4 Best laptops for UI/UX designer (2020)

Best laptops for UI/UX designer

UI/UX designer need powerful laptops that can handle large software programs. So if you are looking for one of the best laptops for UI/UX design 2020, we have a list that you may find helpful. We’ve been looking for powerful machines that can work without delay, even when it comes to heavy software. Of course, when choosing machines with a great graphics card, we’ve taken great care to make sure that you’ll enjoy working on your computer. While the average graphics card is useful if you’re a beginner, professionals usually look for a laptop equipped with a high-end graphics card that makes it easy for them to work. A good resolution also plays an important role in UI/UX design. That’s why we’ve made sure that the laptops we select also offer good resolution.

Bored of working on your designs in your office PC? Would you like to work from the comfort of your home or in a café? We’ve sorted out the available laptops in the 2020 market to provide you with a detailed list of the best UI/UX design laptops that meet the needs of your heavy duty applications and help you complete your designs as you please. Each of these laptops has sufficient processing capabilities to manage the UI/UX developer’s heavy software, high-resolution graphics cards, and high-resolution screens, so you can create an accurate UI/UX design with a joyful experience without the risk of getting bad results.

Test criteria for the selection decision

Usually no particularly powerful hardware is required for image processing or UI/UX design. The system requirements for these types of software are correspondingly low. With a current mid-range processor, one should be well positioned in the medium or even longer term without being surprised by performance bottlenecks.

A dedicated graphics unit is usually dispensable without having to have a bad conscience. In general, there are only a few functions found in many programs that can even benefit from a graphics acceleration: Special filters, rendering functions, image optimizations. And even then, current integrated processor graphics chips already offer good performance. They can even handle 4k resolutions at 60 Hz and drive up to 3 displays simultaneously.

A sticking point is usually the display built into the notebook: resolution, pixel density, contrast, brightness, illumination, viewing angle stability, surface quality, color space or color accuracy are essential components here. A special privacy function (restriction of the lateral viewing angle), pen input, finger operation or a built-in colorimeter can also influence the decision.

Notebook displays usually work with a colour depth of 8 bit and only offer a standard contrast range (SDR). Some mobile workstations with powerful professional graphics chips also support a color depth of 10 bit (e.g. Nvidia Quadro), which in turn must be implemented by the display and software used. Real HDR panels have not yet been found in the notebook sector.

Small but perhaps not unimportant side issues

The support of special input methods and functions is quite interesting for personal work processes and habits. Which ones are important here varies from software to software and of course depends on individual habits and preferences. Nevertheless, one should at least have thought about it briefly when configuring / selecting the hardware.

This includes, for example, multi-finger gestures, Apple’s Force notebooks for graphics and photo editing, Touch Trackpad, Microsoft’s Dial, touch screen input, pen input, colorimeter or graphics tablets. Once you choose a notebook without a digitizer or without a touch surface, you will never be able to use these additional functions with this device.

The RAM equipment and the mass storage are also important in the graphic and photo area. Large image files or graphic projects can quickly exhaust the main memory. This is specially the case if many high-resolution objects, several programs or background tasks are opened or running at the same time.

Ranking First: ASUS ROG STRIX 17

Widescreen gaming laptop that fits UI/UX design tasks

This ASUS laptop is originally a gaming laptop with a 17.3″ Full HD wide angle panel and a discrete GeForce GTX 1050 4 GB graphics card to handle the detailed graphics of the games. Therefore, this laptop would be ideal for UI/UX design software, especially with its 7th generation Intel Core i7-7700HQ quad-core with a processing speed of 2.8 GHz, which can be further extended to 3.8 GHz, and its 16 GB DDR4 RAM. The storage capacity of this laptop is 1TB of SSD space, which can contain a large amount of design software and detailed design files.

The remarkable feature of this laptop is that it can handle up to 20 million keystrokes (which is a key requirement for games) and therefore can efficiently handle the detailed design adjustments and hot-key shortcuts that a UI/UX designer needs to complete designs. ASUS Rog Strix Laptop is a slim 0.9″ gadget weighing 6.7 lbs. and has all the necessary USB and HDMI ports to connect to external storage and display devices.

Why buy this laptop?

• Large keystroke capacity is very useful for hotkey shortcuts to use design software
• Widescreen & 1050 graphics card offers unique visual experience
• Our performance winner for best laptops for UI/UX design

Ranking Second: HP Envy 17

Touch screen UI/UX design laptop with DVD drive

With all the design features you get with professional UI/UX software, a touch screen would definitely complete the package. HP Envy gives you that luxury by using a high-precision touch screen that lets you use a precise stylus to enhance your designs any way you want. A touchscreen would also open up more design possibilities for you, as certain specialized software can be used. With a 17.3 full HD multi-touch screen and an NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics card, you have everything you need for seamless high-definition graphics.

Your HP Envy runs on an 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor with up to 4GHz processing speed and 32GB of DDR4 SDRAM for smooth operation of heavy design software. This is complemented by a 1TB high-speed SSD that holds your large design files. There is also a DVD burner built in, in case you want to keep backup copies of your designs on a DVD. Alternatively, you can store your designs on a USB flash memory or view them on a larger projector display via an HDMI connection. So you should overcome its relatively heavy weight (6.75 lbs.) and this laptop should meet all your needs and more.

Why buy this laptop?

• Its touch screen offers a more personalized experience and easier handling of tasks.
• A pen can be used to add finer touches to the designs.
• Designs can be easily burned to DVD for sharing and/or backup.
• Best price performance ratio in our test for best laptops for UI/UX design.

Ranking Third: Dell Inspiron 17

Widescreen UI/UX design laptop

Dell has equipped this laptop with an 10th generation Intel Core i7-1065G7 at 4GHz maximum processing speed, so you can do your design work professionally and efficiently. This is also guaranteed with a 16 GB 2400 MHz DDR4 RAM, which can even be expanded to 32 GB at a higher price. The internal memory of this laptop is 256GB on solid state drive (SSD) and 2TB on the hard drive (HDD), which is plenty of storage for high-volume design software and large design files.

In terms of looks, this laptop is equipped with a 17.3″ Full HD (1920 × 1080) screen with the glare-free and LED-backlit display to ensure accurate color representation. This is further enhanced by an Nvidia MX230 graphics card and 2G GDDR5 graphics memory. Apart from being quite heavy (about 6 lbs.), this laptop would be one of the better options for UI/UX design, offering a high-quality display, plenty of memory and fast processing capabilities.

This laptop has all the necessary inputs to connect it to external memory devices and/or external display units. In addition, a DVD-RW driver will help you burn your designs to DVD to send them to your clients as desired.

Why buy this laptop?

• LED-backlit display, together with widescreen, ensures the accuracy of your color display.
• DVD drive allows you to safely store your designs on DVD.
• Solid performance and overall a great labtop for UI/UX design.

Ranking Fourth: ASUS VivoBook 15

Wide screen highly portable lightweight UI/UX design laptop

With a 17.3″ Full-HD screen and an NVIDIA Gaming GeForce GTX 150 (2GB) graphics card, this laptop is specially optimized for online gaming and is therefore also ideal for your UI/UX design tasks with a flawless look.

Running on an 8 The Intel Core i7-8550U processor with 1.8GHz processing speed, running up to 4GHz in turbo mode and coupled with 8GB RAM, this laptop can efficiently run UI/UX design software without getting stuck in the middle of an important design area. The storage capacity of this laptop is also sufficient to store large design files and comprehensive design software, offering 256GB of SSD memory and 1TB of hard disk (HDD) space.

The remarkable feature of this laptop is that it is only 16.2″ wide and 0.8″ thin and weighs only 4.6 lbs. So you can easily do your own work or carry your work with you. In addition, this VivoBook has a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port with a Type C connector that supports high-speed data transfer and ultra high definition output for external displays. This means you can display your designs on even larger 4K ultra high definition screens.

Why buy this laptop?

• The NVIDIA MX150 graphics card offers solid graphics settings and better viewing in addition to its widescreen capabilities.
• Very thin gadget and can be easily taken to meetings and/or presentations.
• HD USB connection enables high quality display on external devices.
• Good model for beginners. professionals should rather choose our first or second rank.

Conclusion

When purchasing your UI/UX design laptop, be sure to select the model that provides you with optimal resolution, processing speed, and sufficient memory capacity to meet and exceed your needs. Some additional features would also be useful, such as extra layers of security and 360o flips. Whatever specifications you need, you’re guaranteed to find a good match with this wide range of products available in today’s market at a wide price range. Plus, you don’t have to do extensive research right now. Our article presents you with a detailed summary of most of the available products with sufficient detail on each to guide you through your decision.

These are the best laptops for UI/UX design. All of these laptops have great performance and angular design, which makes them a classic choice for any UI/UX designer. While most of them are expensive, they are all reliable and ensure that working on them is a real pleasure. So if you are planning to buy a laptop for your UI/UX design work, consider one of these.

The best UI/UX design software for UI/UX 2020

In UI/UX design, it all depends on the software. Sure, a talented designer can also create something beautiful with Microsoft Paint. But the intuitive operation and flexibility of a good program can make all the difference. So which UI/UX design software is right for you?

For designers, software is like an extension of their artistic skills. They know shortcuts, get used to the layout and use their favorite software like a second language. Having an intuitive and flexible program is important.

Which design software should you choose now? Are you looking for the expensive flexibility of Photoshop or something simpler – and cheaper?

Don’t worry. We asked our favorite UI/UX designers what they thought was the best UI/UX design software 2020. Here are the results:

The best paid design software

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is by far the most popular UI/UX design software. From simple image cropping, which even your grandma would understand, to more complicated raster designs, Photoshop has everything you need for image editing. Photoshop is known for its classic features such as the Pencil tool, layers and masks, but the latest version adds some cool new features like the Frame tool for easy masking and a new workspace for content-based filling. With its potentially limitless possibilities, Photoshop is the perfect design tool to get started.

When it comes to image editing, there’s nothing Photoshop can’t do.

Best suited for: Image editing

Cost: Adobe now offers a subscription service for its products with a 30-day trial period. The price in the photography category is $11.89 per month for individual users (Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, 20GB cloud storage) and $59.49 for the full Creative Cloud. However, different prices apply for students, teachers, faculty, businesses, and educational institutions.

Required level: Beginner to advanced

Advantages:

• Nearly unlimited possibilities
• Integrated database with stock photos
• Lots of design tools for image editing

Cons:

• User interface needs getting used to
• Suboptimal updates
• No possibility to create real vector files

Adobe Photoshop on the laptop – what to look out for?

For Photoshop image editing to work smoothly, your laptop should have some requirements. You should pay special attention to these points:

• Display: Resolution and design are crucial to avoid frustration when working with Photoshop. Often laptops are only equipped with a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution display. However, a screen with Full-HD or even higher resolution is much better for detailed display.
• RAM: The RAM is also very important. Especially if you want to work on large projects or use batch processing, the Adobe program sucks a lot of RAM. Your laptop should have at least 4 GB main memory – 8 GB or more is better.
• CPU: The third important component is the processor. Since it is responsible for all computing processes and usually also for the graphics display, you should not save money here. With a newer model from the Intel Core i5 or i7 series, you are on the safe side.

Sketch

Sketch is a vector-based tool for Mac only and a program that focuses primarily on web, app and interface design. It has recently put a heavy damper on the competition, with some developers preferring sketch files from designers to Photoshop files. Sketch is not intended for image editing or printing, but it’s great for designing icons and user interfaces for websites and apps. Designers can also create interactive prototypes that developers can preview by tapping or scrolling through them to see what they will look like in the end.

Sketch is ideal for web, app and interface design.

Best suited for: User interfaces

Cost: $99 per year and device

Required level: Beginner

Advantages:

• Easy to learn
• Cheaper than other known programs

Cons:

• Mac only
• Not suitable for print designs or illustrations

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop and Illustrator share some common tools and features, but Adobe Illustrator is all about vector design. Create beautiful logos, typography, symbols, and sketches with Illustrator’s Grid tool, Pencil tool, Color Fields and Colors, or the Forms and Pathfinder tool. Although it takes a little time to learn, the almost limitless possibilities for creating vector designs make it worth the effort.

I mainly use Photoshop and Illustrator. I have completely done away with pen and paper, make all my sketches in Photoshop and then draw the design in Illustrator, where I also prepare it for animation if it is part of the project.

Best suited for: Vector images

Cost: Illustrator alone costs $23.79 per month and the complete Creative Cloud costs $59.49 per month.

Required level: Advanced

Advantages:

• Helpful user interface
• Wide range of tools
• Supports precise machining

Cons:

• Difficult to learn

Affinity designer

In terms of function and style, Affinity Designer is an impressive and affordable alternative to Adobe Illustrator. Affinity is even praised for being easier and faster to use than Illustrator, especially when working with layers. It’s simple enough for beginners to use as a learning tool, but powerful enough for freelance UI/UX design on a small budget.

Affinity has recently received a major upgrade with new features and performance improvements. The software is a great option for anyone who doesn’t want to spend as much on Adobe products but needs something to work with at a high level.

Affinity Designer is an impressive and affordable alternative to Adobe Illustrator.

Best suited for: Vector files

Costs: 54.99 $

Required level: Beginner to advanced

Advantages:

• Easy entry
• Quick
• Much cheaper than the large programs

Cons:

• Some tools available in Illustrator are missing

Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is a must for publishers and has been used for magazine and newspaper layouts since 1999. Create impressive magazines, flyers, and brochures and export them effortlessly as PDF or HTML. Although the range of functions is quite limited, InDesign is easy to learn and very suitable for beginners to learn how to combine text and graphics.

InDesign is great for laying out magazines, postcards, flyers and printing.

Best suited for: Layouts

Cost: InDesign itself costs 23.79 $ per month and the complete Creative Cloud costs 59.49 $ per month.

Required level: Beginner to advanced

Advantages:

• Undisputed champion of the publishing industry
• Intuitive functions for cropping and scaling
• Huge selection of fonts

Cons:

• Some complaints about PDF formatting
• The best free UI/UX design software

GIMP

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is probably the best known free open source graphics program for creating raster graphics and offers many features of the paid programs. Even though it is not as nicely designed as Photoshop, for example, you still get the same advanced features like photo retouching, drawing and cropping that you find in more popular programs.

Best suited for: Raster images

Required level: Beginner

Advantages:

• Good community
• Contains many tools for a free program

Cons:

• Is not updated as often as other programs
• Less known
• Less intuitive operation

Gravit Designer

Gravit Designer is a free vector program that is ideal for creating logos, image editing, illustrations and animations. You can use Gravit online through their cloud based software, although some reviews say that it runs a bit slower there than the version installed on your computer. The layout is modern and fully customizable. Gravit Designer Pro, however, is no longer free (49 $ per year).

Gravit is very suitable for creating logos, image editing, illustrations and animations.

Best suited for: Vector images

Required level: Beginner

Advantages:

• A lot of functions and possibilities
• The Cloud Program is great

Cons:

• The free version is not nearly as good as the Pro version

Inkscape

A good community has something beautiful. Inkscape’s user base is passionate and helpful and the cross-platform software brings out the best in open source design. Users can create pretty graphics and designs with the wide range of learning tools. However, a steep learning curve, the clunky user interface and the less beautiful Mac version diminish the overall impression.

Best suited for: Vector images and SVG file formats

Required level: Advanced

Advantages:

• Many filters
• Helpful website and community

Disadvantages:

• Sometimes quite slow
• Steep learning curve

Vectr

Vectr is perfect for (you guessed it) vector images and can be used either in the browser or as a standalone program on the computer. Vectr does not have all the features a professional designer needs. However, beginners and people who design something every now and then will appreciate the low learning curve. There are also dozens of tutorials for newcomers on their website.

Beginners will appreciate Vectr’s flat learning curve.

Best suited for: Vector images

Required level: Beginner

Advantages:

• Very beginner friendly
• Good selection of tutorial videos

Cons:

• Quite limited range of functions
• Complicated registration process

Additional Design Programs

There are always new programs, apps and tools available to help UI/UX designers sketch, model and do other tasks. Here are a few that our community recommends:

Procreate – iPad application to sketch on the go

Did inspiration suddenly strike in the subway? With Procreate, designers can quickly sketch something on the go. With more than 130 brushes, it’s a great tool and costs only $10.99.

Krita – free open source graphics program

Krita is a free sketching and drawing program, is great for comics and mangas and was voted the best free drawing program by TechRadar in 2020.

Canva – Drag and Drop Online Editor

Canva is the first port of call for anyone who is not at all familiar with design and wants to create something quickly and easily. It offers a wide range of templates, fonts and images, some of which are free and others that must be purchased. Choose from the existing templates or create your own designs entirely on your own, then use Canvas’ drag-and-drop editor. Of course it doesn’t do as much customization as Photoshop, but it’s a great alternative for absolute beginners. Canva uses a so-called Freemium model, where you have to upgrade to the Pro version to get all the additional features.

Scribus – free alternative to InDesign

Scribus is an open source publishing program. Even though it doesn’t look nearly as good and costs as much as InDesign, it’s still a good replacement in case of emergency.

Autodesk SketchBook – free sketching software

SketchBook is a great program if you want to quickly sketch ideas and create conceptual sketches, drawings and illustrations – and it’s completely free.

Find your perfect UI/UX design software

Choosing the “best” UI/UX design software is difficult, because it is of course always a matter of opinion and depends on what exactly you want to create. Every UI/UX designer has to decide for himself which software works best for his design style, needs, media and of course clients. But there is always new design software to discover. Keep track of all available options and try them out! Maybe you’ll find a new favorite program that fits you and your art perfectly.