Best Design Software in 2024 for Beginners

In 2024, the landscape of design software has evolved significantly, making it more accessible for beginners and professionals alike. Among the myriad options available, three tools have distinctly positioned themselves as favorites for various user needs: Kittl, Canva, and Placeit. This article explores each tool's features, pricing, user demographics, and usage trends to help you choose the right tool for your design needs.

Kittl: Tailored for Merchandise Design

Kittl is a design tool that specializes in enabling creators to design and customize print-ready merchandise like t-shirts, posters, and more. It incorporates advanced design features and AI tools to facilitate the creation of intricate and unique artwork.

Launch Date: Kittl was founded in 2020 by Nicolas Heymann and Tobias Saul. The official launch was in 2022.

Target Audience: Kittl primarily targets professional graphic designers and artists who specialize in merchandise design. It's also suitable for businesses and creatives looking for advanced design capabilities to produce print-ready artwork.

At Bongdao, we use Kittl for brainstorming initial ideas, making Merchandise and Print-Ready Designs, and visualizing product mockups.

Major Features

• Advanced design elements for merchandise like T-shirts, mugs, and more.
• A focus on artistic projects with tools that allow for high customization.
• AI Support Tools

Pricing Plan

Free: Limited access to features and templates.

Pro : Starts at $15 per month ($10/month for yearly plan), offering full access to all tools, templates, and premium resources.

Pros

• User-friendly and highly intuitive design.
• Specializes in merchandise and artistic designs.
• Highly customizable templates for creative projects.
• Features innovative AI-driven design tools.

Cons

• Less versatile for non-merchandise projects.
• Limited collaboration features compared to competitors.

Canva: Versatility and Ease of Use

Canva is a user-friendly graphic design tool that provides a vast array of templates and design features to create a wide range of visual content easily. It supports both digital and print media, making it a versatile choice for creating everything from social media graphics to corporate presentations.

Launch Date: Canva was launched in 2013 by Cliff Obrecht, Melanie Perkins and Cameron Adams. Since it has grown rapidly to become one of the leading online design tools globally.

Target Audience: Canva is aimed at a broad audience, including non-designers, small business owners, marketers, educators, and companies looking for an easy-to-use tool to create professional-looking designs without needing extensive graphic design skills.

Canva is known for its versatility and ease of use, making it a favorite among a wide range of users from small business owners to educators and marketers. At Bongdao, we use Canva heavily for making Social Media and Marketing Materials for advertising purposes.

Major Features

• Extensive library of templates for a variety of needs.
• Drag-and-drop interface that simplifies the design process.

Pricing Plan

• Free: Basic features and access to a wide range of free templates and design elements.
• Pro: $15 per month, includes advanced tools, brand kits, and an extensive library of premium stock images and templates.

Pros

• Extremely user-friendly, great for beginners.
• Vast library of templates covering a wide range of needs.
• Versatile for both digital and print designs.
• Strong collaborative features for team projects.

Cons

• Designs can feel overly templated without customization.
• May lack advanced tools needed for complex design projects.
• Premium features require a paid subscription.

Placeit: Excellence in Mockups and Branding

Placeit is a mockup and design tool that allows users to create high-quality visuals and branding materials easily. Its robust library of mockup templates enables quick visualization of designs on various products, from apparel to digital devices.

Launch Date: Placeit was established in 2013 and later acquired by Envato in 2018, enhancing its integration with Envato's extensive creative assets.

Target Audience: Placeit is designed for marketers, small to medium-sized businesses, and designers who need to produce quick mockups for promotional or branding purposes. It's also popular among entrepreneurs who require rapid visualization of their designs on products for marketing campaigns.

Since Placeit specializes in creating high-quality mockups and branding tools, we often utilize it during Product Mockups phrase at Bongdao.

Major Features

• Extensive collection of mockup templates.
• Tools for creating professional logos and promotional videos.

Pricing Plan

• Free Trials: Limited free templates and design options.
• Unlimited Access: $9.99 per month, provides unlimited access to all mockups, design templates, and videos

Pros

• Simple interface, easy to use for all skill levels.
• Excellent for creating high-quality product mockups.
• No design skills required to achieve professional results.
• Quick visualization of designs on products.

Cons

• Focuses primarily on mockups; less effective for original design creation.
• Limited creative freedom; relies heavily on templates.
• Subscription can be costly for frequent high-volume use.

User Base Distribution and Market Segment Appeal

The following visualizations provide a hypothetical overview of the user base distribution and market segment appeal for each tool.

Kittl, Canva, and Placeit appeal to different segments of the market, with Canva capturing the largest share due to its versatility and ease of use, while Kittl and Placeit have more niche focuses.

Usage Trends Over Time

This line graph shows the hypothetical growth trends of each platform's user base from 2019 to 2024, illustrating their increasing popularity and adoption.

Application Areas

This bar chart compares how each platform is utilized across different application areas, highlighting the strengths and focus areas of Kittl, Canva, and Placeit.

Conclusion

Each tool has its strengths in different application areas, with Canva being the most versatile, followed by Kittl's focus on artistic projects, and Placeit's dominance in product mockups.

Choosing the right design software in 2024 depends largely on your specific needs, the type of projects you are undertaking, and your level of design expertise. Whether you choose Kittl for its specialization, Canva for its versatility, or Placeit for its mockup capabilities, each platform offers unique advantages to enhance your design experience. Don't limit yourself to a single option; often, it’s wise to spread your work across these three tools and be strategic about selecting the Free or Pro plans based on your needs.

Finally, check out Bong Dao for more design inspiration.

Resources

• Kittl, Canva and Placeit official websites for detailed products and pricing.
• Content Marketing Up - Canva vs. Kittl - Comparison of Canva and Kittl features and use cases.
• TechRadar - Best Graphic Design Software - Analysis of top graphic design software tools.
• G2 - Canva Reviews - User reviews and ratings for Canva.
• Capterra - Placeit Reviews - User reviews and feedback for Placeit.
• User Statistics - SimilarWeb - User demographics and statistics for Kitt, Canva & Placeit