UX research tools help you collect feedback, analyze behavior, and identify usability problems before designing solutions.

Google Forms

Best for: Surveys, feedback collection

Why it’s useful:
Simple, free, and perfect for beginner UX research.

Use cases:

  • User surveys
  • Feature feedback
  • Usability questionnaires

Action:
Use Google Forms for UX Research

Miro (Free Plan)

Best for: Affinity mapping, user journeys, brainstorming

Why it’s useful:
Visual collaboration tool used by real UX teams.

Use cases:

  • User journey mapping
  • Ideation sessions
  • Research synthesis

Action:
Try Miro for UX Research Activities

Notion

Best for: Research documentation

Why it’s useful:
Keeps personas, notes, and insights organized in one place.

Use cases:

  • User personas
  • Research summaries
  • UX documentation

Action:
Organize UX Research Using Notion

Wireframing & UX Design Tools

Wireframing tools help you structure layouts and flows without focusing on visual polish.

Figma (Free Plan)

Best for: Wireframes, prototypes, UI layouts

Why it’s useful:
Industry-standard UX tool with a generous free plan.

Use cases:

  • Low-fidelity wireframes
  • Clickable prototypes
  • UX case studies

Action:
Start Designing with Figma (Free)

Penpot (Open Source)

Best for: Wireframes & prototypes

Why it’s useful:
Completely free and open-source.

Use cases:

  • UX practice projects
  • Portfolio work
  • Collaboration

Action:
Use Penpot for Free UX Design

Balsamiq (Trial)

Best for: Low-fidelity wireframes

Why it’s useful:
Forces you to focus on structure, not visuals.

Use cases:

  • Early-stage wireframes
  • UX ideation
  • Concept validation

Action:
Try Balsamiq Wireframing Tool

UX Prototyping Tools

Prototypes help test flows and interactions before development.

Figma Prototyping

Best for: Interactive flows

Why it’s useful:
No extra software needed if you already use Figma.

Use cases:

  • Click-through prototypes
  • Usability testing
  • Case study demos

Action:
Create UX Prototypes in Figma

Whimsical (Free Tier)

Best for: User flows & diagrams

Why it’s useful:
Very beginner-friendly for mapping flows.

Use cases:

  • User flows
  • Information architecture
  • Journey diagrams

Action:
Map User Flows with Whimsical

Usability Testing & Feedback Tools

Testing tools help you check whether users can complete tasks easily.

Maze (Free Tier)

Best for: Usability testing

Why it’s useful:
Beginner-friendly testing without complex setup.

Use cases:

  • Task success testing
  • Prototype validation
  • UX feedback

Action:
Try UX Testing with Maze

Google Forms (Testing Feedback)

Best for: Qualitative feedback

Why it’s useful:
Simple way to ask users what worked and what didn’t.

Use cases:

  • Post-test feedback
  • Design evaluation
  • User opinions

Action:
Collect UX Feedback Easily

Accessibility & UX Evaluation Tools

Accessibility is a core part of UX design, not an extra step.

Contrast Checker Tools

Best for: Color contrast checks

Why it’s useful:
Ensures text is readable for all users.

Use cases:

  • Accessibility audits
  • WCAG checks
  • UI improvements

Action:
Check Accessibility Contrast

Browser Accessibility Audits

Best for: Quick UX checks

Why it’s useful:
Helps identify basic usability and accessibility issues.

Use cases:

  • UX audits
  • Accessibility testing
  • Learning best practices

Action:
Run Basic UX Accessibility Checks

How to Choose the Right UX Tools (Beginner Advice)

If you’re just starting:

  • Pick one design tool (Figma or Penpot)
  • Pick one research tool (Google Forms)
  • Pick one testing tool (Maze)

You do not need more than this to practice UX effectively.

What to Do Next

Using tools alone is not enough. You must apply them to real problems.

Recommended next steps:

  • Practice UX challenges
  • Redesign existing apps
  • Build UX case studies
  • Improve accessibility

Action:
Start Practicing UX with Real-World Tasks

These tools are widely used by UX designers worldwide.
You are not “too early” or “underqualified” to use them.

The best way to learn UX design is to start practicing today.