How Long Does it Take to Learn Sketch?

Like many aspiringWeb Designers, you might want to learn Sketch but worry that it will take too much time. Sketch is a relatively accessible user experience design tool that lets users quickly begin building their own layouts. For casual users hoping to experiment with the program, it shouldn’t take more than a few days of study. However, the program’s features are all deep and expansive enough that advanced training can help students specialize in Sketch and become more effective Web Designers. Of course, this depends on several factors. Keep reading to learn about how you can learn Sketch and some resources to help speed the process along.

What is Sketch?

Sketch is a design tool for creating user interface (UI) layouts for webpages and mobile applications. Sketch is a vector-graphics design program, meaning that the assets created can be modified and resized for optimal performance on screens of any size. Sketch’s significant features include its easy customization tools, digital collaboration tools, and, most importantly, Sketch symbols. Sketch symbols let users create reusable design elements that can be modified individually, allowing users to build layout assets like buttons and drop-down menus, which all look the same but function differently as the design demands. Advanced Sketch users can use the built-in tools to make even more complex, interactive symbols to optimize their workflow and the functionality of their design.

Sketch originated on the macOS app store and is only available on machines that run off macOS. Therefore, the program can be slightly limiting but is built with the specific functionalities of this operating system in mind. Sketch has features common to almost all macOS native programs, such as touch bar support, Retina and non-Retina displays, and native font rendering. These features allow macOS device users to learn Sketch more efficiently and quickly pick up advanced skills. Web designers can also create layouts designed to operate on devices like next-generation iPhones. The functionalities of Sketch designs won’t be limited to these devices, but the program gives users the tools to optimize their layouts for specific platforms.

In recent updates, Sketch has added new features to make collaboration and prototyping easier for teams of users. Sketch lets designers work together to build clickable prototypes of their webpages that designers can distribute for testing and iteration, a crucial feature of any user-interface design software. And Sketch is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its users.

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

What Can You Do with Sketch?

Sketch allows web designers to create layouts for webpages and mobile applications. Users can create vibrant, interactive webpage models for testing and development using text, images, graphic designs, and artboards. Because Sketch is a vector graphics illustration tool, these designs are easily reusable and scalable. They can be optimized to work on any-sized screen and used in multiple contexts in any design layout. Sketch also recently added advanced features for collaboration and prototyping, allowing team members to work together more efficiently to build model user interfaces.

Sketch’s most unique features are symbols and reusable digital interface assets that can be replicated across multiple pages. Sketch lets users define symbol characteristics to repurpose them as the design warrants. In addition, users can manually override the function of individual symbols, letting users give each asset a different interactive functionality without having to start from scratch. More advanced users can build complicated, multi-purpose symbols that make designing interfaces a breeze.

Sketch also has a robust community of designers and developers who are constantly building new adds-on and templates for Sketch. Users who learn Sketch can take advantage of these resources to make working with the program more straightforward and efficient. Since this community is so active, new resources are available daily.

Average Time it Takes to Learn Sketch

Learning Sketch basics to begin working and experimenting with design is relatively easy. Experts agree that users can become comfortable with Sketch in only a few training days. Sketch’s website and many online training providers boast introductory Sketch courses that take less than two hours. However, the depth of the program’s advanced features, particularly regarding the functionality of symbols, means that students who want to master every aspect of the program may need months of training and years of hands-on experience to consider themselves Sketch masters.

Other Factors

A few factors impact how quickly a new user can become proficient in Sketch, beginning with how the user interprets “proficient.” Basic proficiency and expert skills proficiency are two different and disparate goals. A student's preexisting knowledge of graphic design tools and understanding of UX design also help determine the time it takes to learn Sketch.

Desired Level of Proficiency

The most critical factor in determining how long it will take to learn Sketch is how deeply a student wants to dive into the program. Users who want to use Sketch casually or just for experimentation may only need a few days of training. Users hoping to use Sketch professionally will need to train for much longer to learn all the skills they need for a career.

Experience with Graphic Design Programs

Sketch is a vector graphics illustration tool, so users familiar with programs like Illustrator or other design software like Figma or XD will find it easier to pick up Sketch. Knowledge of graphic design software can give students a leg up in learning how to use Sketch, particularly for its functionalities related to vector design.

Knowledge of User Experience Design

Sketch is primarily built to help users create UX/UI designs. So, new Sketch users must learn how to use the program and the principles behind designing effective, accessible user interfaces. Users with fundamental UI design knowledge and those who have studied UX design philosophies will have an easier time learning Sketch as they can make more informed decisions about using the program’s tools.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost 

Sketch is an accessible program that is reasonably easy for new users to become familiar with and use. Sketch has a lightweight interface, and new users will find themselves able to experiment with designs almost immediately. However, many of the unique features of Sketch will require significantly more training to optimize, particularly the Sketch symbols. The program is, therefore, ideal for beginners experimenting with a user interface (UI) program and aspiring Web Designers looking to learn a program that they can use professionally.

There are no formal prerequisites to learning Sketch. However, users should be familiar with macOS and the basic philosophies of UI design if they hope to use the program professionally. Since Sketch is only available on macOS devices, users must be sure that their device is compatible. Additionally, as a UI design program, a background in user experience (UX) design is not required but is strongly encouraged.

Sketch is available for users and teams for a monthly subscription fee of $9 per editor. Yearly subscriptions are also available for $99 per person. New users can take advantage of a 30-day free trial of the program. Large organizations (those with more than twenty-five editors) can contact Sketch to get a quote on the cost of a Sketch Business subscription.

Read about how difficult it is to learn Sketch.

Watch a Free Sketch Online Course

Students who want to learn Sketch but are undecided about investing in an immersive training course may wish to consider exploring the free online options available. While these courses won’t replace professional skills training for those looking to build a career using Sketch, they are great for familiarizing users with the program in preparation for an in-depth training course.

Noble offers free seminars and training courses through the free seminars page on its website and the Web Design and Development playlist on its official YouTube channel. These videos guide users through the basic principles of user interface (UI) design, user experience (UX) design philosophies, and the differences between Sketch and other major UX design platforms. These tools are ideal for students just entering the world of web design as they are built to give new users necessary background training in advance of more in-depth skills instruction. Noble also provides blog posts, interviews, and other articles through the Sketch tag on its official blog.

Sketch also offers free tutorials through their website. These micro tutorials and blog posts will help users get a handle on the Sketch interface and set them on the right path as they begin designing their first UI project. These tutorials are ideal for students who aren’t familiar with navigating design interfaces or aren’t sure what kinds of projects Sketch is optimized to build.

Free course options are also available through other service providers, such as General Assembly and Udemy.

Read about more free Sketch videos and online tutorials.

Learn Sketch with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Students looking to master Sketch may wish to consider any Sketch classes and bootcamps offered through Noble Desktop. These classes, which range from short seminars offering students a basic understanding of Sketch to in-depth career skills training courses, give students the tools they need to use Sketch in their personal and professional lives. These courses are available in person at Noble’s Manhattan campus or live online from anywhere in the United States. Courses are taught by experts with whom students can interface directly, and class sizes are kept small, even online. So, students can ask questions and receive timely, personalized feedback on their work. Plus, courses include a one-year free retake option. Students can repeat the course to review a lesson that gave them trouble, attend a seminar they missed, or just get more hands-on practice with Sketch.

Students seeking in-depth training in Sketch should consider Noble’s Sketch Bootcamp. This intensive skills training course teaches students to use the basic and advanced features of Sketch, such as its layout design tools, interactive elements, and prototyping capabilities. Students get hands-on instruction in building web layouts using text, shapes, and images, all built with Sketch’s vector graphics illustration tools. They then learn how to optimize those illustrations for web and mobile viewing, including Hi-res and Retina displays. Finally, students receive hands-on training in using Sketch symbols, including how to override symbol functions to make them work differently and how to alter their functions universally after they have been implemented.

Noble also offers Sketch training as part of its immersive, career-focused UX & UI Design Certificate program. This course is designed to help aspiring Web and user experience (UX) Designers receive comprehensive career training and mentorship. Students learn to use an array of design tools, including Sketch, Figma, and Adobe XD, and receive hands-on training by working through practical exercises that reflect the work they will do professionally. Students also learn the best practices of UX design and how to best conduct user research and analysis. By the end of the course, students get the opportunity to have one-on-one career mentorship discussions with trained experts in the field of UX/UI design, and they will have built a sample design portfolio to take with them into the job market.

Key Insights

• Sketch is a user-friendly UX/UI design tool that new users can pick up at a baseline proficiency in only a few days of study.
• More advanced skills require more advanced training, but Sketch is set up so students won’t be intimidated or overwhelmed when they start experimenting with it.
• Users hoping to use the program professionally will need more in-depth training, particularly with Sketch symbols, but on the whole, it will require only a few weeks to a few months of training.
• While it’s not a prerequisite, a UX/UI or graphic design background will significantly speed up the time it will take to learn Sketch.
• Comprehensive Sketch training options for beginners and aspiring professionals are available through Noble Desktop.