[tobinharris]

Sounds like you're on the right path in that you have a genuine desire to create great looking products. This means you have a respect for design, which is hugely important.

I used to be a back-end guy (I once co-authored a book on an ORM and just love middle tier and db shizzle). I had a huge appreciation for products that looked and felt great, but only had the back-end skills. I had a genuine desire to build skills in design so I could make better products.

If you want to take some short-cuts to build great looking stuff I'd do the following

- Build a mood board of stuff you think looks great. Set your own standards bar.

- Play around with Sketch or similar to learn how to get the look you like (this will make you think about UI design problems). This might take years but you have to start somewhere.

- Read "Design of Everyday Things" and "Don't Make Me Think" and a few other design classics. The principles stand strong.

- Get help from designers to bridge the gap between your skill level and where you want to be. When I started my company, I'd find designers who had a visual style I liked and paid them to help out.