This page provides details about Smashing Magazine (product,organization) which was ranked #14 out of 130 in the list of brands (22 mentions (4.2% share)) in answers from AI models (Anthropic Claude Sonnet (latest), OpenAI ChatGPT Latest, Google Gemini Flash (latest), X.AI Grok (latest)) when they were asked the following 3 questions: "What are the best Design Tools options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.", "If I'm looking to get into Design Tools, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.", "What does the Design Tools industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry." on Dec 30, 2025 by AI Chat Watch.
What are the best Design Tools options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] ttps://www.figma.com/community)** - Official Figma community
2. **[Designer Hangout Slack](https://www.designerhangout.co)** - Large UX design Slack group
3. **[ADPList](https://adplist.org)** - Design mentorship community
## Influential Publications & Media
### Design Blogs & Publications
1. **[Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com)** - Web design and development publication
2. **[A List Apart](https://alistapart.com)** - Web standards and best practices
3. **[Creative Bloq](https://www.creativebloq.com)** - Design and creative arts publication
4. **[It's Nice That](https://www.itsnicethat.co [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Design Tools, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] l design education
11. **[LinkedIn Learning](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/)** - Professional design courses
### Resource Libraries
12. **[Awwwards](https://www.awwwards.com)** - Web design inspiration and awards
13. **[Muzli](https://muz.li)** - Design inspiration browser extension
14. **[Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com)** - Web design articles and resources
## Important Events & Conferences
### Major Design Conferences
1. **[Adobe MAX](https://max.adobe.com)** - Adobe's annual creativity conference
2. **[Figma Config](https://config.figma.com)** - Figma's annual conference
3 [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Design Tools industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] of Atomic Design
- **[Dan Mall](https://danmall.com)** - Design system consultant and educator
- **[Jared Spool](https://twitter.com/jmspool)** - UX researcher and founder of [UIE](https://www.uie.com)
- **[Vitaly Friedman](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/author/vitaly-friedman/)** - Co-founder of Smashing Magazine
### Design Voices
- **[Julie Zhuo](https://www.juliezhuo.com)** - Former VP Product Design at Facebook
- **[Cap Watkins](https://capwatkins.com)** - VP of Design, author
- **[Pablo Stanley](https://www.pablostanley.com)** - Designer, illustrator, founder of [Humains](https://www.humaaans.com)
## [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] st.org)** - Free mentorship platform for designers
- **[UX Mastery Community](https://community.uxmastery.com)** - Learning-focused community
- **[Women in Design](https://womenindesign.co)** - Community supporting women designers
## **Top Publications & Media**
### Major Design Publications
- **[Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com)** - Web design and development
- **[A List Apart](https://alistapart.com)** - Web standards and best practices
- **[Creative Bloq](https://www.creativebloq.com)** - Design news and inspiration
- **[It's Nice That](https://www.itsnicethat.com)** - Creative arts and [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Design Tools options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] ngout](https://www.designerhangout.co/) (Slack community)
- [Design Buddies](https://designbuddies.community/) (Discord community)
---
# Influential publications & media (tools, practice, and craft)
**UX/UI & product design**
- [Nielsen Norman Group Articles](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/)
- [Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/)
- [A List Apart](https://alistapart.com/)
- [UX Collective (uxdesign.cc)](https://uxdesign.cc/)
- [Boxes and Arrows](https://boxesandarrows.com/)
- [Baymard Institute Articles](https://baymard.com/blog)
- [Interaction Design Foundation Library](https://www.intera [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Design Tools, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] esign leadership perspectives (also authored “The Making of a Manager”).
- [Teresa Torres](https://www.producttalk.org/) — continuous discovery and product research practices.
### Practical design education channels
- [The Futur](https://thefutur.com/) — design/business education and critiques.
- [Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/) — practical UX/UI and front-end/design systems content.
(If you tell me your target—UI/UX product design vs. brand/marketing vs. industrial/3D—I can narrow the “who to follow” list to the most relevant specialists.)
---
## 5) Helpful communities (for feedback, [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] the ecosystem moves)
- [Config](https://config.figma.com/) by [Figma](https://www.figma.com/) — major product design tooling + community event.
- [Adobe MAX](https://max.adobe.com/) by [Adobe](https://www.adobe.com/) — creative tooling and workflows.
- [SmashingConf](https://smashingconf.com/) by [Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/) — front-end + UX/design systems.
- [Interaction (IxDA Conference)](https://interaction.ixda.org/) by [IxDA](https://ixda.org/) — interaction design community conference.
- [UXPA International Conference](https://uxpa.org/uxpa-international-conference/) by [UXPA]( [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] kflows.
- [Penpot](https://penpot.app/) — open-source design and prototyping (often mentioned as an alternative approach to proprietary tools).
- [Rive](https://rive.app/) — interactive animation becoming more common in product UI.
---
## 9) Key publications and media channels to stay informed
- [Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/) — UX/UI + front-end + design systems.
- [A List Apart](https://alistapart.com/) — web design, standards, and craft (more classic, still valuable).
- [UX Collective](https://uxdesign.cc/) — broad UX writing (quality varies by author; still a major channel).
- [NN/ [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Design Tools industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] ps://bradfrost.com/)** (design systems; “Atomic Design” framing—book site: [atomicdesign.bradfrost.com](https://atomicdesign.bradfrost.com/))
- **[Ethan Marcotte](https://ethanmarcotte.com/)** (responsive web design)
- **[Vitaly Friedman](https://www.vitalyfriedman.com/)** (editorial voice via [Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/))
- **[Jared Spool](https://www.centercentre.com/jaredspool/)** (UX leadership; [Center Centre / UIE](https://www.centercentre.com/))
(If you want, I can also list **tool-founder** voices (e.g., from [Figma](https://www.figma.com/) or [Canva](https://www.canv [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ps://www.figma.com/))
- **[Adobe MAX](https://www.adobe.com/max.html)** (by [Adobe](https://www.adobe.com/))
- **[Interaction (IxDA)](https://ixda.org/events/interaction)** (by the [Interaction Design Association (IxDA)](https://ixda.org/))
- **[SmashingConf](https://smashingconf.com/)** (by [Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/))
- **[UXDX](https://uxdx.com/)** (design+dev+product process focus)
- **[NN/g UX Conference](https://www.nngroup.com/training/ux-conference/)** (by [Nielsen Norman Group](https://www.nngroup.com/))
---
## 9) Active professional communities (where practition [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ttps://www.reddit.com/)
- [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/) (especially for design systems / frontend integration questions)
---
## 10) Top publications & media covering the design tools industry
- **Practice + patterns**
- [Nielsen Norman Group](https://www.nngroup.com/)
- [Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/)
- [A List Apart](https://alistapart.com/)
- **Design leadership + product thinking (often covers tools indirectly)**
- [IDEO U](https://www.ideou.com/) (methods + culture)
- [UX Collective](https://uxdesign.cc/) (Medium publication on UX/design)
- * [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Design Tools options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] major forum for general design discussion.
* **[ADPList](https://adplist.org):** A global community for finding design mentors.
### 7. Influential Publications and Media
* **[It’s Nice That](https://www.itsnicethat.com):** Covers the best in contemporary graphic design and illustration.
* **[Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com):** High-quality articles for web designers and front-end developers.
* **[A List Apart](https://alistapart.com):** Focuses on web design standards and best practices.
* **[Design Week](https://www.designweek.co.uk):** Provides news and analysis on all sectors [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Design Tools, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] randfather" of User Experience and author of *The Design of Everyday Things*.
* **[Michal Malewicz](https://www.malewicz.com)**: A prominent UI design expert known for defining trends like Neumorphism.
* **[Vitaly Friedman](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/author/vitaly-friedman/)**: Founder of Smashing Magazine and an expert in complex interface design.
### 6. Conferences & Events
To network and see live tool unveilings, these are the flagship events.
* **[Config](https://config.figma.com)**: Figma’s annual global design conference (considered the most important design event currently).
* **[Adobe M [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] es](https://conference.awwwards.com)**: Events focused on high-end digital design and web trends.
### 7. Key Publications & Media
Stay updated on the latest news and industry shifts.
* **[The Verge - Design Section](https://www.theverge.com/design)**: Great for tech-adjacent design news.
* **[Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com)**: Deep dives into the technical side of design and coding.
* **[Sidebar.io](https://sidebar.io)**: A curated list of the five best design links every day.
* **[A List Apart](https://alistapart.com)**: A long-standing publication focusing on web standards and [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Design Tools industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] d design communities.
* [Design Buddies](https://www.designbuddies.community)
### 8. Top Publications and Media
Sources for news, tutorials, and industry critiques.
* **Design Week:** Coverage of the UK and global design industry.
* [Design Week](https://www.designweek.co.uk)
* **Smashing Magazine:** Deep dives into web design and UX.
* [Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com)
* **It’s Nice That:** Focuses on graphic design and creative inspiration.
* [It's Nice That](https://www.itsnicethat.com)
* **Sidebar.io:** A curated list of the five best design links ev [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] uddies.community)
### 8. Top Publications and Media
Sources for news, tutorials, and industry critiques.
* **Design Week:** Coverage of the UK and global design industry.
* [Design Week](https://www.designweek.co.uk)
* **Smashing Magazine:** Deep dives into web design and UX.
* [Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com)
* **It’s Nice That:** Focuses on graphic design and creative inspiration.
* [It's Nice That](https://www.itsnicethat.com)
* **Sidebar.io:** A curated list of the five best design links every day.
* [Sidebar](https://sidebar.io)
* **Built In:** [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Design Tools options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] it.com/r/UXDesign/](https://www.reddit.com/r/UXDesign/): Discussions on tools and trends.
- **Designer News** [https://www.designernews.co/](https://www.designernews.co/): Curated design links (community-driven).
### Influential Publications and Media
Sources for news, tutorials, and research:
- **Smashing Magazine** [https://www.smashingmagazine.com/](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/): Web/design articles and courses.
- **Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g)** [https://www.nngroup.com/](https://www.nngroup.com/): UX research and usability studies.
- **UX Collective (uxdesign.cc)** [https://uxdesign.cc/](https://uxde [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Design Tools, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] ttps://www.relume.io/)): AI for Webflow/Framer components.
- **Builder.io** ([Builder.io](https://www.builder.io/)): Visual CMS for design-to-code.
Track on **Product Hunt Design Tools** ([Product Hunt](https://www.producthunt.com/topics/design-tools)).
### Key Publications and Media Channels
- **Smashing Magazine** ([Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/)): Articles, books, courses.
- **Creative Bloq** ([Creative Bloq](https://www.creativebloq.com/)): News, tutorials.
- **It's Nice That** ([It's Nice That](https://www.itsnicethat.com/)): Design culture.
- **A List Apart** ([A List Apart](http [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ): AI for Webflow/Framer components.
- **Builder.io** ([Builder.io](https://www.builder.io/)): Visual CMS for design-to-code.
Track on **Product Hunt Design Tools** ([Product Hunt](https://www.producthunt.com/topics/design-tools)).
### Key Publications and Media Channels
- **Smashing Magazine** ([Smashing Magazine](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/)): Articles, books, courses.
- **Creative Bloq** ([Creative Bloq](https://www.creativebloq.com/)): News, tutorials.
- **It's Nice That** ([It's Nice That](https://www.itsnicethat.com/)): Design culture.
- **A List Apart** ([A List Apart](https://alistapart.com/)): [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Design Tools industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.