How I started sharing design resources for free and why you should too.

Alborz Heydaryan — 4/6/2023 — 3 Min Read

I remember the first time I shared a design file for anyone to download for free. I was working on a project that needed a few credit card designs. I couldn't find any high-quality and thorough resources, so I had to create them from scratch.

After completing the credit card designs, I thought there must be many other designers who would find it useful too. If I can help them get their job done faster, I should. I've always loved helping others, and this was no different. So I uploaded the file to Sketch App Sources hoping that a few people might find it useful for their project. I was not expecting that more than 22,000 other designers would download and use the file!

(Credit Card Templates Sketch freebie by Alborz Heydaryan --- Sketch App Sources)

A year later, I started writing blog posts about design on Medium to share what I could about my journey as a designer. Soon after, I started mentoring junior designers to help them break into the industry by helping with their portfolios, sharpening their skills, and teaching them the ropes. Mentoring was something that challenged me both as a designer and a person. It forced me to see the entire creative industry with fresh eyes while helping someone else navigate it with a completely different perspective. I realized that not everyone will take the same paths that I did and that everyone gets excited by something different in the field. I realized that it's not about me making sure they are on what I think is the right path, but it's about helping them unlock their potential and take the path they choose the best they can.

Last year I started using Figma and learned about Figma Community, a place where designers can share their work with the whole community. It's easy to explore other designers' public files and if you find it useful you can duplicate the file with just a few clicks. Being exposed to such a helpful community lit the fire inside me again to start making designs to share with others.

Thanks to the flexibility that working at Borneo provides me, I've had some time to work on some files to share on Figma Community. Once again I feel the passion for helping people. I keep thinking about ways to improve the files that I have shared, and what to work on next that could help others. All while learning from all the other amazing designers in the community whose projects are helping improve my skills too.

So far, I have shared 12 projects and I'm so excited to add more content that will help others!

(figma.com/@alborz)

To this day, I consider that one decision to share my credit card design files to be one of the most impactful decisions of my design career. Every time I think about it, it fills me with joy knowing that I've helped many other designers save a bit of time and hopefully deliver higher-quality designs. Helping another designer do better does not mean that you are now falling behind. The design community is not a zero-sum game. A rising tide lifts all boats, and I wanted to be a force to lift the tide for as many designers as possible. So if you're ever working on something that you can't find helpful resources on, consider sharing them with the community.