Figma's engineering values | Figma Blog
Figma’s engineering values were created to preserve effective collaboration as the team grows without promoting a monoculture. They are intended to describe existing behaviors, guide decisions, and make explicit the tradeoffs behind how the team works. The post focuses on communication, teamwork, feedback, inclusion, and sustainable growth. ## Communicate Early and Often - Share design documents, product specifications, architecture sketches, and works in progress before implementation is complete. - Early communication helps teams: - Identify problems before significant effort is invested. - Solve problems collaboratively rather than in isolation. - Encourage people to ask for help and exchange knowledge. - Feedback must be welcomed as seriously as it is requested; sharing is useful only when people are receptive to changing direction. - Communication is not a rigid process: - Code may be the clearest way to discuss an idea. - Simple bug fixes or obvious changes may not require extensive discussion. - This value rejects the “solo genius” model in favor of using the team’s collective expertise. - The tradeoff is slower decision-making: involving more people can require additional discussion and iteration to ensure diverse voices are heard. ## Lift Your Team - Engineers should help one another grow, prioritize teammates’ success and well-being, and create an inclusive environment. - The emphasis is on lifting the team—not sacrificing individual sustainability for the company’s interests. - The value supports: - Continuous learning and mentorship. - Weekly technical talks. - Formal onboarding mentorship. - Encouragement to develop new skills. - Feedback should focus on ideas and work rather than attacking individuals. - Insults, condescension, and belittling are considered ineffective feedback. - Team members are also expected to receive feedback thoughtfully and remain open to others’ ideas. Figma’s approach is to make collaboration and mutual growth explicit expectations while acknowledging their costs. Teams adopting similar values should define concrete behaviors, ensure feedback is genuinely welcomed, and state the tradeoffs they are willing to accept.
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