99 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
99 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
# Getting Started: Prerequisites
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**What you need to start learning WDS**
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---
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## What Skills You Need
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**Required (you probably already have these):**
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- Basic design thinking and UX principles
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- Ability to sketch interfaces (hand-drawn or digital)
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- Understanding of user needs and business goals
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- Willingness to think deeply about WHY
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**NOT required:**
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- ❌ Coding skills
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- ❌ Advanced technical knowledge
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- ❌ Experience with AI tools
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- ❌ Formal design education
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**The truth:** If you can design interfaces and explain your thinking, you have everything you need to start.
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---
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## Time Investment
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### How Long Does It Take?
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**Total course time:** ~10 hours
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- Spread over days or weeks at your own pace
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- Each module: 30-40 minutes
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- Practice exercises: 1-2 hours per module
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**Breakdown:**
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- **Week 1-2:** Foundation modules (Why WDS, Product Brief)
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- **Week 3-4:** Core workflow (Trigger Mapping, Scenarios)
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- **Week 5-6:** Advanced topics (Design Systems, Handoff)
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- **Ongoing:** Practice with your own projects
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**Real-world application:**
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- First project with WDS: 2-3x slower than your usual process (learning curve)
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- Second project: Same speed as traditional approach
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- Third project onwards: 3-5x faster with better quality
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---
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## Tools You'll Need
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### Essential Tools
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**For sketching:**
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- Paper and pen (seriously, this works best)
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- OR digital sketching tool (Excalidraw, Figma, iPad + Pencil)
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**For AI assistance:**
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- Access to Claude, ChatGPT, or similar AI assistant
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- Free tier is sufficient to start
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**For documentation:**
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- Text editor (VS Code recommended, but any will work)
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- Markdown support (built into most modern editors)
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**For collaboration:**
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- Git/GitHub (optional but recommended)
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- Shared folder system (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
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**Total cost to get started:** $0-20/month
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- Free tier AI tools work fine
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- Paid AI subscriptions ($20/month) provide better experience but aren't required
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---
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## Are You Ready?
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You have everything you need if you can answer YES to these:
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- ✅ I can design interfaces and explain my thinking
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- ✅ I have 10 hours to invest over the next few weeks
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- ✅ I have access to basic tools (paper/pen + AI assistant)
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- ✅ I'm willing to think deeply about WHY
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**Next:** Choose your learning path
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**[Continue to Learning Paths →](02-learning-paths.md)**
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---
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[← Back to Overview](00-getting-started-overview.md) | [Next: Learning Paths →](02-learning-paths.md)
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