I tested some of the most popular design resources and tools so you don't have to

Over the last few months, I've been trying to improve my design skills and workflow even more, especially with the rise of many new tools, so I ended up testing a bunch of the resources and tools that people constantly recommend.

Here's my personal takeaway:

Figma
Still the best place to learn modern UI/UX design. Tons of community files, templates, and examples. I learned more from reverse-engineering other people's work than from most tutorials.

Dribbble
Great for inspiration. Terrible for measuring your own progress. I found myself saving beautiful designs without always understanding why they worked and where I can apply them.

Behance
More useful than Dribbble when I wanted to see complete projects and the thinking behind them.

Mobbin
Probably the most practical design resource I used. Looking at real product screens taught me a lot about patterns and layouts.

YouTube
Honestly underrated. Some of the best design education I've found was completely free. If you are just starting your career in design, it's the best channel to use.

Canva
Good for quick content and social graphics, but I often felt limited when trying to build something more custom.

Decksy AI
I started using it as a customer (not only a part of the team) when I needed presentation designs quickly. What I found useful that it wasn't just the slide generation - it was seeing how ideas could be structured visually. It ended up being surprisingly helpful for presentation design and storytelling, which is a skill I hadn't focused on before.

My biggest realization from all of this:

The resource mattered less than I expected.

I spent way too much time looking for the "best" tool and not enough time actually designing. Most of my progress came from recreating designs, getting feedback, and building projects - not from finding another tutorial or resource.

What's one design resource or tool that genuinely improved your skills?