Why transparent, open design leads to happier clients | Figma Blog

Citrusbyte argues that sharing unfinished design work with clients creates better collaboration, faster workflows, and stronger project outcomes. Using Figma’s cloud-based, real-time environment, clients can observe progress, provide precise feedback, and participate directly instead of waiting for polished presentations. Although transparency can expose messy creative stages, Citrusbyte manages expectations through clear communication and finds that openness ultimately produces happier clients.

Why Transparency Matters

• Citrusbyte, a 90-person strategy, design, and development firm, shares raw, in-progress design files with clients.
• The company moved away from traditional siloed design, where designers work privately and present finished deliverables.
• Earlier tools such as Sketch and Photoshop made continuous transparency difficult, requiring teams to export and email files or use file-sharing services.
• Figma enables:
  • Always-current cloud files
  • Link-based sharing
  • Simultaneous collaboration
  • Real-time visibility into design changes
• Clients gain a stronger sense of security and involvement because the work is not hidden in a “black box.”
• Citrusbyte explains that unfinished work is part of the process, comparing it to seeing a bicycle being assembled rather than expecting a finished bike immediately.
• Bringing clients directly into the project increases buy-in and improves their understanding of the work.

Faster Feedback and Fewer Handoffs

• Before Figma, clients often reviewed PNGs or PDFs and responded through email or Slack.
• Vague feedback created unnecessary back-and-forth because clients could not clearly identify which design element they meant.
• Prototype tools such as InVision required designers to save, flatten, and re-upload new versions whenever designs changed.
• With Figma:
  • Prototypes update automatically as the source design changes.
  • Clients can experiment with content, such as headline copy, themselves.
  • Designers spend less time handling minor text revisions and file management.
• Figma’s observation mode allows clients and teams to follow a presenter’s screen directly during reviews, eliminating the need to prepare specially polished presentation files.
• Citrusbyte designer Sam Small estimates that Figma saves him 30–50% of his previous workflow time.

Business and Client Benefits

• Removing repetitive steps allows Citrusbyte to handle more work and meet aggressive deadlines.
• Regular reviews—sometimes daily—keep clients closely aligned with project progress.
• Faster review cycles and continuous visibility improve trust and collaboration.
• The approach helped Citrusbyte grow from primarily serving startups to working with major companies including Apple, Sony, Intel, and AT&T.

Citrusbyte’s experience suggests that transparent, collaborative design works best when paired with clear expectations. Teams should expose work early, use tools that support real-time collaboration, and treat clients as active participants rather than occasional reviewers.