What do you do if you want to enhance your design skills using online communities and forums?

As a designer, I've learned a lot from joining online forums especially on LinkedIn. This is a way where you can get inspired from Industry experts of various levels and get an opportunity to network with them. Joining these forums will help you with: - Staying updated with latest news and technologies in the design field. - To build a strong network - To develop your skills as a better designer.

Joining design forums is like stepping into a room full of fellow artists and creators. It's a place where you can share your ideas, learn new techniques, and get feedback on your work. Imagine being in a room where everyone speaks your language and shares your love for design!

A design Forum should be a home for any designer. There, you can be understood and you can really understand people. This is the place to be in order to find new ways of doing things and seeing the world. When you join a design forum, you can see how talented the people around you are and how all of them are trying to be helpful to one another. That's why it's like a home. When discussing there, try to be respectful and share something that really inspire the community. Nowadays, we can see AI as something very important to discuss in any design forum. Don't forget that we, the designers, we also need to adapt ourselves to the evolution of the technology. That's one topic to discuss in a design forum :)

To enhance design skills through online communities and forums, I'd start by joining platforms like Dribbble, Behance, or Designer Hangout. Actively participating in discussions, sharing work, and seeking feedback fosters learning and growth. Engaging with design challenges and tutorials offered by these communities provides hands-on experience. Additionally, I'd explore niche forums focused on specific design tools or disciplines to deepen expertise. Networking with fellow designers, collaborating on projects, and staying updated on industry trends enriches my skill set, nurturing a vibrant and supportive community of peers.

Many online communities host design challenges and competitions that allow you to practice your skills, receive feedback from peers, and showcase your work. Participating in these challenges can help you improve your design abilities and gain exposure.

When you share projects, be sure that some people will look at it, if the forum or the community is not yet too much crowded. Your projects should tell to the people that you are open to receive feedback. Your projects should help the other designer get inspired by some points that they may have missed. Your projects should also let the others understand the way you think and how you value the things around you through design. When sharing the projects, let's face the truth that some people may give you bad feedback but you should always be ready to accept them and draw some lessons from them.

I’ve joined a few online communities like Women in Toys, and Marketing-Mentor who have Slack channel communities. These communities have been setup so that you can post a project and ask for feedback and who ever is available will respond. As a remote worker or freelancer, communities like this whether it’s Slack, a Facebook group, Discord, or something else are excellent platforms for gathering feedback and advice I can use and that makes my work better.

Online forums are great but in the age of Zoom you can meet online now with a group of peers and brainstorm ideas, pick a topic dive deep into a discussion, and more. I meet with a small group of peers on a regular basis to talk about current topics like generative AI, or sometimes we have a “hot seat” where someone brings an obstacle they’ve been facing and we brainstorm it together.

Here if you think you are already an expert, try to accept that some experts need the advice of some other experts. We need to understand the power of having mentors in our career. The way we see things may differ from the reality. Some people really need to be inspired by others in order to give something unique to their people. Your mentor should guide in your steps so that you make the best decision for your present and your future. During the meeting, be willing to learn, even if it sounds like something obvious in your eyes. Always stay professional, friendly, and respectful when engaging in any situation with your mentor. Try to be a good student if you want to become more successful in your career.

I’ve started following other creators Instagram for short form video tutorials on the Adobe Creative Suite that I can put into practice daily. If you’re looking to hone or expand a skill set block out time to do it on your calendar. It could be daily, weekly, or whatever fits with your schedule. Just keep at it. Reset if you get off track and know it’s ok and it was just a bump in the road.