Why the Web Design World is Flocking to Figma
By John Hatherly
The Moncur team lives by an ethos of working together in harmony. And Figma, a web-based design and prototyping tool, is helping us achieve just that. From real-time collaboration anywhere in the world, to an open API for developers to plugin and solve real-world challenges, Figma empowers our team to create the future of digital design today by enabling radical transparency. Here’s how:
Figma works . . . anywhere and on any platform
As a cloud-based technology, Figma is platform-agnostic, meaning it works on any operating system that supports a modern web browser. That’s pretty much all of them after 1995, my friend. Macs, check. Windows, check. That Linux machine your dev team keeps chained up in the basement to crunch crypto algorithms? Yes, even that one. And it’s the only design tool I’ve come across that plays so nicely. In today’s distributed, hybrid model of work, it is essential to ensure that everyone can open, edit, and share design files seamlessly.
Figma works . . . for any digital project
In the summer of 2019, the Figma team (Figsters?) launched an open API for developers to tap into a large demand for project-specific tools. Since then, Figma has grown into an ever-evolving and robust platform with thousands of design tools. Half of my motion work has moved into Figmotion, allowing for even greater efficiencies in workflow without the need to switch between various legacy suites of creative software (I’m not saying you, Adobe, but . . . yeah, you). While many other teams are working on similar products now, the Figma team is excelling at listening to user feedback and quickly implementing updates that help us all grow our capabilities.
Figma works . . . fast
Figma reduces friction between teams by acting as a single source of truth. A Figma file is a living, breathing design document anyone can access for the most up-to-date creative work. Design leads can see where any part of any project is at, helping to keep work on time and budget. Project managers and account executives can easily make notes and refer clients to review new creative work without the redundancy of creating separate files and presentations for review. And speaking of interacting with clients. Figma makes it easy with presenter modes and easy-to-share links. Day-to-day, I spend more time in Figma, and considerably less time bouncing around between ecosystems.
Figma works . . . for free
The future of creative work is more inclusive. As a ‘non-traditional’ designer, I took a decidedly different path to becoming an art director. About a decade ago, I opened my computer and Googled, ‘How to become a graphic designer’. GIMP and Inkscape were the first tools I used. They were free-but-terrible facsimiles of professional software out of reach for me financially. It took a few years until I was able to afford tools most people take for granted. Those are years I had to learn the hard way. And while the entire Figma experience isn’t free, the open-source community has come a long way because of companies like Figma’s adopting open-source approaches to software development. As a kid who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, thank you Figma.
Figma works . . . for you
Crafting industry-leading brand communication means perpetually seeking out the best tools and partnerships. With an ease of use, accessibility, and open-source extensibility, Figma’s ethos of radical transparency is helping us to collaborate on any digital project with anyone in the world. Not only does it help accelerate turnaround times for our clients, it gives us more time to spend doing what we do best—helping our clients communicate beautifully.
Moving a creative team to new ways of production can be daunting, but we believe that the efficiencies and new capabilities gained through Figma are immeasurable. If you’re interested in learning how we can leverage Figma to bring your next digital project to life, contact us today.