figmaApr 20, 2021

Introducing FigJam | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

FigJam is Figma’s online whiteboard for collaborative brainstorming and early-stage design. Figma argues that remote work and the shift toward cross-functional collaboration have created a need for more informal, shared online spaces—not just tools for producing finished designs. FigJam addresses this with a lightweight, approachable environment that connects directly to Figma. ## Why Figma Built FigJam - Remote work has reduced in-person collaboration and increased reliance on online tools. - People were already using Figma for activities beyond interface design, including games, icebreakers, meal planning, and brainstorming. - These uses showed that teams wanted a place to share ideas and connect without necessarily designing products. - Figma concluded that these interactions needed a dedicated space where non-designers felt welcome while designers still felt at home. - The product also supports Figma’s broader goal of making design accessible to everyone by involving more people earlier in the design process. ## FigJam’s Role in Early-Stage Design - FigJam is described as a lightweight, easier-to-learn version of Figma for ideation and brainstorming. - Teams can use it to: - Define user problems - Gather inspiration - Explore product ideas - Map user flows - Build and document processes - Multiplayer tools include sticky notes, emojis, drawing tools, stamps, and cursor-based chats. - Shapes, lines, and connectors make diagramming and systems thinking easier. ## Collaboration and Connection - Built-in audio lets teams discuss ideas without switching to a phone or video call. - FigJam integrates seamlessly with Figma, allowing work to move from initial concepts through final prototypes in one ecosystem. - Expressive features such as emojis, stamps, and cursor chats are intended to make collaboration feel warmer, more spontaneous, and more enjoyable. - The product is designed to combine practical functionality with the informal energy of “hanging out” together online. ## Early Users and Pricing - Teams at Stripe, Netflix, Salesforce, Twitch, and Discord tested FigJam during its development. - Discord’s design leadership praised it as a focused, uncomplicated version of Figma suitable for brainstorms, retrospectives, and similar activities. - FigJam was free for everyone through the end of 2021. - Planned 2022 pricing included free and paid plans costing $3 and $5 per editor per month. FigJam’s central promise is to give distributed teams an inviting, collaborative space where product ideas can emerge before formal design work begins.

user-flowsfigmafigjamcollaboration+3

figmaAug 12, 2020

How we use Figma templates to facilitate collaboration at Shopify | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Shopify developed a standardized Figma template to make project files easier for designers, product managers, engineers, and other collaborators to navigate. The template applies Shopify’s lightweight “Get Sh*t Done” framework—Think, Explore, and Build—while presenting build-ready work first. Consistent file structure, clear status indicators, dates, links, and annotations reduce confusion about a project’s current state and next steps. ## The Problem: Collaboration Creates File Complexity - Figma makes collaboration easy, but projects accumulate designs, prototypes, feedback, and multiple versions over time. - Teams were using different file-organization methods, making it difficult to find: - The latest designs - Approved layouts - Prototypes intended for user testing - Relevant project context and contacts - Shopify’s template provides a predictable structure across files and helps teams start projects faster. ## The Template’s Project Structure - The template is based on Shopify’s “Get Sh*t Done” framework: - **Think:** Understand the problem space. - **Explore:** Investigate and test possible solutions. - **Build:** Finalize the chosen direction for implementation. - Pages appear in reverse process order, with build-ready work placed first so collaborators see the most important information immediately. - Teams should create the cover and project overview first, then begin documenting the Think phase before moving into exploration. ## Cover and Project Overview - The cover communicates: - Project name - Owning team - Current project status - A cover also makes files easier to identify in Figma’s grid view. - The status indicator should be updated as the project progresses. - The project overview provides: - Additional context - Links to briefs, research, and related documents - Contact information for questions and feedback - Links to documents or Slack profiles can be added directly to the Figma file for quick access. ## Think: Establish the Foundation - The Think section collects the information needed to understand the project and begin design work. - Useful content includes: - User flows and journey maps - Job stories - Design sprint explorations - Screenshots and previous designs - Inspiration and links to external documents - Its purpose is to preserve the project’s background and problem space before solutions are explored. ## Explore: Investigate Possible Solutions - Explore is the flexible collaboration area where teams diverge, test ideas, and converge on promising approaches. - Recommended practices include: - Create separate pages for different devices or form factors. - Add titles to explorations and flows. - Use badges to show the state of each exploration. - Add a date to every new page to indicate freshness. - Keep user-testing prototypes on separate pages. - Use sticky notes for commentary, ideas, and feedback. - This section is expected to contain substantial collaboration, comments, and alternative layouts. ## Build: Prepare the Chosen Direction - Once a solution is selected, move the relevant pages or layouts from Explore into Build. - This keeps finalized work separate from experimentation and makes implementation-ready designs easier to find. - The structure supports a clear transition from exploration to delivery while preserving earlier thinking and feedback. Using a shared template like Shopify’s gives every collaborator the same mental model for navigating Figma files. Teams should adapt the sections as needed, while consistently maintaining project status, dates, ownership, context, and a clear separation between exploratory and implementation-ready work.

user-flowsfigmadesign-systemsprototyping+2

figmaJun 30, 2020

How Clearstep simplifies the experience of finding care online | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Clearstep built a symptom-checking and care-routing platform to make finding healthcare less stressful and more actionable. The platform helps users determine whether they need care, identify suitable providers based on location and insurance, estimate costs, and schedule appointments. The team relied on iterative design, shared styles, and real-time collaboration in Figma to manage complex patient flows and customized health-system branding. ## Designing a Complex Healthcare Experience - Clearstep launched its platform in 2018 to guide patients from symptom evaluation to appropriate care. - Its features include: - Symptom checking and care recommendations - Provider matching based on location and insurance network - Insurance eligibility checks - Cost estimates - Direct appointment scheduling - Because the product influences thousands of patients’ healthcare decisions, the team prioritized both speed and accuracy in design. ## Testing Information-Dense User Flows - The team iterated extensively on how users move through symptom checking and compare care options. - Figma’s Smart Selection made repetitive tasks, such as reordering care options, faster through drag-and-drop editing. - Typography and button copy were refined through user testing because small changes affected navigation and decision-making. - Automatically resizing button text allowed the team to test different wording efficiently. ## Managing Custom Branding - Clearstep licenses its platform to health systems, requiring white-labeled versions with different customer branding. - Designers created new Figma files for each client and quickly added custom color palettes. - Color Styles enabled multiple designs to be updated at once. - Approved styles could be published to a shared Library so every editor worked from the same branding system. ## Collaborating Remotely - Figma’s multiplayer features allowed Peter Garber and Annie Kramer to edit, review, and improve designs simultaneously. - Shared text and color styles kept design and engineering work synchronized. - Prototypes could be shared through browser links, allowing the broader team to review changes in real time. - Named, color-coded cursors, observation mode, and comments reduced reliance on screen sharing and made feedback easier to track. ## Moving from Design to Implementation - Engineers used Figma’s Color Styles, Code panel, spacing labels, and export tools to translate designs into working interfaces. - Developers could access assets directly rather than relying on manual downloads or lengthy handoff conversations. - Centralized styles helped preserve consistency between the final designs and implementation. Clearstep’s approach shows how collaborative design tools can help healthcare teams simplify complicated workflows, support customer-specific branding, and move efficiently from tested interface concepts to implementation.

user-flowsfigmadesign-systemsprototyping+2