Getting into the groove: How music shaped the scatter brushes in Figma Draw | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)
Figma Draw’s 10 new scatter brushes were inspired by music genres, using rhythm, repetition, and texture as guides for visual experimentation. Product designer Rogie King created 99 designs, which the team narrowed down to brushes named Bubblegum, Witch house, Shoegaze, Honky-tonk, Screamo, Drone, Doo-wop, Spoken word, Vaporwave, and Oi!. The project also emphasizes making digital art feel approachable and expressive for users without formal artistic training. ## Music as a Design Framework - Scatter-brush patterns resemble musical beats because their elements repeat along a stroke. - Brush settings such as gap, wiggle, and jitter parallel musical controls like tempo, texture, and volume. - UX writer Molly Rosen Marriner gathered genre ideas from the Every Noise At Once genre map and Figma employees. - Visually suggestive genres—including Electroclash, Drone, and Witch house—helped guide the brush concepts. ## From Genres to Brush Strokes - Rogie began with familiar uses such as stippling and shading, then explored more expressive interpretations. - He listened to representative songs and researched each genre’s visual culture. - The Screamo brush, for example, drew on early-2000s imagery associated with mosh pits, dark clothing, and heavy eyeliner. - He also consulted others, including his son, to better understand genres such as Shoegaze. ## Selecting the Final Collection - Rogie produced 99 scatter-brush designs through an intentionally exploratory process. - The Figma team voted on designs that offered the most flexibility and expressive potential. - Molly later matched the selected brushes to music genres, sometimes inventing or adjusting associations to fit the visuals. - The final set includes 10 brushes designed for stippling, shading, texture, and playful decoration. ## Making Digital Art More Accessible - The brushes expand the emotional and stylistic range available in Figma Draw, from mysterious wisps to repeated smiley-face splatters. - The genre-based names avoid overly technical art-school terminology. - Rogie wanted users to feel free to experiment without needing formal artistic education or experience with physical media. - The collection presents artistic expression as accessible, playful, and open to everyone.