Designtools.fyi
A curated, role-ranked directory of ~100 design tools — each scored 0–10 and matched against six designer "archetypes," so you scout the right tool for your role instead of a flat alphabetical list. Maintained with an editorial newsletter ("From the desk") tracking design-tool news.
By Adham Dannaway. Where most tool lists are flat, designtools.fyi reframes discovery around who you are and what you're optimizing for — "find the right tool for your role, ranked by what actually matters." Source: X/@AdhamDannaway, 2026-05-10 (957 likes, 1,097 bookmarks) · Source: designtools.fyi, https://designtools.fyi/, 2026-06-12
The reviewed launch image preserves the product shape: a search/filter/compare surface with archetype, facet, and tag filters; a score-sort control; and cards for Figma, Subframe, Paper, Uizard, Recraft, Tempo Labs, Gemini, and OpenPencil. The launch image showed 83 tools; the June site read saw roughly 100, so treat the count as live catalog inventory rather than a fixed claim. Source: X/@AdhamDannaway, 2026-05-10; Source: designtools.fyi, 2026-06-12
How it ranks
- Score / match — each tool shows a
score/percent, e.g. Figma6.9/88%— a 0–10 quality score plus a fit-percentage for the selected archetype. Switching archetype re-sorts and re-weights the list. Source: designtools.fyi, https://designtools.fyi/, 2026-06-12 - Facets — filterable tags per tool (Paid, Free, Generated Code, Prototyping, Animation, Micro, Site Builder, …) for capability-level filtering. Source: designtools.fyi/facets, 2026-06-12
Browse by archetype
| Archetype | Optimizes for |
|---|---|
| All Rounder | Balanced view across all capabilities |
| Art Director | Visual exploration and creative direction |
| Craft Specialist | Pixel-perfect execution and interaction design |
| Design Engineer | Implementation and bridging design → code |
| Design Ops | Systems, scalability, developer collaboration |
| Non Designer | Speed and ease of use over control |
Source: designtools.fyi/archetypes, 2026-06-12
What surfaces (sample, June 2026)
The directory tracks the live AI-design frontier, not just legacy tools: Figma (6.9/88%), Magic Path (Pietro Schirano), Claude Design (Claude Opus), Paper (code-native, MCP), Subframe (code-first UI builder), Magic Patterns (YC, brand-tuned generation), Mobbin (300K+ real app screens), rams (AI design review in CI), Taste (extract tokens from screenshots), Open Design (OSS Claude Design alternative), Kombai (AI frontend agent), and RYBitten (painterly RYB color). Source: designtools.fyi, https://designtools.fyi/, 2026-06-12
Where it fits
Use designtools.fyi to scout alternatives by role before committing a stack choice (prototyping, motion, handoff, AI design assistants). It complements the other discovery surfaces:
- Tools for design engineers (manuals, components, communities) → Design Engineering Resources
- Inspiration galleries (whole-site / real-app) → Design Inspiration Galleries
- Color specifically → Color Palette & Gradient Tools
- shadcn registries → Shadcn Registry Directory (Top Blocks)
Already referenced in Kevin's tool hierarchy as the design-tool discovery entry point. Source: User, 2026-05-11
Timeline
- 2026-07-02 | Deep-reviewed the local launch image and current site title. Added the image-backed artifact card and clarified that the exact tool count is live catalog inventory: the reviewed launch image showed 83 tools, while the later site read found roughly 100. Source: X/@AdhamDannaway, 2026-05-10; Source: designtools.fyi, 2026-07-02
- 2026-06-12 | Enriched from a full site read: archetype-ranked model, 0–10 score + fit %, facets, ~100 tools, "From the desk" editorial. Source: designtools.fyi, https://designtools.fyi/, 2026-06-12
- 2026-05-10 | @AdhamDannaway shared the directory ("design tool library… ranked by what actually matters"). 957 likes, 1,097 bookmarks. Source: X/@AdhamDannaway, 2026-05-10
- 2026-05-11 | Indexed in wiki from Kevin capture. Source: User, 2026-05-11