How Difficult is it to Learn Adobe XD?

Are you curious about learning Adobe XD but worried that it might be too hard? Of course, the difficulty that comes with learning a new skill is somewhat subjective. The challenges of learning Adobe XD depend on factors like how much training a student desires, how much prior experience they have, and whether or not they want to use XD professionally.

No matter your current schedule or comfort level with Adobe XD, there are plenty of tools available to help make learning easier than you might think.

What is Adobe XD?

Adobe XD is Adobe’s vector-based user interface design tool. XD was designed to address Photoshop’s and Illustrator’s inadequacies as web design tools, and as such, XD is built entirely with user interface design in mind. Users can build vector-based wireframes for websites and share them with other users as functional prototypes of webpages, allowing users to test their own web designs for future iterations. Links, animations, voice responsiveness, and automated scrolling features let users model working websites with complex and interactive features, and collaborative tools allow teams of designers to work together on building web designs.

Adobe XD is one of the newest additions to the Adobe Creative Cloud, and like most Creative Cloud programs, it is designed with heavy Creative Cloud integration in mind. Users can import Photoshop and Illustrator designs and assets as parts of their UI designs, and Adobe InDesign is an ideal tool for building sketches of web pages. Unlike other Adobe Creative Cloud software, XD is still a relatively new tool, meaning that it doesn’t have the decades of iteration and releases that Photoshop and its ilk have received. This means that updates are frequently adding new tools, but it also means that the program hasn’t become an unchallenged industry-standard yet.

Adobe XD is an ideal skill for web designers and UX/UI developers to learn as a dedicated web interface design tool. The ease with which it allows users to build working prototypes of web pages makes the process of testing and iterating on designs faster and more efficient than ever.

Read more about what Adobe XD is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Adobe XD?

Adobe XD is a versatile page layout design application that lets users build realistic, working prototypes of web layouts for testing and collaboration. The software lets users take basic shapes, designs, and applications and build them into vibrant and memorable web page designs. The program then lets users transform those designs into working prototypes within the application so that they may test and update their designs in real-time.

The ease with which Adobe XD allows creatives to build and test designs means that it is incredibly easy to produce a prototype, share it with other users to test the prototype's functionality, and receive feedback from those tests to return to the original design for iteration. This ease assures that designers aren’t having to undertake long, arduous processes every time they want to test a new iteration of a design, meaning that they can test more frequently and with more diverse groups of users.

Creatives who are interested in entering the world of web design and user experience design will greatly benefit from learning user interface design software like Adobe XD. Anyone already familiar with the Adobe Creative Cloud benefits even more from this training. The program is built to help users build the kinds of prototypes they were already using in older programs like Photoshop.

Why Adobe XD?

Unlike many other Adobe Creative Cloud programs like Photoshop, After Effects, and InDesign, XD has yet to become an uncontested industry-standard in the field of user interface design. Both Figma and Sketch have commonly used interface layout designing tools and knowing the differences between them will help students understand the limitations and pitfalls they are likely to encounter when they are learning the program. For a complete breakdown, Noble provides users with a free article comparing XD, Figma, and Sketch.

Adobe XD’s primary advantage is that it is closely integrated with the rest of the Adobe Creative Cloud, so users who are familiar with any of those programs will have an easier time acclimating to XD’s design features. In addition, anyone familiar with other programs like Photoshop and Illustrator will find it easier to move their work from other programs into XD.

Adobe XD is also frequently being updated with new features and functions. While this can seem intimidating, as the program may change functionalities during a student’s training, it also means that Adobe XD has features that its competitors lack, such as voice recognition interface design. XD is quickly closing the gap between itself and Figma, meaning that even if it is slightly harder to learn, it may become more commonly used in the future.

Experiment with Free Resources

For users unfamiliar with a new program, the time and energy commitment required to enroll in professional training can heighten the feeling of difficulty, especially for students worried about falling behind at the beginning of a course and not being able to keep up. These students may wish to take advantage of the free resources and tutorials available to them through Adobe, Noble, and other service providers.

Adobe provides new users with a seven-day free trial of XD, after which users will need to sign up for an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription in order to use the program. When a new user starts up XD for the first time, they will be guided through the features of the program to get a feel for the interface and the functions of the software.

During the free trial, new users may wish to take advantage of Noble’s free tutorials for novice users. Noble’s official YouTube page includes a Web Design and Development playlist that includes pre-recorded seminars on using XD, including Intro to Adobe XD and Intro to UX Design. Noble’s official blog also includes XD resources, including introductory seminars and articles. These resources won’t replace professional training, but they are designed to help new users ease into more in-depth XD courses.

Professional Training Options

One of the best ways to make learning a new skill easier is to receive instruction and training from experienced professionals. Live training options will allow students to ask questions and receive feedback in real-time, and instructors are able to slow down and explain difficult concepts to prevent students from falling too far behind. There are live professional training options available both in-person and online, and prospective students can use Noble’s Adobe XD class search tool to find and compare options.

Noble offers training options for both novice and experienced XD users. Noble’s Adobe XD in a Day course introduces new users to the basic functionalities of Adobe XD, teaching them how to build wireframe layouts, how to convert those layouts into working prototypes, and how to share those prototypes with collaborators and beta testers. Adobe XD Advanced builds upon these lessons and provides students with instruction in creating more complex and dynamic prototype interfaces using locked scrolling groups, animations, and sound effects. These courses can be taken together through Noble’s Adobe XD Bootcamp.

Students looking for more in-depth professional development training may consider one of Noble’s career certificate programs. Noble’s Digital Design Certificate program and Web Design Certificate program both provide students with hours of in-depth training, one-on-one career mentoring, and practical exercises designed to build necessary skills. While both will help designers looking to build websites, the Digital Design Certificate program is focused on graphic design and teaches the creative skills required to build dynamic and memorable web assets. The Web Design certificate program focuses on front end web development and teaches students the coding skills required to turn prototypes into functioning web and digital applications.

Key Insights

• Adobe XD is Adobe’s digital user experience design tool, built to allow users to mock-up and prototype user interface designs for webpages, digital applications, and video games.
• Adobe XD is a relatively new addition to the Adobe Creative Cloud, and because it is frequently updated, learning the program can be a bit more challenging than learning other, more established Adobe Creative Cloud tools.
• Adobe XD competes with other user experience design tools like Figma and Sketch, so students should gauge what tool will be best for them to learn. Adobe’s largest advantage is its integration with other Creative Cloud tools.
• Adobe offers a free trial of XD, during which time users can take advantage of free online tutorials to get a feel for the program, such as the video seminars offered by Noble.
• Live, professional instruction is likely the best way to make learning a new program like XD easier. Noble offers a wide range of options for live, online training.

Learn Adobe XD with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble offers a number of online options for Adobe XD training. For novice users, the Adobe XD in a Day course provides students with training in the program's basic features, such as how to build a simple wireframe layout and collaborate with other designers. This course is designed to give students the required knowledge to learn more advanced XD skills at their own pace. Adobe XD Advanced offers students this advanced training, building on existing XD skills to teach students how to use scroll groups, animations, and sound effects to create dynamic and complex design prototypes. These courses can be taken together in the Adobe XD Bootcamp.

Noble also offers career-focused training through their Digital Design Certificate and Web Design Certificate programs. These immersive courses teach students the skills they will need in future careers as Digital Designers and Web Designers. The Digital Design Certificate program focuses more on web design's creative and visual side, teaching students how to design assets in Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign to be imported into XD for use in a web layout. The Web Design Certificate focuses on the technical side of the field, teaching students how to code in HTML/CSS and JavaScript to turn their designs into functioning web interfaces.

These certificate programs teach students who want to enter the UX/UI design industry. They come with one-on-one career mentoring sessions and provide industry-recognized certificates of completion, confirming to prospective employers that graduates have received professional training in several important career skills. In addition, because they are hands-on courses, students will participate in practical design exercises and build their own sample designs or working prototypes to place in a sample design portfolio when they enter the job market.