Every electricist engineer should be curious about the operation of anything that uses or relies on electricity, because to like self profession is the first step to become a good professional.
Being an electricist engineer, I have tested prototypes for a long time, many of them made when I didn't understand any principle of electricity, or only the most basic. Many have failed, but as the concepts of electricity were being understood, it has become easier to anticipate the chances of success or failure before starting the experiments.
There are very good programs to carry out projects in electronics, analog and digital, free and paid. Some examples are cited in the appropriate link on this page.
With the condition of citing the source and copyright note, the circuits from site can be used for any purpose under the sole responsibility of the user. The circuits have no guarantee to work or to be fail-safe.