datadogDec 23, 2024

Effective habits of remote workers (opens in new tab)

Remote workers at predominantly office-based companies must be intentional about staying connected, visible, and effective. The author argues that remote success depends less on physical presence and more on deliberate communication, visible engagement, and strong virtual relationships. Clear updates, responsive availability, and active participation help ensure remote employees remain part of the team. ## Overcommunicate to Compensate for Distance - Share frequent updates about progress, milestones, and blockers instead of waiting for formal meetings. - Ask questions openly, including questions that might feel “dumb”; online messages replace the casual help available in an office. - Respond promptly during working hours and clearly communicate your schedule, especially across time zones. - Keep your calendar accurate by blocking off lunch, appointments, errands, and focused work while leaving room for ad hoc conversations. - Prioritize face-to-face communication during video calls over simultaneous messaging. - Treat writing as your remote “voice”: frequent, clear communication makes your personality and engagement more visible. ## Create a Strong Sense of Presence - Keep your camera on for virtual meetings when appropriate, using reliable audio and video equipment. - Use an intentional background—either an uncluttered workspace or a virtual background that reflects some personality. - Maintain eye contact by positioning your camera properly and staying visually engaged, particularly in one-on-one meetings. - Speak up during meetings, ask questions, and volunteer to summarize notes. - In meetings dominated by office-based participants, be willing to interrupt or talk over others when necessary to contribute meaningfully. - Treat your workspace as part of your professional identity. Show personality intentionally, but avoid relying on artificial blur when a clean wall or thoughtfully arranged background works better. ## Stay Connected Despite Working Remotely - Physical distance does not have to mean disconnection. - Remote employees need to deliberately maintain visibility and presence in virtual spaces. - The excerpt introduces the importance of proactively building relationships, though the discussion ends before that section is completed. Remote workers should compensate for the lack of casual office interaction with consistent communication, visible participation, and intentional relationship-building.

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datadogDec 23, 2024

Effective habits of remote workers | Datadog (opens in new tab)

Cody Lee argues that remote workers in office-centric companies must intentionally project visibility and over-communicate to remain effective. By treating digital interactions with the same gravity as physical ones, remote employees can bridge the gap with their office-based colleagues and maintain strong professional relationships. The guide concludes that long-term success depends on the intentionality of one's "digital voice" and the strategic use of periodic in-person visits. ## Prioritizing Communication to Overcome Distance * Over-communicate progress and blockers frequently to ensure teammates are aware of your status without needing to ask. * Ask "dumb" questions openly in collaboration tools to stay engaged and leverage the collective knowledge of the team. * Maintain high availability by keeping an updated calendar with visible blocks for lunch and focus time, mimicking the accessibility of an office setting. * Prioritize face-to-face video communication over asynchronous messaging when active discussions are taking place. ## Embodying Digital Presence * Always keep the camera on during virtual meetings to convey body language and build a higher level of trust. * Maintain "eye contact" by looking at the camera rather than secondary screens and speak up during meetings to remain an active participant. * Be prepared to interrupt politely in hybrid meetings where office-based participants may dominate the conversation. * Avoid the "blur" effect on backgrounds in favor of a clean, unblurred workspace or a virtual background that reflects your personality. ## Proactive Relationship Building * Schedule recurring virtual coffee chats with colleagues across the organization to build rapport beyond immediate work tasks. * Participate in non-work-related messaging threads and volunteer for team-building initiatives to become more than just a name on a screen. * When visiting the office—ideally once per quarter—prioritize casual interactions, such as morning coffees and team dinners, over routine administrative tasks. * Clear your schedule of non-critical remote meetings during in-person visits to leave room for spontaneous "hallway track" conversations. ## Balancing Visibility and Communication Fatigue * Establish a consistent communication rhythm that provides meaningful updates without becoming overwhelming or irritating to colleagues. * Tailor your outreach methods by consulting teammates’ "How to work with me" documents to respect their individual communication preferences. * Focus on clarity and brevity in written text, as your writing effectively becomes your "voice" in a remote environment. Succeeding as a remote worker requires a shift from passive participation to active, intentional engagement. By treating digital communication as a primary tool for presence and prioritizing periodic in-person connection, you can ensure your contributions remain visible and your professional relationships remain strong.

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figmaNov 12, 2023

Figma’s State of the Designer Report 2023 | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Designers appear more satisfied and optimistic despite the disruption of the past three years. Figma’s survey of 470 designers in Europe and Asia–Pacific examines how remote and hybrid work have affected collaboration, productivity, career prospects, and fulfillment. Its central conclusion is that designers are adapting successfully, while the growing strategic importance of design is improving both morale and opportunity. ## Remote Work and Job Satisfaction - 69% of designers report greater job satisfaction than before the pandemic. - Individual contributors are especially positive: 82% say their satisfaction has improved. - Designers generally feel more in control of where and how they work. - Many believe their workflows and ability to create high-quality digital products have improved, even as remote work has become more common. - Group meetings and collaborative design practices are helping teams work together remotely. ## Design’s Growing Influence - Nearly five times as many designers feel more positive about the design profession as feel more negative. - Design is increasingly viewed as a business-wide way of thinking rather than a function limited to one department. - Visible support from CEOs and other executives reinforces designers’ sense that their work is strategically important. - Leaders who participate in design files, give direct feedback, and experience product development firsthand create stronger connections with design teams. ## Improved Career Prospects - 69% of respondents say their employment options have improved or greatly improved. - Designers are encouraged by organizations placing design at the center of product and business decisions. - The profession’s growing influence is changing how designers view their roles and future opportunities. The report suggests that remote collaboration and increased executive engagement have helped designers feel more satisfied, empowered, and optimistic. Organizations can build on this momentum by supporting flexible work, investing in collaborative practices, and treating design as a core part of business strategy.

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figmaMar 14, 2023

How to get the most out of teams | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Effective people management is about creating conditions where teams can act with autonomy, focus, and purpose. The article recommends a few practical systems: limit goals, protect uninterrupted work, make participation equitable, encourage experimentation, and actively support career development. These practices help employees do better work while making managers accountable for the team’s success. ## Set Fewer, More Meaningful Goals - Ask team members to list their priorities at the start of a quarter or half. - Reduce an initial list of 10–15 goals to just three, forcing clear choices about what can realistically be completed. - Connect individual goals to the company’s most urgent strategic initiatives. - Make goals concrete and measurable by defining the impact they should create. - Share goals with other leaders to improve alignment and accountability. ## Make Meetings Worthwhile - Work & Co. limits teams to one daily check-in, leaving the rest of the day for focused individual work and collaboration. - Managers should distinguish between issues that require meetings and those that can be handled asynchronously in Slack or FigJam. - For unavoidable meetings, use structures that prevent outspoken participants from dominating. - Twitch adapted Amazon’s written-memo format for hybrid work: - Participants read a shared six-page document. - They spend 10–15 minutes adding questions and comments. - The group discusses the annotations afterward. - Written participation gives quieter employees a meaningful voice, especially in large meetings. ## Make Ideas More Valuable Than Turf - Ambiguous responsibilities can cause conflict, while overly rigid job descriptions can prevent innovation. - Oura Ring treats campaigns and projects as experiments built around strong hypotheses. - Teams measure results, then decide whether to scale, repeat, or abandon an idea. - Making experimentation everyone’s responsibility reduces confusion about ownership. - Employees are encouraged to pursue opportunities outside their formal roles, even when that means occasionally crossing boundaries. ## Support Nonlinear Career Conversations - Careers rarely follow a straightforward upward path. - Managers should help employees imagine multiple possible directions rather than presenting advancement as a single ladder. - This guidance is particularly important in remote work, where informal networking and spontaneous conversations happen less often. Managers can unlock their teams’ potential by replacing excessive control with clear priorities, focused collaboration, room for experimentation, and deliberate career support.

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figmaFeb 22, 2023

Can design make work, work? | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

The post argues that people managers should redesign their work rather than accept today’s overloaded, meeting-heavy norms. By reclaiming time, making feedback visible earlier, and creating better asynchronous collaboration practices, managers can help teams work with more focus and flexibility. The central recommendation is to question existing routines and deliberately build a more effective future of work. ## Reclaim Time by Reducing Meetings - Shopify began 2023 by eliminating recurring meetings with more than three participants, later restoring only the most essential ones. - The goal was to protect uninterrupted time for independent work, especially in a fully remote organization spanning multiple time zones. - Asynchronous collaboration through tools such as Figma and FigJam allows people to contribute when they are available. - Managers should examine how they actually spend their days and compare that with what leadership expects them to do. - Collaboration tools, visual planning, and brainstorming can replace some meetings—or make remaining meetings more focused on relationships, shared values, and team culture. ## Make Feedback Cycles More Manageable - Sharing early drafts helps prevent late-stage “swoop and poop” feedback from stakeholders. - Posting screenshots or work-in-progress material in FigJam lets colleagues annotate, add sticky notes, and react with emojis without interrupting the team’s workflow. - Early visibility creates a manageable feedback loop rather than requiring the team to respond to every comment immediately. - Visual brainstorming also documents decisions and makes collaboration easier to revisit. - Teams benefit from repeatable processes, but they also need structured opportunities to identify what is not working. - At Super, anonymous suggestions during monthly retrospectives led to operational improvements, including a new bug-reporting system and short weekly sessions for testing new features. Managers can improve team performance by removing unnecessary meetings, shifting more work asynchronously, and inviting feedback early and continuously. The broader lesson is to treat management practices as redesignable systems rather than fixed workplace traditions.

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figmaAug 17, 2022

Collaboration’s next chapter with Microsoft’s Jon Friedman | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma’s integration with Microsoft Teams reflects a broader shift toward seamless, hybrid collaboration across design, communication, and productivity tools. Jon Friedman argues that distributed work expands access to global talent, while collaborative platforms give teams more equal participation and reduce duplicated effort. However, in-person interaction remains valuable for rich social connection, and adopting collaborative systems requires significant cultural change. ## Hybrid Work and Global Talent - The pandemic accelerated Microsoft’s existing shift toward a more globally distributed workforce. - Strong talent exists far beyond company headquarters, including locations such as India, China, Atlanta, and Norway. - Remote work makes it possible to promote and support high-impact employees without requiring relocation. - Microsoft’s earlier experiments with remote-work practices helped the company transition more effectively during the pandemic. ## Collaboration Tools and the Role of In-Person Work - Tools such as Microsoft Teams and Figma can sometimes enable more effective collaboration than in-person meetings. - Digital tools are relatively non-hierarchical, allowing people to participate with a stronger and more equal voice. - The next challenge is determining when in-person interaction is genuinely useful rather than assuming it should be the default. - Virtual work can support spontaneous interaction, but face-to-face meetings provide richer social signals, including body language, appearance, and mannerisms. - In-person experiences remain important for building human connection and shared rituals. ## Design Systems as Creative Infrastructure - Moving from individual contribution to collaboration-first work can require a multi-year cultural transformation. - Friedman initially worried that design systems might restrict designers who enjoy controlling every detail. - Instead, designers embraced the idea because shared systems allow them to avoid reinventing established solutions. - A strong design system is not primarily about enforcing rules; it frees creators to focus on more important problems while maintaining coherence. - Reusable tools and patterns provide a foundation for better, more ambitious work. ## Integrated Tool Chains - Using Figma alongside Teams’ chat and video capabilities allows teams to design, discuss, and iterate in the same ecosystem. - Collaboration can happen synchronously or asynchronously, with fewer barriers between creating and communicating. - Teams also benefits from enabling third-party companies to build on its platform. - Combining Microsoft’s communication infrastructure with Figma’s collaborative design environment supports Microsoft’s broader goal of becoming a company that builds together. The practical recommendation is to treat collaboration tools and design systems as cultural infrastructure, not merely software purchases. Organizations should combine flexible remote practices with intentional in-person interaction and use shared systems to give teams more time for meaningful creative work.

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figmaJan 9, 2022

The year ahead: a conversation with Soleio, Julie Zhuo, and May-Li Khoe | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

The article explores how creative work may evolve in 2022 as remote and hybrid work become permanent. Soleio argues that collaboration will move further into digital tools, requiring stronger documentation, asynchronous processes, and organizational discipline. He also predicts that creative tools will spread across the workforce and increasingly incorporate automated, virtual collaborators. ## Hybrid Work Will Reshape Creative Collaboration - Creative work will increasingly reflect hybrid workforce models. - Institutional knowledge and team context will move from physical offices into digital environments. - Traditional brainstorming sessions may shift from conference rooms to tools such as FigJam. - Creative software will become more accessible and collaborative, encouraging people outside traditional creative roles to use it. ## London’s Growing Technology Ecosystem - Relocating from Silicon Valley to London required Soleio to adjust his understanding of the two technology ecosystems. - Whereas technology dominates the Bay Area, it remains a newer and more disruptive sector in many other regions. - London is attracting more early-stage investors and becoming a stronger home for ambitious startups. - This growth may allow founders to build major technology companies without moving to Silicon Valley. ## Global Teams Need Better Organizational Hygiene - Distributed teams must deliberately coordinate feedback and decision-making across time zones. - Clear writing, recorded video feedback, and structured processes will become more important. - Remote teams cannot rely on shared office space or informal conversations to maintain context. - Transparent documentation and decision-making will become a competitive advantage. ## Automation and Virtual Collaborators - Design exploration and feedback are expected to become increasingly automated. - Future knowledge work may involve non-human agents that provide feedback, support iteration, and perform tasks currently handled manually. - These tools could fundamentally change the nature of teamwork by making virtual collaborators part of everyday creative processes. Teams preparing for the future should invest not only in collaborative tools, but also in documentation, asynchronous communication, and transparent organizational practices.

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figmaDec 15, 2021

Frame 2021: design by the numbers | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma’s 2021 data shows how remote and hybrid work reshaped design collaboration. Teams increasingly worked across borders and included product managers and developers earlier, using FigJam for ideation and Figma for interface design and handoff. The overall trend was toward a more open, continuous design process spanning idea to implementation. ## Building Across Borders - Figma users represented 235 countries and territories. - Collaboration activity grew across regions and time zones as organizations adopted virtual-first and hybrid work. - In the U.S., New York and California remained major collaboration hubs, while Washington and Texas gained activity. - Globally, the U.S. and Russia were established hubs, with India, Brazil, and Indonesia increasingly active. - Nearly 14% of collaboration occurred between different continents, up from 8% in early 2020. - Examples included teams collaborating between Madrid and Wellington, and between Beijing and Buenos Aires. ## From Ideas to Shipped Products - About 52% of users collaborated with others in 2021. - Shared files had a median of four invited collaborators. - Product managers and developers were the largest groups of Figma users outside designers. - FigJam supported early-stage brainstorming and freeform exploration before teams moved into Figma to build interfaces. - Around 15% of active FigJam users began with templates, with brainstorming templates the most popular. ## A More Open Design Process - The first collaborator viewed a Figma file an average of 10 days after creation, compared with 19 days in 2019. - This suggests cross-functional partners were being involved earlier in design. - Developers participated in 40% of collaborative files. - When developers joined, handoff typically began 33 days after design creation and continued for 45 days after the first code inspection. - Handoff activity often continued well after the final design edit. ## Collaboration Beyond Design - Teams increasingly used digital tools for activities traditionally held in person. - FigJam supported stand-ups, icebreakers, roadmapping, retrospectives, and other team exercises. - The shift reflects a broader move toward virtual-friendly collaboration across the entire product development process. Figma’s findings recommend treating design as a shared, end-to-end process rather than an isolated stage. Bringing cross-functional partners into FigJam and Figma early can improve collaboration across locations, disciplines, and the full path from concept to code.

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figmaJul 14, 2021

Keeping creativity flowing | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

The post argues that creativity and productivity can survive difficult periods when teams make room for play, connection, and personal boundaries. Alek Mackie describes remote-work practices at Shopify that helped illustrators sustain creative energy during the pandemic. The central conclusion is that informal, inclusive human interaction can support serious work rather than distract from it. ## Make Room for Play - Creative work carries serious responsibilities, but occasional fun helps people remain happy, engaged, and inventive. - Figma’s collaborative environment can support harmless practical jokes, such as adding humorous images or fake cursors to coworkers’ files. - Briefly disrupting routine can provide the mental reset needed for a creative breakthrough. ## Design Better Team Activities Effective team-building activities should be: - **Short and easy**, ideally taking less than an hour. - **Free of serious goals or expected outcomes.** - **Optional and casual**, allowing people to observe, leave early, or decline. - **Consensual**, with the team’s interest and boundaries respected. - **Inclusive and accessible**, giving everyone an equal opportunity to participate. Examples include asynchronous creative prompts, watching Bob Ross together while painting in an online MS Paint simulator, and other low-pressure collaborative exercises. ## Create Space for Human Connection - Remote work can reduce interaction to meetings focused only on business outcomes. - Teams should intentionally create opportunities for genuine, non-work-related conversation. - Personal connection and professional effectiveness can coexist and reinforce one another. ## Use Informal Collaboration - Unplanned multiplayer sessions in Figma allow coworkers to work together while chatting, similar to sitting beside one another in an office. - People can collaborate on the same project or work independently while staying connected. - The format should adapt to individual needs: video, audio, written comments, or even silent co-working are all valid options. - Boundaries, workload, and energy levels should determine how people participate. Teams can maintain creativity during difficult times by treating play, connection, and flexibility as legitimate parts of productive work—not as distractions from it.

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figmaJul 7, 2021

Introducing Figma’s New York City hub | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma opened a new hub in New York City as part of its hybrid work strategy, which combines remote flexibility with optional in-person collaboration. The company views hubs as flexible spaces for connection, creativity, and customer engagement rather than traditional assigned-desk offices. New York was chosen for its diverse talent, strong customer base, and influential design culture. ## A Hybrid Model Built Around Choice - Figma’s hybrid approach offers employees both remote and in-person work options. - The company’s hubs are intended to help employees connect with colleagues and users worldwide. - An internal 2020 survey found that 68% of employees would consider relocating away from a Figma hub if all roles could be remote. - The article emphasizes that distributed work can provide flexibility, eliminate commuting, and support different lifestyles. ## Supporting Remote Employees - The author joined Figma during the pandemic and initially worked entirely remotely. - Her team encouraged employees to ask for help and made quick virtual collaboration easy. - Figma created structures for remote engagement, including: - Virtual onboarding through “Figma Today” - Globally accessible Maker Week events - Spaces for openly discussing challenges - Although remote work was effective, the author personally found shared physical spaces more fulfilling. ## Reimagining the Office - Figma’s hubs are designed to accommodate different work preferences. - They have no assigned desks and include informal gathering areas. - The goal is to create flexible, inspiring environments where people and ideas can meet. - The spaces are intended to encourage conversation, curiosity, experimentation, and collaboration. ## Why New York City? - New York offers: - A deep and diverse talent pool - Many existing Figma customers - A significant history and influence in design - Strong creative communities across industries - Figma plans to grow sales and product development teams in the city, while making many other roles available there as well. - These teams will help build customer relationships, understand business needs, and deliver products that serve a broad range of users. ## Growing the Figma Community - Figma’s workforce had doubled since the beginning of 2020. - The New York landing team was responsible for establishing and expanding the new hub. - The author viewed relocating as an opportunity to be closer to family, experience a new environment, and participate in New York’s culture. Figma presents the New York hub as a flexible complement to remote work, giving employees the freedom to choose how they work while strengthening collaboration, hiring, and customer relationships.

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figmaJun 13, 2021

Collaborating and connecting in FigJam | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

FigJam evolved from a brainstorming tool into a shared workspace for meetings, research, retrospectives, and team-building during remote work. Figma teams use collaborative files to make contributions visible, preserve context, and reduce reliance on lengthy synchronous discussions. The newly added timer strengthens this approach by helping teams coordinate activities and stay focused together. ## Daily Stand-ups - Figma’s Editor Platform team uses a virtual stand-up template for quick daily check-ins. - Teammates add sticky notes about current work, recent progress, blockers, and issues requiring discussion. - Each file represents one day, creating a historical record that helps the team track progress over time. - The format emphasizes visibility and shared context without requiring lengthy meetings. ## Synthesizing Research Feedback - Figma’s research team replaced spreadsheets with FigJam for organizing and discussing user feedback. - Unlike spreadsheet comments, FigJam allows cross-functional partners to annotate research, ask questions, and identify patterns directly in the workspace. - Team members can independently review reports and add takeaways to matrices before meeting, making group discussions more focused. - Templates help organize findings around user archetypes and other research themes. ## Retrospectives and Inclusive Feedback - Teams use retrospective templates covering successes, improvement areas, shout-outs, and future ideas. - Sticky notes create a low barrier to participation, especially for people who are less comfortable speaking in meetings. - Contributions remain visible and easy to scan, helping teams recognize input across engineering, design, and product. - The timer supports structured facilitation: one team gives participants 15 minutes per topic before moving on. ## Team Culture and Social Activities - FigJam is also used for birthday cards, speed-drawing contests, board games, and informal gatherings. - During the FigJam launch, Figma’s marketing team held a remote drawing session with a cartoon artist and a live llama. - These activities demonstrate that the workspace can support connection and celebration, not just project work. The article recommends combining FigJam’s templates and shared canvas with its timer to run more engaging stand-ups, retrospectives, research sessions, architecture discussions, and social activities.

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figmaSep 6, 2020

Figma’s new EMEA HQ | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma announced a new London office serving as its EMEA headquarters, part of its broader hybrid-work strategy. The hub is intended to improve support for users through better time-zone coverage, stronger local partnerships, and access to diverse talent. Although the office’s in-person opening was delayed by COVID-19, Figma planned to continue building regional connections remotely. ## A Regional Hub for a Global User Base - Figma’s hybrid model combines remote work with centralized hubs. - London was selected as the EMEA headquarters to bring the company closer to users across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. - An office represents more than physical workspace: it provides shared time zones, local market knowledge, and stronger relationships with regional design communities. - In 2020, 81% of Figma’s weekly active users lived outside the United States. ## Expanding Support Across EMEA - Figma recognized that its existing US-centered time-zone coverage was insufficient for international users. - The company established a product-specialist team in Amsterdam in early 2019. - Figma had engaged with communities and customers in cities including London, Paris, Helsinki, Kyiv, Moscow, Jakarta, and Singapore. - The London team had grown to 14 remotely working employees and supported customers such as Deliveroo, Zalando, Spotify, and Booking.com. ## Opening During the Pandemic - Figma postponed the in-person opening until it was safe for employees to return to offices. - The company emphasized that regional expansion could continue even without immediate physical gatherings. - Figma introduced Config Europe, its first virtual user conference, as a way for users and employees to share knowledge and maintain community connections. Figma’s London hub reflects a strategy of combining remote flexibility with regional offices that improve customer support, hiring, and community engagement. The company’s experience also demonstrates that international presence can be developed virtually while in-person work remains limited.

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figmaAug 10, 2020

How work is changing at Figma | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma decided to move from a mostly in-person workplace to a hybrid model offering both office-based and remote work. The decision was driven by COVID-19, changing employee needs, and the recognition that both flexibility and in-person connection matter. Rather than wait for other companies, Figma used employee survey data and conversations with hybrid organizations to shape its policy. ## Making a Decision During Uncertainty - Figma separated its long-term workplace strategy from the immediate question of reopening offices. - Leadership chose to make a decision quickly because uncertainty was increasing employee anxiety. - Company values, especially “Be Bold,” encouraged Figma to act rather than wait for other companies to set a precedent. - The team created a custom workforce-planning survey after finding that existing templates did not fit its needs. - The survey combined quantitative questions with personal stories about: - Commutes - Productivity during COVID-19 - Remote-work preferences - Desired work schedules and locations ## What Employees Wanted - More than 90% of employees completed the survey within one week. - Employees had highly varied opinions about what “flexibility” meant, particularly regarding which days should be available for working from home. - Nearly half of San Francisco-based employees would consider moving to another nearby city if they could work from home several days per week. - Almost two-thirds would consider moving to a non-hub location by the end of 2022 if all roles could be remote. - Common motivations included: - Lower cost of living - Home ownership - Being closer to family - Employees also expressed strong affection for the office and the connection and serendipitous interactions it enabled. - Although employees generally considered themselves productive, many felt they were not building relationships outside their immediate teams and were missing opportunities to meet new hires. ## Lessons from Other Hybrid Companies Figma spoke with organizations already operating with hybrid models and identified several challenges: - Employees need a predictable understanding of where colleagues can be found. - Completely flexible office attendance can produce a largely empty “ghost town” office. - Shared office days are important for preserving connection and serendipitous collaboration. - Hybrid work is difficult, particularly when ensuring remote employees are included equally. ## Figma’s Hybrid Policy - Employees must choose whether they are associated with a physical hub or work as remote employees. - The San Francisco hub would use a flexible model requiring employees to come into the office on at least two specific days each week. - Those office days would be shared across the hub to ensure people were present at the same time. Figma’s approach emphasizes making a clear, employee-informed decision while preserving both remote flexibility and the social benefits of office work.

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figmaMay 26, 2020

The making of Maker Week | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Maker Week is Figma’s twice-yearly company-wide tradition for exploring projects beyond everyday roles. In 2020, the event moved fully online, prompting Figma to prioritize connection, emotional expression, and collaboration over polished results. Its theme, “How to help one another,” shaped both the creative direction and the activities. ## A Company-Wide Creative Tradition - Maker Week is open to everyone, unlike hackathons that typically focus on engineering and design. - Employees pause nonessential meetings and, when possible, interviews to collaborate with people outside their usual teams. - The event is intended to remove day-to-day constraints and encourage experimentation rather than shipping finished products. - Figma continued the tradition because maintaining company culture was especially important during remote work. ## Prioritizing Process Over Output - The 2020 event explicitly discouraged optimizing for productivity or delivering polished work. - The emphasis was on working together, exploring ideas, and creating space for individual circumstances and capacity. - This approach acknowledged the difficulty and uncertainty many employees were experiencing. ## “How to Help One Another” - Earlier Maker Weeks had no central theme beyond making something related to Figma. - The new theme provided a guiding principle while responding to the broader challenges of 2020. - It encouraged projects and interactions centered on support, empathy, and mutual help. ## Designing Space for Vulnerability - Remote work created emotional distance but also offered opportunities for people to share more openly. - Figma’s creative direction aimed to give employees an outlet for whatever they were feeling. - The organizers encouraged vulnerability and treated all emotional responses as valid. ## Mood Characters - Figma created a shared playground file where employees could build “mood characters.” - Characters were assembled from familiar objects found around designers’ home workspaces. - The objects represented the mixed, conflicting, and often confusing emotions of working through a difficult period. - The activity gave everyone a simple way to make and share something, even without the time or energy for a larger project. ## Bringing Maker Week Online - Office-based traditions such as posters, shared breakfasts, and in-person kickoff moments had to be reimagined. - Figma replaced them with digital experiences, including custom Zoom backgrounds. - The company used visual design not only for branding, but also to create energy, delight, and a sense of shared participation remotely. Maker Week’s remote adaptation shows how a company tradition can preserve its purpose by changing its format. By focusing on connection, vulnerability, and low-pressure creativity rather than productivity, Figma made the event relevant to the circumstances of its employees.

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figmaMar 13, 2018

How to hit the road as a UI/UX digital nomad | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Digital nomadism can offer UI/UX designers freedom and new experiences, but it requires careful preparation and reliable communication. The article’s central advice is to secure clients, establish the basics of a freelance business, and plan for dependable internet before leaving. Once abroad, designers should build local connections and maintain client trust through consistent updates and clear expectations. ## Prepare Before You Leave - Secure clients or an employer before booking a one-way ticket. - Building relationships while still nearby makes hiring easier and reduces financial pressure. - Meet prospective clients in person when possible to understand their communication styles and business needs. - Grow a client network by: - Attending design meetups and tech events. - Posting freelance services on Craigslist. - Completing initial projects before explaining long-term travel plans. - Regularly reminding professional contacts that you are accepting work. ## Set Up the Freelance Business Complete administrative tasks before traveling, since registering and managing a business from abroad can be difficult. - Consider forming an LLC for potential business deductions. - Open a separate business checking account. - Create a portfolio website with contact information. - Prepare business cards and other promotional materials. - Work with an accountant to manage taxes. - Register the business name. ## Plan for Reliable Internet Internet access is essential for conference calls, email, and collaborative design work. - Research WiFi quality at each accommodation and check reviews for complaints. - Ask hosts to provide a connection-speed test if necessary. - Carry a backup SIM card or mobile-data option. - Warn clients in advance if connectivity may be unreliable. - Use cloud-based collaboration tools such as Figma to share files, collect comments, and avoid repeatedly exporting designs. - Open Figma files before losing connectivity if offline work may be necessary. ## Build a Digital Nomad Community Traveling can be isolating, so designers should intentionally connect with other remote workers. - Join Facebook communities such as Digital Nomads Around the World, Female Digital Nomads, or Digital Nomad Girls. - Consider destinations with established remote-work communities, including: - Hanoi - Chiang Mai - Ubud - Look for cities with strong WiFi, coworking spaces, coffee shops, and a reasonable cost of living. - Structured programs such as Roam and Remote Year can provide a more organized experience. ## Maintain Client Trust Across Time Zones Distance makes transparency and regular communication especially important. - Send clients frequent progress updates; one designer mentioned sending daily emails. - Schedule recurring calls, such as every two days, to answer questions and maintain alignment. - Set clear expectations around availability, time zones, and possible connectivity problems. - Balance work with travel so the nomadic lifestyle does not become an exhausting remote office. A successful UI/UX digital nomad lifestyle depends less on spontaneity than on preparation, dependable infrastructure, and disciplined client communication. Secure work and business systems first, then choose destinations and routines that support both productivity and the freedom to travel.

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