Google Chrome and Firefox Extensions for Designers – A Tool for Every Job

Why This Matters

If you’ve ever sat staring at your screen, wrestling a hex code from a client’s logo or toggling endlessly between device preview modes, you’ll know this: web design swallows time. Every click, every copied CSS selector, every attempt to remember whether that blue is “#007AFF” or “#279AF1”, chips away at the hours you’d rather spend actually creating. Multiply that across an entire project, and the inefficiency creeps up on you like a slow broadband connection.

Saving a few stray seconds isn’t the sole purpose here. Staying focused on the parts that matter—crafting layouts, balancing colours, obsessing over the tiny flourishes that make your site feel polished—is the real benefit. In an ideal world, the fiddly stuff would be neatly automated: picking colours off a website, checking how your homepage squashes itself onto an iPhone screen, or hunting down an elusive Squarespace block ID. Luckily, the right browser extensions handle these jobs, and when they slot seamlessly into your workflow, you reclaim extra hours and experience less stress.

Over the years, working with clients across multiple platforms including WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix, I’ve trialled every browser add-on under the sun. Some are gems, others are a slow-motion car crash. I want to show you only the ones I trust on both Chrome and Firefox, along with how to use them so they actually help and don’t hinder your work.

Common Pitfalls

Now, a quick confession: I used to be one of those designers who piled on browser extensions with wild abandon. A new tab promising “instant colour magic”? Save to bookmarks, install, forget. The result wasn’t a streamlined workflow. It was chaos. Half my browser bar was icons I didn’t recognise, each waiting for an emergency that never came.

Most designers fall into the same trap. Sometimes tools aren’t set up properly, features go unused, or things just get cluttered and slow. I’ve seen it all: people using screenshots and Paint to collect colours (don’t tell me it’s just me), toggling developer mode to uncover block IDs, or endlessly resizing browser windows by hand like it’s 2007.

Here’s the real issue: these extensions save time only if you know how to fit them into your daily routine. Otherwise, they become just another thing to keep updated, eventually leading to a sluggish browser.

Step-by-Step Fix

Below is how I wrestled these tools into something genuinely useful. Whether you’re a die-hard Chrome user or have stuck loyally by Firefox, these steps will help you work smarter, not harder.

1. Getting Colour Right: Mastering ColorZilla

If I had a pound for every time a client asked for something to be “just like that blue on Apple’s site,” I’d have a villa by now. ColorZilla, available for both Chrome and Firefox, makes this dead simple.

Set-Up:

• Head over to the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons and install ColorZilla.
• Pin the extension to your browser bar so it’s never more than a click away.

Practical Use:

Open the site you want to sample a colour from. Click the eyedropper icon and watch your cursor turn into a pixel-seeking missile. Hover anywhere—background, text, button, social icon—and left-click. Instantly, ColorZilla copies the hex code to your clipboard.

Most people stop here, but ColorZilla offers more:

• Activate the “Webpage Color Analyzer” to see a detailed palette breakdown of the current page. This is perfect for reverse-engineering someone else’s style in minutes.
• Use the “Color Picker” to tweak and adjust shades, and park your favourites in the palette for later.

2. Identifying Squarespace Blocks Without Tears

If you customise Squarespace sites, you’ll know the pain of hunting down block and collection IDs for CSS targeting. You can, of course, wade into developer mode. But developer mode is notoriously unfriendly to beginners, and even seasoned designers find it clunky.

The Squarespace Collection/Block Identifier is a tiny extension with enormous usefulness. Works in Chrome and (with a little workaround) in Firefox.

Set-Up:

• Install the extension and refresh your Squarespace site.
• Click the new icon when visiting any page on your Squarespace site.

Practical Use:

When activated, overlays will appear, each displaying the Collection ID (usually for a section or gallery) and Block IDs for all the content blocks. These codes are essential for precise CSS.

If you want to adjust the appearance of one section without changing your entire design, plug the ID straight into your custom CSS pane.

3. Eliminating the Guesswork in Responsive Design with Window Resizer

Building for mobile-first is now a necessity. Squashing your browser into a tiny window and hoping for the best often leads to surprises on real devices.

The Window Resizer extension (primarily for Chrome, though similar tools exist for Firefox) gives you one-click access to accurate device resolutions.

Set-Up:

• Add the extension, then click its icon to open the dropdown menu.
• You’ll see presets for common resolutions: iPhone, iPad, Galaxy, desktop widescreen, laptop, and more.

Practical Use:

Select “iPhone 12” for example, and your window will snap precisely to the dimensions of that device. Test your layout, spot CSS gremlins, fix them as needed. Switch back instantly to desktop.

Customise your list: add specific devices used by your actual audience, not just the defaults. It’s worth a visit to your analytics to see what’s most popular.

4. Fine-Tune for Firefox (Or Mix and Match)

Though Chrome receives most of the developer plugin attention, Firefox has strong versions for all three core extensions. Occasionally, you’ll find slight differences in feature behavior.

Before settling into a routine, test your most critical workflow steps on both browsers, especially if you switch between them or if you’re designing for an audience likely to do so.

• ColorZilla: Both browsers are nearly identical. Chrome sometimes renders previews a bit faster. Firefox’s eyedropper feels slightly smoother.
• Squarespace Block Identifier: The Chrome version is maintained more actively; Firefox requires a manual installation and can sometimes lag behind after Squarespace updates.
• Window Resizer: If a feature is missing in Firefox, try Responsive Design Mode via Shift+Ctrl+M.

5. Building Your Personal Toolbox Without the Clutter

It’s easy (and tempting!) to collect more extensions than you’ll ever use. Less is more. Curate your toolbar to include only what’s earning its keep. Too many tools will leave you wondering why each is there instead of actually designing.

Every so often, conduct a purge. Remove anything you haven’t touched in a month. If you miss something, reinstall; if not, you’ve freed headspace and possibly sped up your browser.

What Most People Miss

Here’s a key point: using these extensions should support your process, not take over. They help, but they don’t replace critical thinking or design craft. The real benefit comes from integrating them into your muscle memory so they become second nature. Work will flow more smoothly, without unnecessary pauses or distracting searches mid-project.

There is another hidden advantage: documenting your workflows as you go. For instance, jot down which tools solved which pain points, flag quirks (“ColorZilla sometimes misses gradient overlays; double-check!”), or record CSS snippets tied to Block IDs. Keeping these notes will benefit future jobs and make delegating tasks easier as your workload grows.

One last tip: these tools handle much of the repetitive work, but always check your results carefully. Chrome’s eyedropper might not read over animated GIFs correctly, and Squarespace’s updates can change ID layouts overnight. Stay critical rather than overly reliant.

The Bigger Picture

Browser extensions alone won’t win you awards. However, they make the difference between good outcomes and sites that genuinely please clients—even surprising them sometimes. Move through routine tasks with confidence, knowing you’ve double-checked colour accuracy, addressed responsiveness, and managed Squarespace CSS tasks without digging through developer settings.

The ability to scale your workflow is a major advantage. Automation of the basics frees you to develop your own visual signature or take on more clients without sacrificing quality.

Your credibility grows with this approach. You don’t get tripped up by technicalities and always have answers when clients ask for tweaks—such as matching logo colours. Arrive at revision meetings prepared, with every breakpoint and colour mapped out and ready for sign-off.

The most satisfying result? You create more, feel less stress, and finish the workday with energy left for the aspects of web design that you enjoy most.

Wrap-Up

The right Chrome and Firefox extensions will reduce the thousand tiny time-wasters that slow every project down. Whether you’re picking colours straight from a competitor’s page, collecting Squarespace block IDs without rummaging in the code, or previewing your layouts on a variety of simulated devices, you’ll work more efficiently and with greater accuracy.

Remember, success comes from building practical systems—not just collecting new tech. Use only what helps you, keep your workflow lean, and regularly remove unused tools.

If you want more practical systems like this, join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership. You’ll get firsthand advice, fresh tutorials, and a community full of real-world solutions to design challenges.

Happy designing,

Elwyn

FAQs

How can I make the most of the ColorZilla extension for precise colour matching in web design?

Use the eyedropper to grab hues directly from live sites, then assemble them in palettes for future projects. Regularly cross-reference sampled colours across different screens—your MacBook and your client’s Dell monitor do not see red the same way.

What are the key benefits of using the Squarespace Collection/Block Identifier for CSS customisation?

It reveals the hidden codes behind each section and block, so you can target and tweak CSS neatly, rather than blindly applying changes sitewide. It also speeds up troubleshooting when things don’t look right post-publish.

How can I effectively use the Window Resizer extension to ensure responsive web design?

Set up custom device profiles that match your audience’s habits—if analytics show loads of iPad traffic, make sure that’s on your quick list. Rotate between modes during your design review, not just at the end.

If you want to outpace browser bottlenecks, Pixelhaze Academy offers direct, practical guidance for creative freelancers and in-house pros. Join the conversation and connect with a community eager to share real solutions. See you there.