My GoTo Design Resources
Tags: design, startup, webdev, beginners
Published: 2020-10-02 14:43:48

The original post was on [My GoTo Design Resources - Reading Time: 4 Mins](https://www.maxongzb.com/my-goto-design-resources-reading-time-4-mins/) and cover image by [Aleks Dorohovich on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/nJdwUHmaY8A)

# Introduction
Design is hard work. Design requires a constant **desire** to strive for **perfection** that can seem **crazy** for many. Thankful, we have the late Steve Jobs who has an obsession of great & compact design for computers. If not for him, we will be stuck with just white, grey, black and bulky computers. 

I love inspiring & thought-provoking design, regardless of form or style. Sadly, I could not create a good design with ease. So I **cheated** by being a **collector** of designs that inspires and a few pre-created templates to apply it into my work. 

# Develiver Better Experience with Design Systems and Pre-Built Templates
So far, I had yet to encounter or worked on in-house [design systems][1] in the companies or startup I work with. 

What I did stumble upon for my work was the use of [Material UI for React][2] or [Creative Tim][3] design systems for my projects. It's a tip by freelance developers to help in reducing time & effort to build a front-end. Not forgetting the feeling of having a beautiful and impressive front-end. With an easy to read the documentation of each component can be a joy to work with.

# Theory or Philosophy for Designing a Product/Service
Design can be a frustrating & thankless job. I find that I begin to appreciate & understand the **massive** amount of effort. By both UI/UX designer, researchers and front-end developers alike, who builds a great experience for a product/service. 

What amazes me the most about design is the focus on the use of **innovation theory**, **philosophy** & **psychology**. To allow a small and diverse team to build a well-loved product or service in just a matter of **2 or 3 weeks**. By adopting practices like [Design Sprints][4] or [Jobs to be Done][5]. 

So like any curious developer, I dive deeper to devour design topics with the focus to build products or services that are well-loved & praised by many. So here's my list of design resources for anyone who is curious and strives to develop well-loved product or service to solve a problem who uses it.

# YouTube Channels
* [Design Course][6]
* [Flux][7]
* [AJ & Smart][8]
* [WebDev For You][9]
* [LevelUpTuts][10]
* [WesBos][11]
* [The Futur][12]
* [Webflow][13]

# Podcast
* [Syntax][14]
* [Design Better ][15]

# Websites
* [Figma][16]
* [Invision - Inside Design][17]
* [Design Better.co][18]
* [Design Systems][19]
* [Creative Tim][3]
* [CSS Tricks][20]
* [LearnUX][21]
* [Art Daily][22]
* [Topal Design][23]
* [Increment][24]
* [Font Awesome][25]
* [DrawKit][26]
* [Intro to the Design of Everyday Things][27]
* [Designing Your Life][28]

# Conclusion
I know the list can be kind of **overwhelming**. So I would suggest to take it slowly, one step at a time with special mention to [The Futur][12] & [Intro to the Design of Everyday Things][27]. I suggest picking a topic that seems **interesting** to you while you dive deeper. Being a person who learns by doing. You will find most of my resources are from Youtube channels. 

My current interest is exploring the use of **design systems** & **low-code** platform. To reduce the barrier of entry for developers, UI/UX designers, business people to **prototype** an idea without depending on us developers. Which once they are done, they may require us to transit the **prototype** into an actual product/service within **3 months**. 

In a business point of view, this gives you tons of time to gather **insights** & build a relationship for your user to find your **product-market fit**. To improve your idea and translate it into a product/service that delivers **value** and serves to solve a **pain point** for your user. 

Lastly, are you looking to specialise as a developer? If yes, I’m giving away my free ebook called ["Picking Your Specialisation as a Developer"](https://maxongzb.activehosted.com/f/5). It is for anyone interested in commanding a higher salary or simply doing the work they like.

# Reference
* [Design Systems][1]
* [Design Sprints][4] 
* [Jobs to be Done][5]
* [Design Course][6]
* [Flux][7]
* [AJ & Smart][8]
* [WebDev For You][9]
* [LevelUpTuts][10]
* [WesBos][11]
* [The Futur][12]
* [Webflow][13]
* [Syntax][14]
* [Design Better ][15]
* [Figma][16]
* [Invision - Inside Design][17]
* [Invision - Inside Design][17]
* [Design Better.co][18]
* [Design Systems][19]
* [Creative Tim][3]
* [CSS Tricks][20]
* [LearnUX][21]
* [Art Daily][22]
* [Increment][24]
* [Font Awesome][25]
* [DrawKit][26]
* [Intro to the Design of Everyday Things][27]
* [Designing Your Life][28]


[1]: https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/guide-to-design-systems/#:~:text=A%20design%20system%20is%20a,style%20guide%20or%20pattern%20library%3F
[2]: https://material-ui.com/
[3]: https://www.creative-tim.com/
[4]: https://www.gv.com/sprint/
[5]: https://youtu.be/sfGtw2C95Ms
[6]: https://www.youtube.com/c/DesignCourse
[7]: https://www.youtube.com/c/FluxWithRanSegall
[8]: https://www.youtube.com/c/AJSmart
[9]: https://www.youtube.com/c/WebDevForYou
[10]: https://www.youtube.com/c/LevelUpTuts
[11]: https://www.youtube.com/user/wesbos
[12]: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSkoolRocks
[13]: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCELSb-IYi_d5rYFOxWeOz5g
[14]: https://syntax.fm/
[15]: https://www.designbetter.co/podcast
[16]: https://www.figma.com/blog/
[17]: https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/
[18]: https://www.designbetter.co/
[19]: https://www.designsystems.com/
[20]: https://css-tricks.com/
[21]: https://learnux.io/
[22]: https://www.facebook.com/Artdailyofficial/
[23]: https://www.toptal.com/designers/blog
[24]: https://increment.com/
[25]: https://fontawesome.com/
[26]: https://www.drawkit.io/
[27]: https://www.udacity.com/course/intro-to-the-design-of-everyday-things--design101
[28]: https://designingyour.life/