Learning and failing as a team | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Config Europe highlighted how better products emerge from better teamwork. Figma argues that inclusive processes, cross-functional collaboration, and a willingness to fail openly help teams build more human-centered experiences. The success of its Variants feature demonstrates that iterative testing and diverse perspectives can turn early shortcomings into meaningful improvements.

Learning Through Collaboration

• Figma’s virtual Config Europe conference explored both product craft and team culture.
• Sessions covered:
  • Accessibility-first design
  • Keeping design aligned with code
  • Technology ethics
  • Collaboration and shared failure
• The central theme was balancing product function with human feeling while working more effectively together.

Expanding the Team

• UX designer Declan Talbert presents design systems as services for entire product teams, not merely pattern libraries for designers.
• An inclusive design system can contain:
  • UI components
  • Accessibility guidance
  • Data resources
  • Project-management tools
• Designers, developers, product managers, and other contributors should all be able to participate.
• Broader collaboration and diverse skills lead to more human-centered products and services.

Failing Together on Variants

• Product Manager Kelsey Whelan and Product Designer Nikolas Klein describe shared failure as a major factor in the development of Figma’s Variants feature.
• Early testing showed that the feature was powerful but difficult to approach, contradicting the team’s initial assumptions.
• Usability testing expanded from a planned couple of weeks into four rounds over six weeks.
• Figma invited employees from different roles—including design advocates, product educators, and engineering managers—to participate remotely through Zoom.
• Participants identified usability problems and bugs, while a dedicated Slack channel helped coordinate fixes.
• Repeated testing made the feature more intuitive and reinforced the idea of “failing forward”: using visible mistakes to improve the product and strengthen team culture.

Figma’s practical recommendation is to open product development to more people, test ideas early, and treat failure as shared information rather than individual blame.