Issue no.2: Rework your work
The year is winding down, and we’re gearing up.
Share Issue no.2: Rework your work
Hero illustration by Adèle Verlinden
Join us in resisting the Q4 doldrums by celebrating the designers, builders, and thinkers leading a system override. From stories on the power of thinking small, to the ways AI and prototyping are poised to help us smash through old workflows, it’s the toolkit you need to build better.
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Small but mighty
“You can make a bigger positive impact by focusing on the little actions users take most often than by adding a seemingly flashy feature that they don’t use,” says Sho Kuwamoto, Vice President of Product. We sat down with Sho to learn why shipping improvements and bug fixes aimed at quality of life is a foundational ritual at Figma. Whether it’s saving time or anticipating a need, creating a great product experience comes down to the details.
Breaking barriers with AI
Zooming out and panning over, we check in with the product team to learn why and how they brought generative AI into FigJam. “At Figma, when we talk about lowering the floor and raising the ceiling, we mean creating products that are more accessible but also expand what’s possible,” says Noah Levin, Vice President of Product Design. Our new AI-powered features generate custom templates and diagrams, summarize content, and sort stickies, making it easier for everyone on a product team to plan, sync, and brainstorm together.
Prototyping culture
Prototyping offers more than a final flourish—it’s an indispensable step in the many stages of product development. After all, prototypes concretize a design concept for collaborators to explore, react to, and refine. Prototyping gives designers more agency and empowers the entire team with better insights. Here’s how it can streamline your process and supercharge your efficiency.
Calling all creators
What do a pair of digital googly eyes, a line of cascading text, and a code-generating plugin all have in common? They were made with the help of the Creator Fund, our grant program supporting free widgets, plugins, and files made by and for the Figma Community. Check out some of the amazing resources created by our first cohort of grant recipients and learn how you can apply to jump-start your next project.
Rabbit hole
Illustrations by Laura Simonati and Jay Daniel Wright
1. A New Year’s resolution from coach and strategist Sara Wachter-Boettcher: Instead of trying to prove your worth as a designer, let the work speak for itself.
2. It’s a tactic to continue the upward trend. According to our new report, 69% of designers feel their job prospects have improved Our new report examines what it takes for designers to feel fulfilled and satisfied in their roles now that work has radically changed.
Are designers happy? Our new “State of the Designer” report aims to find out
3. Speaking of happiness—learn how to fall (back) in love with tech, pick up new work lingo, chart a career pivot, and more in Figma’s 2023 Handoff We’re ushering in the new year by reflecting on some of the big moments, ideas, launches, and lessons we’ve learned along the way. Join us in taking stock and signing off to 2023, and bringing the best of Figma into 2024.Figma’s 2023 Handoff
The last word
