It goes without saying that the ongoing pandemic has changed most, if not all, aspects of our daily lives. Among these facets, one that has been drastically changed is the way we work with remote working now the norm. A recent article by CNBC even went as far as saying that working from home will be the likely legacy of the ongoing pandemic and it’s easy to see why. According to a study cited by EET India, over 41% of the surveyed employees will likely continue to work remotely at least some of the time even after the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, this new working arrangement was immediately followed by a dramatic increase in the use of various remote working tools such as design software that is flexible and meets the needs of creatives. Fortunately, as highlighted in our previous post ‘5 Free Alternatives to Photoshop’, there are a lot of free options on the market for all kinds of creatives out there, on top of the paid ones with more comprehensive features.
Here are some of them:
Infinite Design
Perfect for creatives who are working on android tablets, Infinite Design is a free SVG vector graphics app that boasts great 3D design tools. Developed by Infinite Studio Mobile, Infinite Design is a great alternative to Adobe’s dominant Illustrator Draw with its infinite canvas, infinite path ending and infinite undo and redo with a history slider. The app also had a myriad of layer options, a transform tool, an automatic shape detector and grids for reference and snapping. However, the app’s most standout feature is its ability to create 3D images with five perspective tools.
Altium Designer
For those designing intricate components like PCBs the platform they use is critical to the success of the product. Altium Designer takes a design through to production allowing PCB designers to streamline the entire process. The prototype process for PCBs is made easier with the unification of schematics and layout tools. In addition, sharing ideas and data among your co-editors is also made hassle-free since Altium propagates information automatically and without the need for manual tracking. This app also saves editors from excessive guesswork through its dynamic libraries that are not only constantly populating and updating every component but are also packed with footprints, simulation models and 3D dimensioning on top of symbols.
Quest
This specific app is for those professionals who want to make the most out of the lockdown by learning a new skill such as designing games. Quest is a super basic game design program specifically made for beginners. This app helps users focus on creating a compelling narrative, is totally free and runs on your browser. This one doesn’t look much since it’s a program that zooms in on letting users make a text-based adventure game but it can be a really good starting point for both writers and game designers in the making.
CLO 3D
If you are looking for a pattern-making software that is futuristic, then CLO 3D will be the perfect app for you. Medium details how CLO 3D is a popular fashion design software program that creates virtual and true to life garments visualization through the use of advanced simulation technology. The app boasts a wide array of avatars, dress forms, and fabrics that are available in different shapes, sizes, and colour.
Thanks to apps like Infinite Design, Altium Designer, Quest and CLO 3D, shifting to work from home can be a whole lot easier for all kinds of professionals out there – creative or not.
