# Design Skills, Process and Assignment 1
Sat, 25 Jan 25
### Core Role of Designers
- Designers work to create change and new solutions, not maintain status quo
- Key responsibilities:
- Creating new products and features
- Shipping improvements weekly/monthly
- Identifying problems to solve
- Creating desired business outcomes
- Even mature companies need constant design work for:
- New feature development
- Enhancement of existing features
- Bug fixes and improvements
- Weekly/monthly shipping cycles
### Key Design Questions & Considerations
- Critical questions designers must regularly ask:
- How to determine what to create
- How to prioritize features
- How to validate solutions
- How to measure impact and success
- Success metrics focus on:
- Time saved
- Revenue generated
- User engagement
- Feature adoption
- Design context matters:
- Team size (solo vs 3 vs 30 designers)
- Project timeline constraints
- Available resources
- Decision-making structure
### Design Process & Tools
- Design exists as both:
- Verb (process/activity)
- Noun (artifacts/deliverables)
- Figma remains primary tool but ecosystem expanding:
- New AI tools emerging
- Integrations with Webflow/Framer
- Export capabilities improving
- Key design aspects:
- Understanding user context
- Problem definition
- Solution ideation
- Implementation planning
- Impact measurement
### Designer Self-Assessment Framework
- 12-point assessment system covering:
- Role understanding
- Tech industry knowledge
- Career development
- Process confidence
- Visual design skills
- Tool proficiency (Figma)
- Requirements analysis
- Problem-solving
- Communication skills
- Design taste
- Online presence
- Freelance capabilities
---
### Assignment Overview
- First assignment is now active with 1.5 weeks deadline
- Estimated time requirement: 6-8 hours total
- Recommended to not leave it until last minute
- Can be broken into 2-3 work sessions
- Extra time intentionally provided to:
- Explore and learn Figma
- Run into and solve problems
- Consult with mentors
- Ask questions in Discord
### AI Tools Usage Guidelines
- ChatGPT image upload feature can be used to:
- Upload screenshots and ask for element breakdowns
- Generate step-by-step tutorials
- Get instructions for specific design effects
- Using AI tools like ChatGPT is encouraged and not considered “cheating”
- Free version of ChatGPT sufficient for image uploads
- Future assignments will explore using AI for app development
### Figma Support & Resources
- 10k design team available for immediate support
- Multiple support channels:
- Discord community
- Assigned mentors
- Fellow cohort members with Figma experience
- Auto-layout features important for:
- Website conversion
- Responsive design
- Component structuring
- Framework compatibility