Anyone can get into product design. Here are some extremely free resources to get you started.
Published in · 8 min read · Sep 2, 2020
All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But it’s like there is this gap. For the first couple years that you’re making stuff, what you’re making isn’t so good. It’s not that great. It’s trying to be good, it has ambition to be good, but it’s not that good. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer.
— Ira Glass (a creative radio guy)
I want you to know that if you’re human you have the potential to succeed in the vast and wondrous world of product design. It will take time and effort and tears and maybe an existential crisis or two but a product designer you shall be.
I think one of the biggest roadblocks and hardest things to do as a combo student, aspiring designer, and confused adult is admitting our beginer-ness. Dropping expectations and preconceived notions about what it means to be each of these things — that takes guts.
It’s nerve-wracking to be a beginner, I know, but I think it’s crucial to our growth as a student, a designer, a human, as an anything, really. After all, we need to start somewhere.
I’m, of course, completely biased on this topic so take what I say with a grain of salt. I love being a beginner. In fact, I go out of my way to be a beginner. At the start of every project — product design-related or other — I take a moment to be a beginner, to see the challenge like I’m someone who knows near-nothing about the topic at hand. The joy of being a beginner, it’s an irreplaceable feeling, and the nuances I see from being a beginner, there’s no way I would’ve noticed them if I looked at life through expert eyes.
*Note: the following lists are nowhere near comprehensive
First up, some inspirational reading to get yourself in the I-can-be-a-product-designer mindset.
A Comprehensive Guide To Product Design
For anyone who is looking for a one-article deep dive into the world of product design, this is your article.
Topics include:
- Design thinking
- A highly detailed breakdown of the design process
- Key things to keep in mind while designing
Coffee Chat Series #1: Getting Ahead as an Early-Career Designer
An inspirational and informative announcement for designers just starting their careers.
Topics include:
- Identifying your superpowers as a newbie
- Habits for success
- Misconceptions and obstacles to overcome
How I Landed a UX Design Job in a Month with No Design Background or Bootcamp
How someone with a degree in Accountancy made a one month transition into UX Design during a global pandemic.
Topics include:
- A breakdown of what she did during that month
- Tips for what you should do as someone switcharooing into design
Learning Design From an Unconventional Path to Landing a UX Design Internship at EA in 8 Months
How a non-design student learned design for free and landed a cool UX internship within 8 months.
Topics include:
- A breakdown of her design journey
- Tips for the application and interview process
- How to get a job through networking
- Free design resources and communities
Design for People, Use People Language
The great importance of using people-centric language when communicating with other designers about design decisions geared towards increasing user value.
Topics include:
- The difference between business centric language and people-centric language
- How not using people-centric language can lead to losing sight of the end goal
- How to reword your questions and statements so that they are more people-centric
The dribbblisation of design
It’s never too early to learn that Dribbble is masking the true face of product design.
Topics include:
- The superficial nature of Dribbble designs
- The purpose of product design
- The layers of design (yes, design is like an onion)
- How to frame a design problem
Degreeless.design
If you’re not in design school already, you still have a chance to attend (for free).
Topics include:
- Foundations of design
- Lessons on how to master the UX Design process
- Resources to learn emerging UX topics such as Artificial Intelligence design and Voice UI design
- And much, much more
Checklist Design
You’ll soon find that designing a product is a freakishly complex task and a checklist is just what you need to keep track of all that freakishness.
Topics include:
- Best practices checklists for common types of website pages, UI elements, and UX flows
- Best practices checklists for topics like responsive design, accessibility, color, UX writing, typography, and dark mode
Take the #5DayProductChallenge to Save Literally Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars on Your Tech Startup
A 5-day self-administered product design & management bootcamp.
Topics include:
- Components of the discovery, design, and iterative processes
- Insight into the lingo that product people use
Why the Double Diamond is the Most Precious Diagram in UX Design
The Double Diamond is the core of the product design cycle for many companies and a popular approach to innovation. Topics include:
- Principles of the double diamond approach
- Parts of the design process
- How the double diamond model keeps design teams focused and on track
I think no matter what path you choose having a strong support system is crucial to growth. For me — a loner with social anxiety — participating in supportive communities and talking to cool people turned out to be very worth the initial heebie-jeebies.
Courses
First place to find cool people — classes. Even better, free classes. You do not need to splurge to learn. I repeat: splurging is optional!
Students Who Design: Learn to Design For Free
Inclusive UX Education: Designing a Free Online Learning Curriculum
Mentors
Mentors are amazing. Design mentors are downright magical. If you can, meet up with some seasoned professionals from the field to get a real look into the product design world.
Networking
Networking is something that takes guts, practice, and error. My advice: reach out to one random cool person (*cough* me *cough*) and have them connect you with another cool person. Repeat until you’ve met the world.
How to Talk about Yourself in the Best Possible Way
How to Network Without Losing Your Soul
Student-Friendly Communities
Joining a design community full of professionals can be really intimidating. In my experience, joining one full of students is less so.
Social Media
Follow, comment, subscribe, whatever. If you’re into scrolling through social media as much as I am these are for you.
UX Strategy: Data-Informed Product and Service Design
20 People in UX that You Have to Follow on Twitter
Interaction Design Association (IxDA)
Podcasts
It’s like talking to a real person with actually talking to them. Listen to cool humans tell their stories and share design tips.
As a growing designer, you’ll have many thoughts, many for which pen & paper may not be of much help. Lucky for you, there are a ton of free more-than-paper tools out there.
Thought-Gathering Tools
Notion for UI/UX and Product Designers
Product, design, and UX Templates
Remote UX Designers Best Practices
Prototyping Tools
Figma’s Design Resources for the Classroom
Prototyping Complex Interactions as Easy as Pie
Beginner’s Guide to Microinteractions in ProtoPie
Tools for Wirefaming, Flow-Making, Site-Mapping, etc.
Flowchart Maker & Online Diagram Software
Research & Testing Tools
A Comprehensive Guide To UX Research
52 Research Terms you need to know as a UX Designer
Cross-functional teams are teams made of people from multiple disciplines. In tech these teams usually include engineers, designers, and a product manager. As a product designer, you may find yourself working with these people to create a beautiful product. Practice the art of communicating with these people or there’s a good chance your product will suffer for it.
Product Managers
Engineers
Creating the perfect design handover
53 Tech Terms You Need to Know as a UX Designer
Other Designers
Great designers have portfolios. After all, how are people supposed to know how amazing a designer you are if they can’t see any of your work?
Planning Out Your First Portfolio
A guide for speaking about product design projects
Design interviewing: ask me anything
How to Structure Your First UX Design Portfolio
UX Design Portfolio: Best Practices
How to Create Your UX/UI Portfolio (Without Much Experience)
Finding Inspiration
No-Code Website Builders
For amazing resources that I didn’t touch on, scour these sites. They have everything from free vector illustrations to top designer-YouTubers.
LOOONG list of design resources
And, last but not least, here’s a picture of a Japanese Dwarf Flying Squirrel, because LOOK AT IT’S LITTLE FACE.
I believe in you, my burgeoning Product Designer. Like this squirrel, you shall soar. Good luck!!!
*You can clap up to 50 times
