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Issue no.10: Skill share

Figma
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With Config 2025 just around the corner, product builders will be gathering to share the skills, tools, and strategies that fuel their work.

Share Issue no.10: Skill share

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In the spirit of knowledge sharing, we’re passing along some of our favorite lessons on design and development. Beyond how to operationalize craft, facilitate handoff, or craft copy, these practical guides teach us that there’s always more to learn.

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10 rules for craft

Gone are the days of “move fast and break things.” In today’s design-conscious market, standing out means committing to quality and craft. That’s certainly been the M.O. at software development platform Linear, where Karri Saarinen is Co-founder and CEO. Ahead of his keynote talk at Config, we asked Karri how his company cultivates craft at every level.

An illustration of Karri Saarinen, a man with brown hair and a short beard, wearing a blue shirt against a yellow background.An illustration of Karri Saarinen, a man with brown hair and a short beard, wearing a blue shirt against a yellow background.

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Karri Saarinen’s 10 rules for crafting products that stand out

Linear’s CEO shares his approach to quality at a time when “move fast and break things” no longer cuts it—catch him at Config 2025 alongside a lineup of makers redefining tech’s future.

A guide to handoff

How well designers and developers collaborate is make or break for product teams—but going from design to build can put their motivations and skills at odds. To bridge the gap, we put together a tactical guide to handoff, focusing on three principles: fostering curiosity, opening up communication, and aligning on what “good” looks like.

An illustration shows hikers navigating a forested mountain by reading trailmarkers.An illustration shows hikers navigating a forested mountain by reading trailmarkers.

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The designer’s handbook for developer handoff

A tactical guide to collaborating with your developer counterparts, including common pitfalls, practical tips, and guidance on when to lean in.

Why writing matters

To be good product builders, we need to be good storytellers. Whether it’s describing technical architecture, presenting new features, or pitching product roadmaps, success often depends on clearly articulating a vision. We outline how to bring that vision to life through the written word.

A handwritten serif text with blue outlines and red fill reads, “Why everyone can (and should) be a great storyteller!” A handwritten serif text with blue outlines and red fill reads, “Why everyone can (and should) be a great storyteller!”

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Stylized text reading "Why Everyone CAN (and Should) Be a Great Storyteller!" in a bold, serif typeface. The text is red with a blue outline and slightly misaligned, creating a hand-drawn, printmaking-inspired effect. The words are arranged dynamically, with varying sizes and angles, on a light beige background.Stylized text reading "Why Everyone CAN (and Should) Be a Great Storyteller!" in a bold, serif typeface. The text is red with a blue outline and slightly misaligned, creating a hand-drawn, printmaking-inspired effect. The words are arranged dynamically, with varying sizes and angles, on a light beige background.

Why everyone can (and should) be a great storyteller

The best products, designs, and ideas come from people who can clearly articulate their vision, regardless of their role. Here’s why writing matters—and how to be a storyteller who brings ideas to life.

Build for the long term

With AI tools advancing at breakneck speed, designers and product builders aren’t just concerned with making things work—they’re focused on making things work well. In this conversation with Y Combinator’s Garry Tan, Figma Co-founder and CEO Dylan Field explains why play and experimentation are crucial to the product development process, and shares his advice for founders today.

An abstract collage of rounded shapes and patterns overlap on a dark yellow background.An abstract collage of rounded shapes and patterns overlap on a dark yellow background.

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In Conversation: Dylan Field and Garry Tan on design, AI, and the power of “locking in”

On exploring the idea maze, vibe coding, and preserving craft even when the models are “cooking.”

Rabbit hole

Alt text: 1) abstract pixelated orange, green, and blue shapes 2) a mobile phone showing the New York Times app with 2024 Election Day coverage 3) three concentric circles portray a business’s growing market shareAlt text: 1) abstract pixelated orange, green, and blue shapes 2) a mobile phone showing the New York Times app with 2024 Election Day coverage 3) three concentric circles portray a business’s growing market share

1. “Vibe coding” has entered the chat

Double click: When coding becomes conversation

Developers are embracing a new way of building software that’s more conversation than code. But is it more mayhem than magic?

. Here’s why some developers are embracing the new wave of building software—and why others are leaving it on read.

2. What does it take to “design at the speed of the news

An illustration of a news office with people walking and meeting in glass-walled conference roomsAn illustration of a news office with people walking and meeting in glass-walled conference rooms

In good company: How publishers use Figma to help design the news

At trusted titles like The New York Times, The Economist, and The Minnesota Star Tribune, great design can support great journalism. Here’s how media teams use Figma to collaborate on news design and explore new formats.

”? The New York Times, The Economist, and The Minnesota Star Tribune give us the scoop on how they use Figma to collaborate.

3. Teams are using Figma Slides to power client presentations, product roadmaps, fundraising, and beyond. Take a slide out of their book

An illustration shows layered frames filled with abstract shapesAn illustration shows layered frames filled with abstract shapes

How teams tap into the power of design with Figma Slides

Today, we’re announcing new features in Figma Slides that unlock high-fidelity design and cross-functional collaboration.

by tapping into new features and community templates.

The last word

"You need a team that views the spec as the baseline, not the finish line." -Karri Saarinen, Co-founder and CEO, Linear"You need a team that views the spec as the baseline, not the finish line." -Karri Saarinen, Co-founder and CEO, Linear

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