I agree in part, but I find the message confusing and largely a distraction. In the same way design is the product, not just a coat of paint, your tools are intrinsically linked to the result. Completely inseparable.

Does that mean good work can not be done with bad tools? No, definitely not.

But, that’s not really what’s being discussed here.

Let’s kill the myth: a better tool can’t make you a better designer.

The wrong tool can make you a worse designer.

Many years ago, I started to learn how to write, produce and mix music. There’s many parallels to learning how to design — it’s a mixture of technical and creative, and the same discussions around tools and techniques are common. There were certain aspects of music production I struggled with. Dynamics processing is incredibly hard to master, and I was doing everything I could be to better at it, but just not getting the results. It didn’t matter what I did, I just couldn’t produce anything close to my favourite artists.

I wasn’t sure if the problem was me, or the equipment I was using, or both. Eventually I came to a realisation: I could easily find out, simply by buying the equipment the artists I looked up to were using (within reason).

It was an expensive experiment, but armed with an identical setup, I pushed myself until the results were good. I had to, because when there were sub-par results, I knew for a fact that the issue was me. It had to be me.

Since that day, I have never, ever skimped on tools, or skimped on learning how to use the tools I have. With the same person wielding them, do better tools give you better results? Absolutely. Yes. A thousand times yes.

I think it’s absolutely vital mimicking is deemed an acceptable learning technique, and I think a big part of that is mimicking tools and process, until a point where you feel comfortable enough to form your own opinions and processes.

In fact, I’d say it’s dangerous to stray from industry standards too early. They’re standards for a reason. Don’t ignore the hard work others have done via tool natural selection.

Tools are just vehicles for our ideas and if our ideas are lousy, no app in the world can save us.

Absolutely.

But, as a professional, choosing the right tool and being competent with a wide range of tools is essential. That’s what makes you a professional. In the spirit of your post being advice for design students, I would offer this advice: Start how you intend to finish.

Although being a jack-of-all-tools feels deceptively productive, preparing to work is not the same thing as actually working.

The right tool can save hours or days of work. This is especially common in the design field, where many designers are blind to the benefits of automation, and often waste hours or days on repetitive tasks.

And, the tighter you can make the iteration loop, the more likely you will be to experiment, and the better the results. That can only be done by being a master of your tools.

All this said, trying new tools out of curiosity isn’t a bad thing, but be deeply cognisant of the tradeoff: any time you spend learning a new tool is time you’re not practicing your craft.

How can you learn a new tool without practicing your craft? They often go hand in hand.

New tools can offer new perspective. Of the recent prototyping tools that have been released, almost all work in a different way (code vs timeline vs canned animation vs nodes etc). I can’t see how using them all, even briefly, is anything but a good thing for someone learning to be a designer.

The way you work today will not be the way you work in 10 years: instead of investing in an array of tools, invest in being a better designer first.

No, but the same basic concepts will.

Thank you for the aricle, Chantal. I hope you find my comments respectful. My intention is only to continue the discussion. I am very passionate about designers having a deep understanding of their tools.

Sponsored by Adobe

haha alright…

Honestly buying a tool that is slightly out of my range (skill- or cost-wise) has motivated me to work my ass off and step up my game. Just because I didn't like thoughts like "I don't deserve this" or "it's too much for me". That was enough to trigger the instincts of improving.

Can't design without tools. Better or worse is subjective. What's more important is knowing how to use whichever tool you deem best intimately.

The best tool for me is the one that allows me to realise my idea fastest without compromising on quality.

Not to bash Adobe, but simply an example: Sketch is an inferior tool features wise in comparison to PS - but the paired down UI makes it the best tool (for me) as it allows me to get my idea across without comprising on quality.

I don't agree with that at all. As a painter, you need to have good brush that can help create a master piece. Similarly, if you have great tools for design, you will be able to create design better but also innovate. Tools are like bionic arm for a designer.

Sorry, off topic question.

How did you integrate medium article with your own website?