With over 100 design students at Lambda School, we spend lots of time giving 1-1 feedback. Scaling design feedback is difficult because receiving individual feedback is crucial to improving your craft. That being said, learning to self-check your work is equally crucial! Design things was a result of realizing that we were giving lots of the same nit feedback. By creating checklists, we were able to encourage students to self-check their work so we can spend more time giving more detailed and advanced feedback.Of course, you can't learn design through checklists—but they're a great place to start! (Some of our content is just suggestions, but I'm pretty confident in not using Lobster as a main typeface on a mobile app.)
Sometimes, it helps to show examples of why certain visual decisions work over others. What does "too rounded" or "not rounded enough" look like? What does an icon look like when it's "too large"? These tips and examples can visually point new designers in the right direction, especially if feedback like "too bubbly" and "too muted" is too vague!
As a new designer, your portfolio and your resumé are very important in your job hunt journey. In this section, we break down the what, how, and why of the portfolio and resumé. My favorite section is the selfie tips! (Elizabeth and I aren't experts, but we've had a lot of practice 😆)
Job searching for the first time is intimidating! You're done with your portfolio and resumé (and of course, checked for alignment issues and typos) — now what? In this section, we break down what the interview process for designers might look like. From whiteboard challenges to what to wear, we cover some of our student's most often asked questions.
Making this resource was so much fun! It's definitely not a comprehensive, one-size-fits-all solution, but we hope that it'll be fun to look through and that new designers will learn something 😊