The next step is identifying the tools you wish to solve problems with (of which there are several when people think ‘Designer’):
- Graphic/Visual Design: Key concepts to learn are the Layout Principles, Art Principles (Shape/Color/Contrast/Proportion), The Gestalt Principles (Continuation, Proximity, Similarity), Color theory. All of these aid a viewer/customer/user in navigation or action. DO NOT CONFUSE WITH GRAPHIC ART.
- Interaction Design: Key concepts are Goal-oriented design, personas, basic cognition etc. All of this can help you design a better transaction between a user and your project, or make a more learnable system through action. This is a pretty broad field with deep reaching repercussions if used effectively.
- User Experience Design: Very much related to the prior subjects and relies on them heavily, focuses more on the final results of the transaction and less on it’s construction/execution. Ultimately should satisfy the question, “Was the experience positive, and will they return?”
Another very important thing to realize is that each of these areas have principles, systems, tools, and patterns much like the things an engineer may already know. This is not a discipline of fluff and touchy-feely ‘creativity’ where answers are plucked from the ether or some magic hat. I feel that making that clear when I’m teaching someone new to the discipline makes the entire thing less daunting since it’s a rational process and not a talent based pursuit…
I hope this helps!
To me, it's the same as anything else. Practice, Practice, Practice. I've been doing this for 2 years now and I've started to develop my own designs without needing a template.
Even just looking through what designers are doing is a great source of inspiration.