# WDS Course: From Designer to Linchpin **Master the complete WDS methodology and become indispensable as a designer in the AI era** [Watch the Course Introduction Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ5Aai_r-uo) --- ## Welcome to the WDS Course This comprehensive course teaches you the complete WDS workflow through **18 practical modules** that transform how you design products. **The paradigm shift:** - The design becomes the specification - The specification becomes the product - The code is just the printout **What you'll become:** - The linchpin designer who makes things happen - The gatekeeper between business goals and user needs - The irreplaceable designer in the AI era **Time investment:** ~10 hours total **Result:** Complete mastery of WDS methodology from project brief to AI-ready specifications --- ## Who Created WDS? **MÃ¥rten Angner** is a UX designer and founder of Whiteport, a design and development agency based in Sweden. After years of working with AI tools, MÃ¥rten observed that traditional design handoffs were breaking down. Designers would create beautiful mockups, hand them off to developers, and watch their creative intent get lost in translation. MÃ¥rten developed WDS to solve this problem - a methodology where design thinking is preserved and amplified through AI implementation, not diluted and lost. **The Mission:** WDS is completely free and open-source. MÃ¥rten created it as a **plugin module for BMad Method** - an open-source AI-augmented development framework - to give designers everywhere the tools they need to thrive in the AI era. --- ## Before You Start **[→ Getting Started Guide](00-getting-started-overview.md)** Review prerequisites, choose your learning path, and get support: - **Prerequisites** - Skills, tools, time investment - **Learning Paths** - Full immersion, quick start, or self-paced - **Support** - Testimonials, FAQ, community **Reading time:** ~15 minutes --- ## Course Structure Each module contains: - **Lessons** - Theory and concepts (with NotebookLM audio support) - **Tutorial** - Step-by-step hands-on guide (for practical modules) - **Practice** - Apply to your own project **Learning format:** - **Lessons** - Read as documentation or generate audio with NotebookLM - **Tutorials** - Follow step-by-step guides with AI support - **Practice** - Apply to real projects as you learn - **Workshops** - Use for team training --- ## Course Modules ### Foundation (Modules 1-2) | Module | Title | Agent | Time | |--------|-------|-------|------| | 01 | [Why WDS Matters](../module-01-why-wds-matters/module-01-overview.md) | — | 40 min | | 02 | [Installation & Setup](../module-02-installation-setup/module-02-overview.md) | — | 45 min | ### Alignment (Module 3) — Optional | Module | Title | Agent | Time | |--------|-------|-------|------| | 03 | [Alignment & Signoff](../module-03-alignment-signoff/module-03-overview.md) | Saga | 55-75 min | *Skip if doing it yourself — go straight to Product Brief* ### Strategy Phase (Modules 4-6) — Agent: Saga | Module | Title | Agent | Time | |--------|-------|-------|------| | 04 | [Product Brief](../module-04-product-brief/module-04-overview.md) | Saga | 60 min | | 05 | [Platform Requirements](../module-05-platform-requirements/module-05-platform-requirements-overview.md) | Saga | 30 min | | 06 | [Trigger Mapping](../module-06-trigger-mapping/module-06-overview.md) | Saga | 95-125 min | ### Design Phase (Modules 7-13) — Agent: Freya | Module | Title | Agent | Focus | Time | |--------|-------|-------|-------|------| | 07 | [Design Phase Introduction](../module-07-design-phase/module-07-design-phase-overview.md) | Freya | Overview | 20 min | | 08 | [Outline Scenarios](../module-08-outline-scenarios/module-08-outline-scenarios-overview.md) | Freya | UX | 30 min | | 09 | [Conceptual Sketching](../module-09-conceptual-sketching/module-09-conceptual-sketching-overview.md) | Freya | UX | 60 min | | 10 | [Storyboarding](../module-10-storyboarding/module-10-storyboarding-overview.md) | Freya | UX | 45 min | | 11 | [Conceptual Specifications](../module-11-conceptual-specifications/module-11-conceptual-specifications-overview.md) | Freya | UX | 60 min | | 12 | [Functional Components](../module-12-functional-components/module-12-functional-components-overview.md) | Freya | UX | 45 min | | 13 | [Design System](../module-13-design-system/module-13-design-system-overview.md) | Freya | Systems | 30 min | ### Build & Deliver Phase (Modules 14-16) — Agents: Freya + Idunn | Module | Title | Agent | Focus | Time | |--------|-------|-------|-------|------| | 14 | [Agentic Development](../module-14-agentic-development/module-14-agentic-development-overview.md) | Idunn | 7-activity menu | 60 min | | 15 | [Visual Design & Assets](../module-15-visual-design/module-15-visual-design-overview.md) | Freya | Asset pipeline | 60 min | | 16 | [Design Delivery](../module-16-design-delivery/module-16-design-delivery-overview.md) | Freya | Handover | 45 min | ### Validate & Evolve (Modules 17-18) — Agents: Freya + Idunn | Module | Title | Agent | Time | |--------|-------|-------|------| | 17 | [Usability Testing](../module-17-usability-testing/module-17-usability-testing-overview.md) | Freya | 45 min | | 18 | [Product Evolution](../module-18-product-evolution/module-18-product-evolution-overview.md) | Idunn | 30 min | --- ## Learning Paths **Complete Course:** All 18 modules (~10 hours) **Quick Start:** Modules 01, 02, 04, 06, 08, 11 (~6 hours) **Strategy Only:** Modules 1-6 (~4 hours) **Design Deep Dive:** Modules 7-13 (~5 hours) **Build & Deliver:** Modules 14-16 (~3 hours) **Phase-Specific:** Jump to any phase as needed --- ## The Three Agents WDS uses three AI agents, each with a specific domain: | Agent | Domain | Phase | Modules | |-------|--------|-------|---------| | **Saga** | Strategy | Strategy | 3-6 | | **Freya** | UX, Visual Design & Assets | Design & Deliver | 7-13, 15-17 | | **Idunn** | Development & Evolution | Build & Evolve | 14, 18 | Each agent maintains focus on their domain while coordinating with the others. **Idunn's 7 activities** (Module 14): Prototyping, Development, Bugfixing, Evolution, Analysis, Reverse Engineering, and Acceptance Testing — all menu-driven from a single entry point. --- ## NotebookLM Integration Each module has matching content for NotebookLM: - Feed module lessons to NotebookLM - Generate audio podcasts for learning on the go - Generate video presentations for team training - Create study guides and summaries **All modules are optimized for AI-assisted learning.** --- ## Module Structure Every module follows the same pattern: **1. Inspiration (10 min)** - Why this step matters - The transformation you'll experience - Real-world impact **2. Teaching (20 min)** - How to do it with confidence - AI support at each step - Dog Week example walkthrough **3. Practice (10 min)** - Apply to your own project - Step-by-step instructions - Success criteria **4. Tutorial (optional)** - Quick step-by-step guide - "Just show me how to do it" - For practical modules only --- ## After the Course Once you've completed the modules: 1. **[Documentation Guide](../../docs-guide.md)** - Reference documentation 2. **[Quick Start](../../quick-start/00-start-here.md)** - Try WDS with agent 3. **[Community](https://discord.gg/whiteport)** - Get help and share your work --- ## Prerequisites **What you need:** - Basic design thinking and UX principles - Ability to sketch interfaces (hand-drawn or digital) - Understanding of user needs and business goals - Willingness to think deeply about WHY **What you DON'T need:** - ❌ Coding skills - ❌ Advanced technical knowledge - ❌ Experience with AI tools - ❌ Formal design education **If you can design interfaces and explain your thinking, you're ready to start.** --- ## Ready to Begin? Ten hours of learning. A lifetime of being indispensable. **[Start with Module 01: Why WDS Matters →](../module-01-why-wds-matters/module-01-overview.md)** --- **This course is free and open-source** **Created by MÃ¥rten Angner and the Whiteport team** **Integrated with BMad Method for seamless design-to-development workflow**