Lines & shapes in UI design, Figma tips, the meaning of color & more
Sketching for UX Newsletter Issue #20 - my favorite design resources I discovered last month (April, 2024)
Hey dear subscriber,
Usually I send out my newsletter during the first or second week of the given month. Sorry for the delay, I hope you’ll still find some useful resources in this issue!
✏️ My work
How to train your designer eye post series
I started a new post series on LinkedIn that covers topics from my newest Udemy course, How to train your designer eye & develop your design skills. These are the topics I’ve covered so far:
How to consistently improve your design skills? My framework
Why you should learn common design patterns - a starting point
As a designer, you should get inspired by the world around you
✏️ Lines & shapes in UI design - my new UX Knowledge Piece Sketch
My newest sketch is about using two of the most fundamental design elements: lines and shapes. Some might think that these are more significant in graphic design, however, they play an important role in web design or digital product design, too. Check out my sketch & detailed article here soon.
✏️ Favorite resources
Here are my favorite discoveries of April, 2024:
#1 Figma 101 course by MDS
Learn the basics of Figma in one hour for free with 12 fast-paced videos by Matt D. Smith.
#2 How the meaning of colour varies per culture by Bas Wallet
In this article, Bas explains seven examples that show how colours are interpreted differently across cultures.
”But if you want to serve the global market, or a market outside of your own bubble, you really need to understand the people you want to reach.”
#3 Dragan Babic’s blog
Next to checking out his great portfolio (e.g. how he explains what he does), I highly recommend you to read Dragan’s blog, e.g. start with this post: Every design decision is an assumption
#4 Get better design feedback with vignette sketches by
I didn’t discover this article last month, to be more precise, I rediscovered it, and it is still awesome and relevant. Ben describes how to get better design feedback by showing the user’s context using vignette sketches.
#5 I took David Hamill’s UX challenge (how did I do?) by Adam Silver
In this little case study, Adam Silver shows us how he solved David Hamill’s design challenge: “redesign the iPhone screen for accepting or declining a call while you’re already on one.”
#6 Creating a Standout Design Portfolio: The Ultimate Guide by Erik D. Kennedy
I always appreciate Erik Kennedy’s detailed, well-structured article series. In this recent one, he writes about the topic of designing a portfolio that stands out from the crowd and gets you hired.
#7 4 questions I ask myself when designing - a newsletter issue by
(Design Lobster)In this issue, Ben explains us 4 questions he consistently asks during a design process:
Are we answering the right question?
What’s the simplest version of this?
What’s the most magical version of this?
What would get somebody to talk about this?
#8 Today’s Design
A space where designers can showcase their work, engage in conversations about design, and connect with their peers.
#9 100 Figma Design Tips by Nitish Khagwal
The title is very self-explanatory, Nitish provides us with 100 handy Figma tips in a nice presentation format.
#10 Duelity - design duels
An interesting new concept: “create a duel, design your work, winner gets selected by the crowd”. Let’s see how it’ll evolve, I believe it has a lot of potential. (Currently it is in beta test and invite only).
✨ Favorite AI-related resources
The GenAI Compass: a UX framework to design generative AI experiences
Creatie - a tool you should check out
✏️ Favorite posts [LinkedIn & X]
🔥 Deals & recommended products
My Udemy courses
Newest course: How to train your designer eye - €12.99
Sketching for UX Designers course - €12.99
Be a better designer by understanding development aspects course - €12.99
My (pay-what-you-want) books
Other deals
Being part of the 10x Designers Community has been one of the best experiences in my professional life as a designer. Join me on this learning journey, let’s grow together! (Sale: $99 instead of $129 for 3 months)
As you know, I find collecting and analyzing design inspiration a very important skill, and I became an advocate of Mobbin, join with my link to support me with a couple of dollars, I’d really appreciate it!
Pip Decks: sets of oversized, beautifully designed cards that’ll help you become a better design professional in many areas, like storytelling and workshop facilitation.
Recommended design courses
Master Gorgeous UI Design Course by Pablo Stanley & his team
- (use the code SKETCHINGFORUX to get $100 off)
Into UX Design (UX research & concept validation) by Anfisa Bogomolova (use the code SKETCHINGFORUX to get 10% off)
The Ultimate UI Design Mastery Bundle is an epic starting point if you want to become a UI designer. I attended their Advanced Figma course, so I experienced their teaching style myself. Again, if you join via my link, you’ll support my work!
Thanks for reading my newsletter, I hope you enjoyed it! 💙
Krisztina