figmaOct 25, 2023

Storyboarding the Future of Design and Creativity | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

The post imagines how a Figma–Adobe partnership could transform design workflows by connecting products, assets, collaboration, AI, and storytelling. It envisions a future where ideas move instantly from user research to interactive storyboards, 3D models, prototypes, and marketing videos. The proposed merger was ultimately abandoned in December 2023 after the companies concluded regulatory approval was unlikely. ## From User Journeys to Storyboards - User journeys could be converted from basic sticky-note diagrams into visual storyboards. - More engaging formats would make it easier for teams to understand, discuss, and improve product experiences. ## Connected Assets Across Tools - Assets created in Adobe Substance 3D could be placed into Figma mockups. - Linked assets would remain synchronized, reducing manual updates across products. - Shared design systems could connect colors, fonts, and other design tokens between Adobe and Figma. - Adobe Fonts could become available directly within Figma. ## Multiplayer Collaboration in 3D - Adobe’s 3D tools could gain Figma-style multiplayer collaboration. - Multiple designers could work simultaneously on different aspects of a model, such as geometry, lighting, and textures. - Real-time collaboration could make learning complex 3D workflows easier. ## Generative AI in Product Design - Adobe Firefly could integrate directly into Figma workflows. - Designers could generate backgrounds that match an interface’s visual style. - Generative Fill could extend images to fit responsive layouts without leaving the design process. ## Prototypes Connected to Marketing - Working app prototypes could be inserted directly into launch videos. - Updates made to the product could automatically appear in the video, helping marketing teams keep pace with last-minute design changes. The post presents these integrations as a vision for a more connected and collaborative creative ecosystem, though the planned Figma–Adobe merger did not proceed.

3d-designfigmadesign-systemsprototyping+4

figmaOct 21, 2018

Google’s AR Design Guidelines suffice while Apple’s fall short | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Mobile AR platforms from Apple and Google made immersive 3D experiences accessible to mainstream app developers, but their design guidance remains limited. The author argues that Google’s guidelines are more practical and comprehensive than Apple’s, particularly for object placement and onboarding, yet both focus mostly on simple single-scene experiences. Designers must therefore develop their own best practices for complex, interactive, and collaborative AR applications. ## AR Design Becomes Mainstream - ARKit and ARCore shifted 3D UX from specialized VR hardware to mobile devices potentially reaching hundreds of millions of users. - Designers accustomed to mature 2D workflows faced unfamiliar 3D concepts and fragmented tools borrowed from gaming, film, architecture, and engineering. - Apple and Google responded with dedicated augmented-reality design guidelines. ## Where Both Guidelines Fall Short - Both focus primarily on simple object placement and sticker-like experiences. - They do not adequately address: - Object selection and hidden-object interaction - Conditional behaviors - Branching storyboards and scene flows - Teleportation and portals - Physical gestures - Multi-scene applications - Triggered or timed animation - Shared and collaborative AR environments - This narrow scope limits guidance for creating deeper personalization, state changes, and immersive interaction. ## Google’s Guidelines Compared with Apple’s - Apple’s guidance is relatively brief and concentrates largely on placing objects on detected surfaces. - Google provides more practical coverage, including: - Tap-to-place - Drag-to-place - Free placement - Realism and basic physics - UI components - Onboarding and experience design - The author questions Google’s assumptions that objects should generally be placed within the user’s reach, since AR may also involve throwing, pointing, or interacting with distant objects. - Despite its gaps, Google’s guidance is considered the stronger starting point and appears to be evolving. ## Designers Must Define New Best Practices - Official guidelines cannot keep pace with the breadth of experimentation by AR designers and developers. - Individuals such as Unity designer Bushra Mahmood have created more extensive independent AR guidance. - Other teams are assembling new workflows from existing tools to prototype functional AR applications. - This grassroots experimentation may help establish 3D UX conventions before immersive headsets become widespread. Apple and Google provide useful foundations, but neither adequately supports complex AR design. Designers should use Google’s more developed guidance as a starting point while actively creating and sharing patterns for multi-scene, interactive, animated, and collaborative experiences.

3d-designprototypingux-designaugmented-reality+4