How do you learn new UX design software?

When you're learning a new UX design software, setting goals can provide structure, direction, and motivation.Here's how you can approach it: Define Clear Goals: What do you want to accomplish with this new software? Do you want to create a portfolio, start a new job, freelance, or simply improve your skills? Your overarching goal will guide your learning process. By defining your goals and sub-goals, you're creating a roadmap for your learning journey. This can help you stay focused, keep track of your progress, and ultimately achieve what you set out to learn. Remember, these goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) to increase your chances of success.

Start by setting clear goals for yourself in terms of what you want to achieve with the new design software. For example, do you want to become proficient in using the software for or is it going to be used as a secondary software to help you with your workflow? This will help to determine the amount of time and effort that you will required to put in to learn the software. And also learning a new software will always future proof you. For example: Adobe -discontinuing Adobe XD after the figma acquisition. While this is not major setback as it is quiet easy for someone using XD to adapt to figma. It is always good to learn more than one software.

Before defining your goals: 1. Do a thorough research on the existing best UX design softwares available in the market. 2. Understand at what level do you place yourself in - Beginner / Intermediate / Expert 3. Based on your level of expertise, choose the software that will help you upgrade your skills. 4. Gradually, switch to next level after gaining enough confidence at each level. 5. After proper practice and learning, define your goals & excel in the software like no other.

The purpose of choosing the software is to meet the needs according to the needs of the project as well as its performance in advancing the project, and through it, it is possible to help the workflow during the project.

Set project goals and scope: Before deciding on a new tool, clearly define what you are trying to accomplish with your UX design project. What are the objectives? What is the scope of the project? Knowing these will help determine what capabilities you need in a UX design tool.

It can be any resource from where you may learn... All resources can be valuable whichever is suitable for you... Neither all paid courses are perfect nor all free courses are bad. As a result while opting for a relevant course that would suit you, you should focus on your needs that will benefit you in your career.

While you might be tempted to opt for free resources (and of course, it is possible to learn with those), if you can afford a structured paid resource, I'd advise that you opt for one from a reputable organization. Some of the benefits are access to: - A structured and intentionally designed learning content - A community of learners - Industry professionals as mentors and referrals for roles (when you start seeking one)

Look for official documentation, tutorials, explainer video and online courses (which is kinda not so great if the software is very new) this can help you understand the feature set from 0-1 before you start. And always signup for free trials or demo versions that you can use to get hands-on experience. Join the community and forums. Engaging with other professionals or in the initial days the team who build the software will always give better insights

One more important tip: In this competitive world, everything is moving at a faster pace. Before you master something, there is so much advancement in the market already. So, do not hesitate to take notes from people who are already experts in the field, most of them will be within your vicinity. Find them, connect with them one on one, if they are willing to share insights - Learn & Grow.

When a new software is released, First, look for official in-depth tutorials, and documentation published by the developer, to teach the key features and workflows of their new tools. These can provide the foundation you need. Next, platforms like LinkedIn Learning will usually release courses on new software pretty quickly after launch. Their structured lessons and exercises can reinforce what you learned from the official documentation. YouTube and social networks like Twitter(X) are another great place to find experts sharing their experiences using the new software. Look for channels published by reputable designers or companies that include tips, tricks, and case studies focused on the tool.

Pro tip: Start with basics, but never get stuck - just in the basics. In order to achieve perfection, a lot of us get stuck and do not open our minds for a better upgrade - if something is not working out, find a new and an easier way to deal with it. Because, Time is valuable.

It is always the same with learning with any software : - Learn the basic functionalities - All you need to know is 30% to start - You can pretty much create most of your project with the 30% you have learnt. - The rest 70% comes with practice and working on real time projects. I would refer this to the 70:20:10 learning model.

As I said in the previous step, the training materials published by the developer alongside the launch of their new tool are a great starting point for learning the key features and basics of how to use the software. These official tutorials, manuals, and documentation can teach you the core functionality and workflows you need to understand in order to effectively utilize the software. When you understand the fundamental functions and workflows, you can then combine and expand on them to address more complex and custom needs. Finally, one effective way to evaluate your knowledge of something is to try teaching it to others. Attempting to explain concepts to someone else will reveal gaps in your own understanding that need further practice.

One technique used to organize large content for teaching within the adult learning framework is "chunking." Chunking provides space, and timing of content in order to accommodate the needs of learners. Over time, this method has proven better learning outcomes than conventional delivery. Take your time and learn at your own pace. The basics are one place to start.

Practice regularly and working on real rime projects or creating your own design exercises using the software. The more you use the software, the better you will become at understanding its functionalities and how to leverage them to create effective designs. Experiment with different features, tools, and techniques to expand your knowledge.

Getting a grip on core skills is a non-negotiable for your career growth. Regular practice is how you do this. You can set a regular daily target for your practice (exact time and duration) and strive to meet it. According to the recommended video in the section above, if you can strategically practice for 45 mins to 1 hour daily, you should have done a total of 20 hours in less than a month, by which you should be proficient in your new tool.

-Set aside dedicated time each day to use the software, read new articles, or watch new tutorials. -Repeat the workflows until they feel natural. -try the software on a sample UX project to problem-solve real issues. -Pair practice with studying learning and try to teach the concepts to each other. -try to refine your workflows and methods to do them in a shorter time. - remember, Consistency in practicing is everything.

Seeking feedback and review your work. Share your designs with the community, mentors, or peers in the field and ask for constructive criticism. This feedback will help you identify areas of improvement and refine your skills further. Consider joining design challenges

Sharing what you are learning and soliciting feedback from others can help correct any flawed or incomplete understanding as you work to master new software. Presenting your approach and work gives the opportunity for mentors, colleagues, and peers to provide suggestions, critique, and guidance that improves your skills

Seek constructive criticisms and feedbacks on your designs. A good way to improve your design skill is from feedbacks, suggestions and/or complaints. Questions would arise when there's a need to understand your design decisions

Build a habit of continuous learning and exploration. Regularly push yourself to expand your skills and knowledge by learning advanced features, innovative techniques, and best practices. Sign up for newsletters, follow blogs, or join forums related to the software to stay on top of updates, new features, tips, and tricks. Learning doesn't stop after basics. this makes you a professional because with more learning and practicing you expand your skills and can do more complex workflows than others.

Attend design-related virtual or physical conferences to keep yourself in the loop. Here are some recommendations: - Apple's WWDC - ADPList's Product Day Conference - Figma's Config Conference - Google I/O Conference Conferences like these from these industry leaders spark trends that shape our industry and careers. Getting in the loop early can also give you an edge in your career.

Tools will come and go. The tool you use today wont be the one you use tomorrow. Don't get too attached to your tools. Make sure you understand why you made the choices you made with the tool and how that delivers on the solution you are building. Learning transferable skills keeps your competitive edge in the marketplace and makes you more resilient to tool shifts and changes.

Every year, software helps to complete and simplify its use by providing new versions. The user-friendly environment as well as the interfaces and plugins that are created every year, so the user should be up-to-date to use the software.

Above all else, never stop being curious, because a curious mind helps encourage creativity and innovation, two important aspects when learning new tools.