Illustration software Illustration software Designer 7.1 Pros Winner of our usability tests.
Cons Lacks high-end creative editing tools.
Micrografx is hedging its bets with this suite, as the packaging boasts 'professional tools' that are powerful enough to tackle any kind of graphics work. However, Designer seems to be aimed more at the needs of business users than professional designers. This isn't necessarily bad, though, as the need to keep things simple and uncomplicated for business users has resulted in an impressively streamlined interface. Where FreeHand and CorelDRAW are awash with floating tool palettes, Designer makes excellent use of simple toolbars and the right-hand mouse button to provide instant access to a range of tools. The main tool palette is relatively simple, containing a small selection of tools for drawing lines, curves and geometric shapes, along with formatting, text and transformation tools.