Week 2 of learning design!

Hi Frens!

Hope all of you guys had a great week, It's week 2 of "Switching Gears" and I'm thrilled to update you on what's been happening in my world of design so far.

Progress Report: Lessons and Laughs

So, I've been diving headfirst into my UX certification course from Google. Learning the fundamentals of user experience design has been both enlightening and, let's be honest, a tad overwhelming at times. But hey, isn't that what learning is all about right?

Design Inspiration: YouTube Adventures

On the lighter side, I've been following Ansh Mehra on YouTube and his videos on learning design. He has a great playlist named “Learn UX design at $0” which is a 15-episode series that talks about really important design concepts like typography, button components, and more.

Book Recommendation: "Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman

And speaking of learning, I've picked up a fantastic book that's been a game-changer for me: "The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman. It's like having a conversation with the design guru himself. Norman's insights into the beauty and functionality of everyday things have made me appreciate the world around me in a whole new light.

Challenges? Of Course!

Now, let's keep it real; the challenges are still here. I've stumbled upon design concepts that felt like deciphering hieroglyphics, and I may or may not have had one or two battles with Figma. But you know what they say, "Smooth seas never made skilled sailors." So, I'm embracing the hiccups along the way, and you should too!

Resources ( Figma Plugins )

If you are learning Figma, these 5 Figma plugins are great to add to your library and streamline your stuff:

here are five Figma plugins that can be incredibly useful for designers:

1. Content Reel: helps you quickly fill your designs with placeholder text, images, and avatars.

2. User Flows: simplifies the process of creating user flow diagrams. It allows you to generate flowcharts and diagrams from your Figma frames and artboards.

3. Iconify: provides access to thousands of high-quality icons from various icon sets

4. Unsplash: allows you to search for and insert free high-resolution images directly into your Figma designs.

5. Stark: an accessibility plugin that helps you ensure your designs are accessible to all users. It provides color contrast checking and recommendations for improved accessibility.

These Figma plugins can significantly enhance your design workflow by adding valuable functionality and streamlining common tasks.

So good ol frens, thanks for joining me so far with this. It’s fun to be able to document my learnings, connect with people, and talk about whatever.

Until next time

Warmly, Kaiga