figmaJun 19, 2023

Introducing Shortcut letter from the editor | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Shortcut is Figma’s redesigned blog, created to tell richer stories about the people, processes, and ideas behind new products. Its central philosophy mirrors Figma itself: collaboration, experimentation, and the way user input transforms tools over time. The new experience aims to make content more immersive, discoverable, and inspiring rather than static or one-directional. ## A Blog Built Around Collaboration and Play - Figma compares product development to games, where people create “house rules” and shortcuts to improve shared experiences. - This idea reflects Figma’s history as a web-based, multiplayer design tool. - Although collaborative editing initially seemed risky, user behavior and community feedback helped shape Figma’s evolution. - Shortcut will showcase how teams and users bring collaborative design to life through stories about process, craft, and problem-solving. ## A More Immersive Content Experience - The blog redesign replaces a static reading experience with a more dynamic and visually engaging one. - New articles cover: - Design systems - Engineering - Product design and development - Company culture - Behind-the-scenes work - Technical explorations - Examples include stories about Linear responding to a DDoS attack, font failures, and how Figma’s engineers draw inspiration from gaming. ## Improved Navigation and Visual Identity - Readers can sort content by topic and browse curated special collections. - Shortcut features new illustrations and motion work from a range of independent artists. - The redesign treats editorial design, animation, and artwork as essential parts of the storytelling experience. - Figma also invites writers, designers, and other creatives to collaborate with its editorial team. ## Inspiration Through Shared Ideas - Shortcut is built around “input for output”: one idea should lead to another, with inspiration moving in both directions. - The blog aims to encourage readers—and Figma’s own teams—to experiment, share ideas, and have more fun. - Stories range from curated series such as the Future of Design Systems to opinion essays, technical deep dives, and unexpected examples like a band using a Figma slide deck to relaunch its career. Shortcut positions Figma’s blog as an extension of its collaborative product philosophy: a place where stories, disciplines, and perspectives connect to inspire new possibilities.

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figmaMay 25, 2023

How a Figma Slide Deck Helped Indie Rock Duo Tanlines Launch a Comeback | Figma | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Tanlines’ comeback album, *The Big Mess*, grew out of Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm’s changing lives as parents, professionals, and musicians. To promote the album’s first single, “Outer Banks,” they turned a corporate presentation deck into a music video, using Figma and Google Meet to parody workplace communication while expressing the song’s emotional themes. The project shows how familiar professional tools can become creative, collaborative artistic formats. ## Returning to Tanlines - Cohen and Emm have made music together since 2008, evolving from experimental electronic work and remixes into pop music. - After the band’s second album, Cohen stepped away to raise his first child and later made a children’s record. - Emm eventually assembled songs that became the foundation for *The Big Mess*, and Cohen helped finish them during a working trip to rural Connecticut. - Cohen now views Tanlines as an ongoing life project, similar to the documentary series *7 Up*, revisiting the band as their circumstances change. ## Turning a Corporate Deck into a Music Video - Cohen’s years at YouTube Music and Nike introduced him to decks and meetings as a dominant form of professional communication. - He wanted to tell the story of “Outer Banks” using that shared workplace language. - Former coworker Hunter Ellenbarger created the presentation in Figma. - The original idea was to make a deck for every song and release them through Google Drive or a Figma folder. - Hunter’s deck was strong enough to become the centerpiece of the video, with Emm singing the lyrics as though he were reading the presentation aloud. - Presenting the Figma deck through Google Meet reinforced the joke and connected the video to remote-work culture. ## Making the Deck Feel Authentically Corporate - Cohen’s initial design leaned toward Nike’s polished, editorial presentation style. - Ellenbarger deliberately made the visuals more generic, using: - Graphs and arrows - Flow charts - Corporate phrases such as “insights,” “year over year,” and “results” - Inspirational quotes and familiar meeting-slide conventions - The overly recognizable format creates both humor and emotional resonance for viewers accustomed to workplace presentations. ## The Emotional Meaning of “Outer Banks” - The song references North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a place Cohen has visited throughout his life. - Rather than presenting the beach as a carefree party setting, the song explores memory, family, and mixed emotions. - Its upbeat sound carries a melancholy undertone, consistent with Tanlines’ recurring balance of light and darkness. - The video reframes an ordinary corporate tool as a medium for music, art, and humor, allowing professional audiences to feel recognized rather than mocked. ## Building a New Visual Identity - Longtime collaborator Teddy Blanks helped shape the album packaging, promotional poster, and merchandise. - The visual material draws on 1950s photographs taken in Greece by Emm’s wife’s grandfather while documenting folk tales and songs. - The new artwork moves away from the band’s earlier practice of featuring the musicians’ faces on album covers. - Blanks’ simple, clear design choices support the sense that *The Big Mess* represents a new era for the band. ## Embracing Change and Uncertainty - Cohen describes “aging gracefully” as adapting creative expression to new responsibilities and circumstances. - Returning to music was unexpected but allowed him to reconnect with an important part of his identity. - Unlike earlier album cycles, the band’s future is less predictable, with more uncertainty around touring, work, family, and sustaining a music career in middle age. The project suggests that creative work does not need to reject familiar professional formats; it can transform them. By combining Figma’s collaborative presentation tools, Google Meet’s remote setting, and the language of corporate decks, Tanlines made a comeback video that was both a workplace satire and a sincere reflection on adult life.

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