Welcome

Introduction

On this page

  1. Let's go
  2. What's Included
  3. How to Use This Guide
  4. For educators

Let's go

Welcome to your guide on becoming an open source designer! This resource is designed to help you make meaningful contributions to software projects used by millions of people every day. Whether you're a student eager to apply your skills, a professional designer looking for new challenges, or someone who wants to improve the technology we all use, this guide is for you.

By contributing your design skills to open source projects, you can:

  • Make software more user-friendly and accessible to people of all backgrounds
  • Collaborate with developers and designers from around the world
  • Build a portfolio with real projects that solve actual problems
  • Work on a wide range of applications, from web browsers to scientific tools
  • Develop new skills in user research, interaction design, and visual design

Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and confidence to join open source communities as a designer. You'll learn what open source is about, the role of designers, collaborative workflows, and so much more.

Are you ready to start making software better for everyone? Let's begin our journey into open source design!

What's Included

This guide consists of 12 chapters, each focusing on a crucial aspect of open source design:

  1. Introduction to Open Source
  2. Understanding the Designer's Role
  3. Getting Started
  4. Collaborative Workflows
  5. Design Process
  6. Tools and Resources
  7. Contributing Design Assets
  8. Improving User Experience
  9. Building a Personal Brand
  10. Advanced Topics
  11. Case Studies
  12. Final Project

Each chapter includes detailed explanations, practical tips, and real-world examples to help you understand and apply the concepts.

How to Use This Guide

Here are some tips to get the most out of this course:

  1. Sequential Learning: The chapters are designed to build on each other, so it's best to go through them in order (skipping around is also OK).
  2. Hands-On Practice: Don't just read – practice! Try out the tools and techniques discussed in each chapter.
  3. Join a Community: Look for open source design communities or study groups to share your journey with others.
  4. Take Your Time: Feel free to spend more time on chapters that are particularly relevant or challenging for you.
  5. Do the Exercises: Each chapter includes practical exercises. Completing these will reinforce your learning.
  6. Final Project: The final chapter guides you through a substantial project. This is your chance to apply everything you've learned, so give it your best effort!
  7. Continuous Learning: Open source is always evolving. Use this guide as a foundation, but keep learning and staying updated on new trends and practices.

Remember, the open source community values initiative and enthusiasm. Don't be afraid to jump in and start contributing, even as you're learning. Your fresh perspective as a newcomer can be incredibly valuable to projects.

Now, let's get started with Chapter 1, an introduction to open-source.

For educators

We envision this guide as a valuable resource for educational programs, from bootcamps and online workshops to university courses. While we're still in the early stages of developing this guide for educational use, we're excited about its potential and would love to collaborate with you to refine and expand its applications.

Our Vision for Educational Use

We aspire for this guide to be:

  1. Modular and Flexible: Allowing you to adapt content to various learning environments and time constraints.
  2. Rich with Hands-on Projects: Providing practical exercises that can be expanded into larger assignments or group projects.
  3. Discussion-Provoking: Including topics that can spark meaningful conversations and debates among students.
  4. Grounded in Real-world Examples: Offering case studies that can be used for in-depth analysis or project inspiration.
  5. Customizable: Serving as a foundation that you can build upon with your own examples and resources.

Invitation to Collaborate

We're eager to work with you to realize this vision. We invite you to pilot portions of this guide in your teaching and share your experiences with us. Your feedback on what works well and where improvements are needed will be invaluable. We welcome suggestions for additional topics, exercises, or resources that would enhance the guide's educational value.

Future Resources

As we continue to develop content, we aim to create supplementary materials such as slide decks for each chapter, expanded exercise sets, and project ideas. We also envision establishing a forum where you can share your experiences and best practices for teaching open source design.

Get Involved

We welcome your input and ideas on how to make this guide more effective for educational use. Please share your thoughts, experiences, and suggestions through our GitHub repository. Your contributions will be invaluable in shaping this resource to better serve you and students alike.

Together, we can work towards creating a comprehensive, practical, and engaging guide that introduces designers to the world of open source design. We're excited about the potential impact this could have on both education and the open source community, and we look forward to collaborating with you to make it a reality.