Design students rely heavily on research tools to keep up to date on developments in their field. Academic research tools like JSTOR and Academic Search premier are used by design students to keep up with ideas in design journals and periodicals. Internet searches are used by design students to find examples of current work in their field. Other research tools include magazines, newspapers and textbooks.
Design students draw rough sketches before they move on to computerized work. Tools for sketching include pencils, markers pastels, and paper. These tools can be purchased at art stores and office supply stores.
Graphical tools are used by design students to create computerized images. Many software programs are used in the design field, including image editors like Photoshop and GIMP, image generators like Freehand and Illustrator and page layout programs like inDesign.
Design students select the fonts for text written by copy writers. Design students use many resources for finding and using the correct font. There are many websites that offer fonts for download (see Resources), while imaging programs like Illustrator can be used to design entirely new fonts.
Some design students take and edit their own pictures. For these students, photography tools are an absolute necessity. Common photography tools include digital cameras, photo editing software programs and basic imaging programs. Some students may also elect to use old-fashioned cameras for artistic purposes. For these students, traditional photo lab tools (lights, aqueous solutions, enlargers) will be necessary.