BMAD-METHOD/docs/learn/00-course-overview/00-course-overview.md

# 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**