Interactive design of self-taught path map for non-students

The most common rookie problem in all groups is--0 How do you learn interactive design? In fact, most of the time 0 Foundation is not scary, but the most fear is the 0 basis for the kind of impetuous, such as often they are pursuing a crash. Every professional has 0 basic time (nonsense), and in the community to get a job opportunity and require you to have relevant experience, so this has formed a new person the most fear of contradictions-the less experience the less opportunity, the less the less the more experience.

Today to recommend some I personally think the relatively reliable 0 basic learning channels, to do this, want to go directly to BAT School recruit should be able to fight, or back to a small company to further accumulate experience should also have great hope.

　　1. Design Guidelines

The official design specifications of the two platforms (Android, IOS) are strongly recommended to read three times, and it is clear that many new recruits will give up when they are stuck. Reading must not be a mere death, it requires some purposeful and understanding skills:

The first time as an introduction, when reading extra-curricular books, as far as possible to understand the content of each chapter, and in the reading when trying to recall which played with the product applied these design details, or no application (why? If the use of the will be better?);

The second time as a study, the best hand on the actual project or practice, while the use of standardized auxiliary reading, so that the corresponding scene can first look at the recommendations of the specification, and then combined with the practice of competing products, thinking how to find the most suitable for their products design;

The third time as a handy reference book, not necessarily to read from beginning to end, but to keep the design code at hand at all times, do projects or practice or see other people design often remember to read, help strengthen your understanding of the platform specification and application.

Of course, design is not just a routine, but also a creation. The benefits of doing so are not too unacceptable, but often in many cases the specification does not help you complete all the details, and you need to use a scenario to analyze it. The best way for newcomers is to learn the interactive logic of competing goods, because most products are similar in infrastructure and have a lot to learn from.

　　2. Weekly Design Challenge

Translated into Chinese is "The Weekly Design Challenge", which I have not done a complete but now a more respected learning model. WDC is very hot abroad, go to Facebook or Medium on a random search can find a lot of good design and study groups. The request is also very simple, is a weekly product or concept for the redesign or improvement (also can be original design), mostly for the product of a few small points to redesign, after all, the design of a complete product is not suitable for practicing. Here I would like to recommend a blockbuster friend Ethon Lau's Medium, his WDC quality is very very high, the angle is unique, the design is perfect, although he is younger than me, but most of the newcomers to his study may feel very laborious (after all, he is far away from the 0 base), but as a template and goal, is really a good choice. (Https://medium.com/weekly-design-challenge)

As I said before, do the design of the exercise must find the right point of entry, should not be generalities. In fact, the product is similar to students, many people write product analysis reports are very empty, from too shallow surface to get what valuable information and exercise. It is best to look for content that is associated with your actual use of the scene: for example, my friend before job-hopping in the airline work, want to go to Ali can be mainly written "go ah" in the relevant business process design and improvement, because they have sold tickets so also better understand that the scheme will be very convincing; Another example of technical students, but also for online programming learning products to do some improvement programs, combined with their professional director, it is easy to take into the specific product scene.

In addition to WDC, I also often do some small design exercises, to see the public number of friends must have some understanding. All my inspiration comes from the actual use of the product, for example, I wrote a lot of articles on the micro-trust group or know the search, because in the use of a lot of "inconvenience." Sometimes eat a meal time found a can try to improve the point, immediately write down, go home to spend a few hours writing program to do the page, organized into articles published. Soon, your program will receive a variety of feedback, most of the personal temporary thinking of the improvement points there must be too many incomplete places, then received criticism and guidance can help you adjust the perspective of product thinking. If you have luck, the reader also has the real designer of this product, you can give more guidance and help.

　　3. Coding

Yes, for interaction designers, I suggest that if you have time, you'd better learn a programming language. Years of development experience have been very helpful to me now in interactive design-mainly in logical design and teamwork, which is why I recently reviewed framer to make interactive effects. For complex logic, programming is the best descriptive language, and even often pseudocode is easier to read than PRD (especially for engineers). Designers with a programming background will have more rigorous logical analysis capabilities and will be more comfortable with complex business scenarios.

I am personally a technology cult, although the ability to program now is very general, but really feel that writing code is a very cool thing. Moreover, compared to other skills, programming is currently the most widely applicable ability, after all, to do anything without the computer, learn a programming language can often help you greatly improve work efficiency. Anyway, even if you don't have time to study, you can simply go through the basics of language, or use Framer to make simple interactive prototypes like I do.

I personally recommend the front end (HTML/CSS/JS) or Python, for designers, the former may be more appropriate, such as can be used to build their own web site, write H5 page, prototype and so on. Mastering the programming language can also help you to understand how the page you are designing becomes the way you see it, and understand that the development process can also communicate better with the engineers.

Front I recommend 0 basic students to use Codecademy

Python's words recommend Learn python the Hard Way

It is best to have time to learn a simple git knowledge, recommend Liaoche Teacher's tutorial, simple and easy to learn (http://www.liaoxuefeng.com)

In general, the top three things may not be done, and you have a clearer plan for the next step, or at least a deeper understanding of the interaction design. At this time, try to find a project to do it.

When I first started designing, I was doing it for my project team. At that time, the design was outsourced to a professional art students to do, but later found not too satisfied, and communication costs are very high, chop hands to buy Sketch on their own. It was later found that trying to make a page in accordance with the specifications was not as difficult as it was to imagine (and, of course, a lot of holes), so it was on the road to interactive design.

Suggest new students can also be like this, first in the side to find small teams or student organizations to carry out practicing, the school's advantage is that you need to practice the design must also be able to find people need to practice products and development, so that the need for a team is really better.

Finish a certain number of WDC, familiar design specifications, and have a certain understanding of programming, dare not say to the company candidates will be successful, but in the student organization to find a design work is certainly no problem. Then entered a new stage-practice trample the stage of detours ... Yes, wait until the real design of the product, when the real user, wait until the actual operating pressure, you will find: "Ni-ha Labor and capital feel that they are not 0 basis, but a negative foundation", but congratulations, this is from the real 0 basic to the first step of the professional.

Basically, at this stage, the new designers no longer need to go around asking "how do you get started?", "What software is this?" This kind of idiot problem, because in fact, every person who walked through know that the road ahead has long been in front of you to see if you would like to continue to go on.

Remember to participate in a product sharing salon, the practice of the end of the interactive question and answer session, there is a classmate raised his hand to ask guests: "I am a communications professional students, but feel no interest in the professional, but also do not good, but the Internet products are very love, May I ask the teacher how to find a product manager's job in three months ' time?

I was more disgusted at the time, because if you asked, "How do you find a job as an architect in three months, 0?" I'm sure everyone will think you're a brain cripple. So what product Manager, Internet design work on the threshold so low? If you can get a satisfying job for a few months or even a year on the 0 basis, is it possible for someone else to redouble their efforts to replace you in an instant? The simpler the introduction, the greater the likelihood of being substituted. Therefore, since chooses the internet this profession, the interactive design such a relatively novel profession, cannot let oneself stagnate.

Try to move to a professional designer!

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