it easy to create random users for your app, complete with names, photos, contact information, short bios, job titles, and more.

Lychee

is a self-hosted photo management app that runs on your server or web hosting. It lets you upload, manage, and share photos like you would from a native app.