Design Collaboration

30 posts

figmaAug 9, 20202 min readCurated summary

Explore the Figma Community | Figma Blog

The Figma Community is rolling out to all users as a public library of files that can be searched, inspected, duplicated, liked, and remixed. The post highlights how designers and organizations are using the platform to share design systems, illustrations, workflows, and creative experiments. Figma presents the launch as an early foundation for a broader community built around generosity, collaboration, and reusable resources. ## A New Space for Shared Design Resources - The Community gives users access to thousands of published Figma files, including: - Design systems - Icon packs - Wireframes - Illustrations - Prototypes and games - Users can browse by tags, search files, claim profile handles, follow creators, like files, and duplicate resources. - Publishing initially remains limited to beta participants while Figma continues refining the product. - Contributors include organizations such as Microsoft, Google, and Mixpanel, as well as independent designers and illustrators. ## Material Design Baseline Kit - Jessie Z of Google’s Material Design team created a downloadable foundation for people building their own design systems. - The kit has two parts: - **Material Theme:** Lets users customize typography and color palettes while seeing the effects on components, states, and layouts. - **Sticker sheet:** Provides a more traditional collection of reusable components. - The resource is intended both as a practical starting point and as a way to learn Material Design guidelines and develop a product’s visual identity. ## Open Figures Illustration Library - Illustrator Bonnie Kate Wolf created Open Figures as a flexible library of reusable illustrations for Blush. - Unlike her previous work within company-specific guidelines, the project allowed her to develop an independent visual style. - The illustrations can support product storytelling, presentations, or personal creative projects. - Building the library also exposed accessibility considerations: interchangeable clothing and character parts had to work for users, including wheelchair users. ## Spotify Ways of Working - Barton Smith, Cliona O’Sullivan, and Spotify’s Figma working group published their approach to organizing and collaborating in Figma. - They shared the file because many companies lack a standard model for structuring Figma workspaces. - The resource offers the community a view into Spotify’s internal practices. - Spotify planned to keep revising the system as the team learned what worked and what needed improvement. Figma’s recommendation is to explore the Community, follow useful creators, and reuse or adapt the resources that fit your work. The launch emphasizes that its value will grow as more people publish practical tools, creative work, and proven ways of working.

Design Collaboration Figma Design Systems Prototyping+2

figmaJul 6, 20202 min readCurated summary

How BT continues to push the telecommunication industry forward | Figma Blog

BT, a telecommunications company founded in 1846, modernized its product development by reorganizing teams into cross-functional product squads. These squads adopted Figma to replace fragmented design tools and improve collaboration among designers, engineers, product owners, content designers, and stakeholders. The shift reduced costs, increased design visibility and consistency, accelerated delivery, and helped BT maintain collaboration during the move to remote work. ## The Evolution to Product Squads - BT created smaller teams responsible for end-to-end product delivery. - Designers began working directly with product owners, engineers, content designers, and other specialists. - The new structure encouraged collaboration but exposed workflow problems: - Too many disconnected tools, including Docs, Sketch, InVision, and Jira. - Time-consuming file transfers and handoffs. - Multiple feedback channels and communication barriers. - Difficulty maintaining cohesive design across product lines. ## Migrating to Figma - BT’s design operations team piloted Figma with one product squad for two months. - The pilot produced quick benefits: - Real-time collaboration became easier. - Design handoffs were simplified. - Teams could design, prototype, and present in one place. - Engineers and product owners gained earlier visibility into design work and could contribute before decisions were finalized. - Following the pilot, BT rolled Figma out across all product squads. - Stakeholders could review and comment on work through a link from any device. ## Business and Organizational Benefits - **50% lower design-tool costs:** Figma replaced Sketch and InVision. - **Greater influence for design:** Better visibility brought design into more business decisions and investment discussions. - **Improved consistency:** Figma created a foundation for a future centralized design system spanning BT’s brand, products, and business units. - **Business continuity:** During COVID-19, Figma provided a shared online workspace for remote teams to communicate and solve problems. - **Faster decision-making:** Teams began conducting live experience walkthroughs with executives instead of preparing polished presentation decks. - **Higher transparency and efficiency:** Cross-functional teams developed a shared understanding of work and goals. BT’s experience shows that adopting a collaborative design platform can support more than design efficiency. Combined with cross-functional product squads, it can reshape organizational workflows, reduce costs, strengthen stakeholder involvement, and help a large company continue innovating.

Design Collaboration Figma Design Systems Prototyping+3

figmaApr 15, 20202 min readCurated summary

Look no further: New ways to search and provide context in Figma | Figma Blog

Figma’s 2020 updates aimed to make collaborative design work easier to discover and understand. Universal Search lets users find projects, teams, people, plugins, and files without relying only on file names. Links in the editor let designers connect pages, frames, and external documents, making files easier to navigate and providing more project context. ## Universal Search - Figma introduced workspace-wide search to address the difficulty of finding work as teams and content grow. - Users can search for: - Files - Projects - Teams - People - Private plugins - Results appear across categories as users type and can be filtered by category. - For users in the Figma Community beta, results also include community files, publishers, and plugins. - The feature builds on Figma’s shift toward organizing work around people, teams, and projects rather than only folders and file names. ## Links for Navigation and Context - Designers can add links to any page or frame within a Figma file. - Internal links can support navigation aids such as: - Clickable tables of contents - Indexes of design explorations - Pointers to the latest designs or early concepts - External links can connect designs to product requirement documents, specifications, user research, personas, and other project resources. - This allows a Figma file to serve as a central source of truth rather than an isolated design artifact. Together, Universal Search and Links make Figma workspaces easier to search and design files easier to navigate. Teams can spend less time locating assets and more time collaborating with the context needed to make informed decisions.

Design Collaboration Figma Plugins Web Applications+1

figmaApr 8, 20202 min readCurated summary

Building on our open platform: Design in Figma, prototype with Framer | Figma Blog

Figma argues that design tools should remain open, allowing users to move their data across products rather than becoming locked into one platform. Its new Framer Web integration lets teams design collaboratively in Figma and import files into Framer for more advanced, expressive prototypes. The announcement reinforces Figma’s broader strategy of building an ecosystem around APIs, plugins, and integrations. ## An Open Platform for Flexible Workflows - Figma has prioritized data portability since its founding. - Its web-based platform and APIs allow developers to access and use Figma data in external tools. - Customers have used the API to build internal tooling, create plugins, and even use Figma as a content management system. - Figma also launched an API challenge to encourage a Sketch exporter, but withdrew it after community feedback that it resembled unpaid “spec work.” ## Supporting Specialized Design Tools - Figma recognizes that although some teams use it for the entire design process, others prefer specialized tools. - Partners such as Zeplin provide alternative approaches to developer handoff. - Figma’s position is that no single product should try to serve every workflow; an ecosystem of complementary tools can fill specialized needs. ## Importing Figma Designs into Framer - The new Framer Web integration allows users to import Figma files directly into Framer Web. - Teams can collaborate on design in Figma, then use Framer to build richer and more expressive prototypes. - Framer Web was in beta at the time, with access available through a waitlist and setup instructions provided in Figma’s documentation. ## Broader Integrations - Figma planned to launch additional integrations throughout the year. - Prototyping and user testing: Flinto, Principle, ProtoPie, and Maze. - Developer handoff: Avocode, Storybook, ZeroHeight, and Zeplin. - Collaboration and project workflows: Coda, Dribbble, Dropbox, Jira, Notion, Slack, and Trello. Figma’s recommendation is implicit: use Figma as a collaborative design foundation while choosing the best external tools for prototyping, testing, handoff, and project management.

Design Collaboration Figma Prototyping Figma Plugins+3

figmaMar 31, 20191 min readCurated summary

Figma Time Travel | Figma Blog

Figma Time Travel is a playful April 2019 feature that lets users revisit historical design styles through version history. With one click, users can choose from four themed “palette years,” transforming their designs into retro-inspired visual eras. The feature is presented as an Easter egg rather than a major productivity tool, giving designers a lighthearted way to explore Figma’s capabilities. ## Accessing Historical Design Styles - Time Travel is available through Figma’s version history. - Users can select from four new options representing distinct historical palette years. - Each option applies a different retro visual treatment to the design. - The feature is designed for one-click experimentation. ## A Playful Easter Egg - Figma describes the feature through humorous references to older workplace environments and technology. - The “1973 vintage” option evokes grey cubicles and mechanical keyboards. - The launch was intended to celebrate April with fun rather than an April Fool’s prank. - It reflects Figma’s interest in incorporating unexpected, entertaining details into its design tools. Designers can find Time Travel in version history and use it as a creative experiment or nostalgic Easter egg rather than as a serious archival workflow.

Design Collaboration Figma Design Tools Version History

figmaDec 18, 20182 min readCurated summary

Designing an Open Financial System at Coinbase | Figma Blog

Coinbase’s mission to make cryptocurrency accessible depends on design that simplifies complex technology. The company found that Figma’s browser-based, collaborative workspace replaced fragmented tools with an open process involving designers, engineers, product managers, and leadership. This improved communication, alignment, and speed while supporting a more inclusive design culture. ## Designing for an Open Financial System - Coinbase aims to create an open financial system for the world. - Its design principles are to: - Guide users through complex crypto concepts - Empower people to participate - Humanize technical experiences - Simplify blockchain and digital-currency interactions - The company views design as essential to making cryptocurrency accessible beyond technical experts. ## Moving from Siloed Design to Open Collaboration - Coinbase’s previous workflow relied on separate tools for: - Designing - Prototyping - Developer handoff - Switching between platforms created context loss, version-control problems, and communication overhead. - Figma provided a shared, browser-based workspace where multiple people could work together and access the latest files through a link. - This made design more transparent and encouraged feedback and participation from people outside the design team. ## Faster Communication Across Teams - Centralized files allowed designers, product managers, engineers, and executives to stay aligned on current work. - Stakeholders could give feedback directly in Figma, reducing bureaucracy and shortening communication loops. - Teams could speak “the same language” in the same location instead of relying on disconnected tools and handoffs. - The result was faster iteration and clearer, more coordinated product development. ## Collaborative Design Sessions - Coinbase also used Figma for informal, ad hoc projects such as posters and company swag. - Designers could gather in the Design Lounge, open a shared file, and create together in real time. - These sessions demonstrated that collaborative tools could support creativity and team connection, not just formal product work. ## Building a More Inclusive Design Culture - Coinbase’s design team became faster, more nimble, and better aligned. - Figma helped establish a collaborative process in which design was no longer created behind a “black box.” - The team recognized that tools should empower designers and support an inclusive, diverse culture rather than add complexity. - Coinbase presents Figma as an important foundation for continuing to scale its open design practice.

Design Collaboration Figma Prototyping Blockchain+4

figmaDec 10, 20183 min readCurated summary

How we built the Figma Design team | Figma Blog

Figma grew its design team from one full-time product designer to eight designers in about a year. The company argues that thoughtful hiring requires clearly defining team needs, aligning on evaluation criteria, and continually evolving those criteria as circumstances change. By making the process collaborative and structured, Figma established a stronger design culture built around critiques, ownership, and transparency. ## Building the Team - Figma initially struggled to keep pace with its engineering team because design responsibilities were spread across one full-time designer and several part-time contributors. - Because each hire significantly affects a small team’s culture and working style, the company prioritized deliberate growth rather than hiring quickly without a plan. - Within a year, the team had grown to eight designers and developed: - Collaborative design critiques - Clearer objectives - Defined areas of ownership - A more established team culture ## A Structured Hiring Process Figma adopted a three-phase framework for building its hiring criteria: - **Learn:** Study job descriptions and consult experienced design leaders to understand valuable skills and traits. - **Analyze:** Create a broad skills list, then narrow it to capabilities the company needs, the Design team should own, and every designer must possess. - **Evolve:** Revisit the criteria as team or company needs change, while developing existing employees when possible. The designers independently outlined their expectations for a new teammate, then merged their ideas in Figma to reach consensus. This helped distinguish essential requirements from desirable but negotiable skills. ## Reducing Interviewer Bias - Figma created explicit criteria for both product-design capabilities and cultural alignment with its values: **Be Bold, Be Inclusive, and Have Fun**. - The team used these criteria directly in Lever, its recruiting tool, to guide interview feedback. - Structured prompts reduced vague assessments and made it harder for interviewers to unconsciously change standards to match personal biases. - Existing team members evaluated themselves against the same criteria, revealing few surprises but ensuring they did not judge candidates on abilities they could not assess in themselves. ## Recruiting as a Team Effort - Defining the role did not eliminate the need for sourcing, networking, and extensive conversations with candidates. - Figma embedded its recruiter, Korin, into the design team by having her attend critiques and team meetings. - This gave her firsthand knowledge of the team’s work and helped her represent the role and identify suitable candidates more accurately. ## The Designers’ Backgrounds - The team included designers with varied experiences and strengths rather than identical profiles. - Lucy brought motion and visual-design expertise, along with experience spanning agencies, websites, and hardware interfaces. - Marcin contributed extensive UI experience from organizations including Google, Medium, and Code for America, as well as a strong attention to interaction and visual details. Figma’s experience suggests that small design teams should define their needs collectively, use consistent interview criteria, actively guard against bias, and involve recruiters closely in the team’s daily work.

Design Collaboration Figma User Experience Product Design+1

figmaAug 28, 20183 min readCurated summary

The University of the Arts London’s Accidental Path to a Design System | Figma Blog

UAL’s fragmented history across six colleges created inconsistent digital experiences and made collaboration difficult. Midway through a website redesign, the UX team switched from Sketch to Figma, gaining real-time collaboration and a shared source of truth. That change unexpectedly led to a flexible design system that aligned designers, developers, stakeholders, and external agencies while accelerating delivery. ## A Fragmented Digital Identity - UAL consists of six colleges, each with its own history, identity, and website practices. - Individual teams preferred implementing their own styles, resulting in inconsistent digital experiences. - As part of a 2017 Digital Transformation Program, UAL began redesigning its core website to become more user-centric. - Although a design system was not initially the main objective, it emerged naturally during the project. ## Switching from Sketch to Figma - The team struggled with Sketch’s siloed files, versioning problems, syncing delays, and limited collaboration. - These issues were especially difficult because stakeholders and agencies were distributed across 14 campuses. - Figma enabled browser-based, real-time collaboration and allowed the team to import Sketch files easily. - Designers, developers, executives, and other stakeholders could work from one centralized source of truth. - The shared workspace improved transparency and helped repair the disconnect between design and development. ## Building the Design System - Since the website had to be built largely from scratch, the team prioritized creating reusable design-system foundations. - The design system was intended to unify not only the website but also UAL’s broader digital channels. - Workshops with students and business partners helped identify essential features, components, and inconsistencies. - The system had to support UAL’s complex brand, including variations in color, typography, and visual personality. - Figma’s team libraries created a living, accessible version of the brand guidelines. - Figma Styles allowed color, text, and effect styles to be managed independently, providing additional flexibility. ## Faster Delivery Through Reusable Components - The team used components to create base pages that served as templates for future pages. - Developers could build new pages more quickly and see how designs translated into code. - Designers and developers worked from the same system, reducing communication gaps and improving coordination. - The design system became both a visual foundation and a practical workflow for speeding up website production. UAL’s experience shows that a design system can emerge from solving everyday collaboration and consistency problems. Centralized tools, reusable components, shared libraries, and close designer-developer collaboration helped transform an unwieldy redesign into a faster and more unified digital process.

Design Collaboration Figma Design Systems User Experience+2

figmaJul 25, 20182 min readCurated summary

Introducing: Design Dictionary from Figma | Figma Blog

Figma introduced its Design Dictionary to make design terminology more accessible and improve communication across teams. The resource addresses the field’s dense vocabulary, which can confuse newcomers and hinder collaboration between designers, engineers, product managers, copy editors, and stakeholders. Launched with 70 terms and open to community contributions, the dictionary is intended to evolve alongside the design industry. ## Design’s Specialized Language - Design terminology draws from art, printmaking, publishing, usability, and typography. - Terms help experts discuss detailed concepts precisely. - The same vocabulary can intimidate people who are new to design or work alongside designers. ## The Need for Cross-Functional Understanding - Modern digital products involve many roles in design work: - Engineers translate designs into production code. - Copy editors add and refine content. - Stakeholders review and approve designs. - Product managers coordinate the broader process. - Collaboration becomes harder when teams use design terms inconsistently or do not understand them. - Figma experienced this challenge after hiring employees from business, analytics, support, engineering, and other non-design backgrounds. ## The Design Dictionary - Figma created the dictionary as a practical glossary for learning core design terminology. - The initial release included 70 terms. - It was open-sourced so the wider design community could benefit from and contribute to it. - The resource was expected to expand as design practices and industry language evolved. ## Community Contributions - Figma invited readers to suggest terms that cause confusion in their organizations. - Examples included “White Space,” “Stroke,” and “Lorem Ipsum.” - Users could submit new ideas and corrections through a link in the dictionary. Figma’s Design Dictionary is recommended as a shared reference for teams working across design and product development. Its broader goal is to create a common language that makes cross-functional design collaboration clearer and more effective.

Design Collaboration Figma Design Systems User Experience+2

figmaMar 21, 20183 min readCurated summary

Introducing: Figma’s Platform | Figma Blog

Figma launched its Platform in 2018 to connect design files with external tools, scripts, and web applications. Its central innovation was a web API that made design data accessible across operating systems and workflows, enabling new forms of collaboration. Figma argued that this open, web-based foundation could replace outdated export-based processes with live, integrated design systems. ## A Web API for Design - Figma’s API was presented as a first for professional design tools, which had traditionally been siloed desktop applications. - Because Figma operates online, external software can access the current state of a design without depending on: - A particular operating system - Local file paths - Specific software versions - Companies could build custom tools around their own organizational needs. - Examples included: - Uber creating live displays and feeds of work in progress - GitHub automating parts of its icon-production workflow ## Core API Capabilities The initial Web API provided three main functions: - Reading design files in an open JSON format - Reading and writing comments - Rendering files or file sections as PNG, JPG, SVG, and other standard formats Using a file’s URL-based key, developers could retrieve a live representation of its design tree, including: - Shapes and text - Components - Prototype links and transitions - Constraints - Other structural information defining the design The API was designed for familiar web-development tools and programming frameworks rather than proprietary plugin languages, making integrations easier to create and maintain. ## Open-Source Demos and Integrations Figma announced demo projects illustrating possible uses of the platform, including: - A spell checker for Figma designs - A generative art tool - A way to place designs on the Ethereum blockchain It also highlighted integrations with Avocode, Haiku, Zeplin, and Pagedraw. ## Planned Platform Features Figma outlined several future additions: - **Webhooks:** Notifications for file or team events, including design updates. - **Write API:** Broader programmatic editing of Figma files beyond the existing Comment API. - **Extensions:** An in-app extension system, though Figma intended to prioritize robustness, predictability, and quality rather than release an unstable model quickly. ## Collaboration Problems in Traditional Design Workflows As design becomes relevant to engineers, researchers, marketers, executives, and other departments, desktop design tools create organizational friction: - Files must be exported and uploaded before sharing. - Shared files become outdated when the original changes. - Leaders lack an easy way to view and comment on live work. - Engineers spend time locating the correct assets. - Teams often recreate solutions that already exist elsewhere in the organization. Figma positioned its API as a way for enterprises to share, search, and monitor real-time designs across departments. ## Uber’s Internal Use Case Uber’s distributed design team worked across four cities and multiple products, including Uber Eats and Uber Freight. To improve visibility, the company planned to use Figma’s API to: - Broadcast in-progress designs on office TVs - Create a Dribbble-like internal repository - Make work easier to browse across the organization The example demonstrated how Figma’s API could turn design files into live organizational infrastructure rather than isolated project artifacts. Figma’s recommendation was to treat the Platform as a foundation for custom workflows and integrations. By exposing live design data through standard web technologies, it enabled companies to build collaboration tools suited to their own processes while reducing manual exports and duplicated work.

Design Collaboration Json Svg Webhooks+3

figmaFeb 14, 20182 min readCurated summary

With love, from Figma: @mentions and file sorting | Figma Blog

Figma’s February 2018 update introduced two features designed to reduce friction in design workflows: file sorting and @mentions. Users can now organize files by creation date or name, while comments can directly notify specific teammates by email and in-app notification. Together, the features make finding files and coordinating asynchronous feedback more efficient. ## Organizing Files with New Sorting Options - Figma file lists were previously sorted primarily by “Last Modified.” - Users can now sort files by: - Date created - File name alphabetically - Last modified date - These options make it easier to locate older files or maintain a more organized workspace. ## Directing Feedback with @Mentions - Figma introduced @mentions for comments, allowing users to tag a teammate by typing `@` followed by their name. - Mentions are useful for: - Drawing a product manager’s attention to a specific design change - Asking engineers questions about a prototype - Notifying designers that copy edits are complete - Mentioned users receive both an email and an in-app notification. - Users can reply directly to comment notification emails, and their response is added to the Figma comment thread. ## Improving Asynchronous Collaboration - Previously, commenters had to send a document link and tell recipients to search for the relevant comment. - @mentions eliminate that extra step by pointing teammates directly to the discussion requiring their attention. - The features were developed in response to repeated requests from Figma users. Refreshing open Figma tabs enables both updates. These additions provide simple, practical improvements for organizing files and ensuring feedback reaches the right collaborator.

Design Collaboration Figma User Experience Prototyping+3

figmaDec 6, 20172 min readCurated summary

More time, more money: How Figma accelerates agency workflow | Figma Blog

Figma helped Unfold, a 10-person Florida design agency, reduce versioning, collaboration, and handoff problems by keeping work in a shared cloud platform. Its browser-based workflow lets clients, designers, and developers access the same up-to-date files regardless of operating system. Founder Eddie Lobanovskiy estimates the agency saves at least 30% of its communication time and can take on more client work. ## Replacing File Conflicts with Cloud Collaboration - Before Figma, Unfold struggled with overwritten files, conflicting versions, and a patchwork of plugins. - Figma’s cloud-based files provide a single source of truth accessible through a URL. - Teams can share designs, collect feedback, and collaborate without requiring everyone to use the same computer or software. - Unfold used Figma’s Sketch importer to move existing projects into the platform. ## Keeping the Entire Design Process in One Place - Clients can join live brainstorming sessions through Figma’s multiplayer functionality. - Designers and clients can work simultaneously in the same document, accelerating idea generation. - Mood boards are created directly in Figma by dragging images from the web into project files. - High-fidelity designs remain available at the same URL, eliminating repeated exports and uploads. - Pinned comments keep feedback attached to the relevant design frame rather than scattered across email or messaging tools. ## Simplifying Developer Handoff - Previously, Unfold had to accommodate developers using non-Mac computers and sometimes convert files to PSD through Illustrator, which damaged layer structures. - Figma’s code mode lets developers inspect designs, export assets, and retrieve CSS, Android, and iOS specifications. - Developer access remains synchronized with the latest design automatically. - Developers can use view-only access, so clients do not necessarily need paid editor accounts. - Cross-platform access removes the need to persuade clients or developers to purchase specific software or hardware. ## Taking on More Work - Figma made Unfold’s workflow faster and more fluid by reducing administrative and coordination overhead. - The agency found projects more pleasant to manage and felt capable of serving more clients. - The main business benefit was not only saved time, but also fewer process disruptions and smoother collaboration. Figma’s shared, cross-platform workspace gave Unfold a practical way to centralize design, feedback, prototyping, and developer handoff—helping the agency communicate less, move faster, and increase its capacity.

Design Collaboration Figma Prototyping Android+4

figmaAug 29, 20172 min readCurated summary

Figma + Dropbox Paper | Figma Blog

Figma announced a live integration with Dropbox Paper that lets teams embed Figma designs and prototypes directly into collaborative documents. Embedded content updates automatically, reducing confusion over outdated files and keeping project stakeholders aligned. The integration reflects Figma’s broader goal of making design collaboration accessible across disciplines and tools. ## Live Figma Embeds in Dropbox Paper - Figma designs and prototypes can now appear as live embeds inside Dropbox Paper documents. - Updates made to the original Figma file are reflected immediately in the Paper document. - The feature helps project managers, engineers, and designers work from the same, current version of a design. - It eliminates the need to search for or repeatedly share updated design files. ## Broader Collaboration Across Teams - Dropbox Paper is positioned as a collaborative workspace for teams with Dropbox accounts. - Paper already supported integrations with services such as YouTube, GitHub, and Facebook. - Figma’s addition extends design collaboration beyond the design application itself. - The integration keeps teams in context while discussing and acting on design work. ## Simple, Lightweight Setup - Users can create an embed by copying and pasting a Figma project URL into Dropbox Paper. - The live document appears immediately without a complicated configuration process. - Figma removed unrelated application components from the embed, making it lightweight and fast. The integration is recommended for teams that use Dropbox Paper to coordinate work around designs. By embedding live Figma content rather than static exports, teams can maintain a more reliable and up-to-date source of truth.

Design Collaboration Figma Prototyping Github+2

figmaJun 4, 20172 min readCurated summary

How one designer escaped the export-upload abyss | Figma Blog

The post argues that traditional designer-developer handoff creates unnecessary work, outdated files, and communication problems. At Pivotal, designer Colby Sato replaced repeated image exports and uploads with Figma’s browser-based, collaborative workflow. This saved roughly two days per project and made design critiques more focused and efficient. ## The Export-and-Upload Problem - Colby exported design frames as images and uploaded them to Pivotal Tracker engineering cards. - He repeated this process 15–20 times per project as designs evolved. - Searching through hundreds of engineering cards was time-consuming. - Missed updates sometimes caused engineers to implement outdated designs. - The process wasted developer time and made collaboration frustrating. ## Figma as a Shared Source of Truth - Figma files were accessible in the browser, always current, and shareable through links. - Colby could add a Figma link when creating an engineering card instead of updating images repeatedly. - Comments attached directly to design frames provided functional context. - The workflow eliminated uncertainty about which design version engineers should use. - Colby estimated it saved him two days of work per project. ## More Effective Design Reviews - Pivotal’s weekly critiques had previously relied on post-it notes and verbal explanations. - Figma comments stayed attached to the relevant design, making feedback easier to understand. - Colby could observe where engineers were focusing in the file through their cursor activity. - He could redirect reviewers toward areas where feedback was most valuable. - Reviews became faster, more contextual, and more collaborative. Figma ultimately shifted Pivotal’s focus from tracking files and feedback to improving the product itself. The post recommends using a shared, continuously updated design workspace to reduce handoff friction and enable stronger collaboration between designers and engineers.

Design Collaboration Figma Design Systems User Interface+2

figmaMay 3, 20172 min readCurated summary

New faces at the Figma helm | Figma Blog

Figma is entering a new phase as demand for design and collaborative tools grows across the technology industry. To support that growth, CEO Dylan Field announces Eric Wittman as the company’s first COO and Kris Rasmussen as Vice President of Engineering. Their experience scaling collaboration-focused businesses will help Figma expand its operations, revenue, technology, and team. ## Figma’s Growth Opportunity - Companies increasingly view design as central to creating products customers value. - Large organizations such as IBM and GE are expanding their design teams, while Facebook has pursued a high designer-to-engineer ratio. - Figma argues that the tools available to designers have not kept pace with this demand. - Improving collaboration remains the company’s guiding priority. ## Eric Wittman: Operations, Strategy, and Revenue - Wittman joins after leading Atlassian’s Developer Tools business, including Bitbucket. - As COO, he will focus on: - Recruiting and finance processes - Go-to-market strategy - Revenue and business operations - Company strategy and values - His career spans: - Customer support and product management at Macromedia, where he eventually led Flash product management - CEO of music player company Songbird - General manager of Developer Tools at Atlassian - Figma highlights his unusual combination of operational expertise and strong product enthusiasm. - Before the announcement, he had already helped Figma launch its pricing model and refine its strategic direction. ## Kris Rasmussen: Engineering Leadership - Rasmussen initially joined Figma as a part-time contractor but quickly became an influential, informal leader. - He is appointed Vice President of Engineering and will oversee major engineering initiatives and technical-team development. - His background includes: - Leading engineering at Asana during its early growth - Scaling engineering at Aptana, a web-application developer-tools company - Building personal projects involving 3D graphics - Figma values his ability to resolve disagreements, identify necessary actions, and combine technical skill with leadership. - His primary mission will be building a world-class engineering organization and infrastructure for collaborative design tools. ## Continued Hiring - Figma says it is still early in its development and expects significant opportunities and challenges ahead. - The company invites engineers, designers, writers, and product managers who are passionate about design to apply for open roles. Figma’s leadership changes are intended to turn growing demand for collaborative design software into scalable business and technical execution. Wittman will strengthen operations and commercial strategy, while Rasmussen will lead the engineering organization needed for Figma’s next stage.

Design Collaboration Figma Saas Developer Tools+2