Hello Everyone,

My name is Ben, and I’m a designer working for the SolidWorks User Experience team.  We are currently soliciting feedback on the SolidWorks Learning Resources, and I am starting this thread as an opportunity for impassioned SW community members to make themselves heard on the topic.

For the sake of this discussion, let the term “Learning Resources” be very loosely defined.  It could include built-in tools such as the SolidWorks Help and Tutorials, resources like Tech Tips available in the customer portal, training courses, user blogs, peer groups, Community Forums, YouTube, and so on.

Keeping in mind that we are looking for both creative solutions and constructive criticism, below are some specific questions to help get the discussion started.  Please feel free to answer all or any that you feel strongly about.  Specific anecdotes or examples would be particularly helpful. 

• When learning how to use a new feature or add-in, where do you go first?  Is it easy to find the information you need, or do you struggle to find the appropriate resource?
• In more time-sensitive situations, do you look for help in the same places, or do you start somewhere else?
• Are there any resources provided by SolidWorks that seem either poorly represented or poorly targeted? (e.g. something clearly meant for advanced users that beginners might stumble upon accidentally)
• How do you feel about learning resources being located on the customer portal vs. built into the software?  What types of resources would you expect to find in each?
• Are there other companies (not exclusively in the CAD industry) whose learning resources you find to be easier to navigate or more useful than ours?  What specifically do you like about them?

Thank you in advance for your input.  Your feedback truly is vital to the design process!

Best,

Ben