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