Two years after adopting Figma for design and development, our work has never been faster. Here's how.
More than a better end product – a better process
At Genuine, we think the process is just as important as the final result and we’re always looking for ways for our teams to connect with clients more efficiently and effectively.
So little did we know, when Doug Barba joined us as design director in Jan 2023 and asked if he could take Figma on a test drive, how much this platform would become integral to our practices and process.
Why we love Figma
So what is it about Figma?
ICYMI, Figma is a design and development platform that enables open communication between agency and client collaborators. It’s an environment that anyone can jump in and contribute to without much onboarding. It also accelerates the design-to-development pipeline with faster handoffs, and allows developers to come into discussions earlier in the process to minimize friction later on.
The best part is, it’s a virtual environment we can bring our clients into directly to review, comment on, and even add to designs alongside us. Our resident UXpert Joi McClain breaks it down like this: “I see Figma as a Bridge, not a Battleground. True collaboration is less about endless meetings and micromanaging, and more about shared visibility and open communication.”
Having a platform this transparent removes common problems found in our industry, such as messy handoffs, inconsistent naming conventions, and lack of version control. Figma simply takes a lot of those issues out of the equation, as our Front End practice lead Lead Ryan Coates breaks down with a crucial example. “Our designers use variables – reusable properties that apply to all kinds of designs, elements, and interactions – in Figma to ensure consistency across our designs. They allow developers to reflect design updates with a single line of code, which is a game-changer in my day-to-day work.”
Finally, another huge benefit to clients is the ability to preview animations and movement in a digital experience, through prototyping that helps lead to a more polished product. All the elements of a digital experience that would need to be shown in several different apps, or developed into a prototype first to see, can now be shown in Figma natively during the design process. And that makes the work easier for everyone.
How we’ve used it: The proof is in the Figma
When we started with Figma, prototypes and responsive designs were an immediate win for our creative and accounts teams. Since then, almost everyone at Genuine has used Figma and loved it, and having one source of truth has inspired many of our clients to embrace it, too. Receiving client comments like “this is going to bewilder and demoralize the competition” just confirms that we’re doing something right. Here are just a couple of examples…
Guess The Sketch
With Google’s new Generative AI game, we created a brand and front-end design in about a week. Wireframing quickly aligned us on the experience while design worked on a “Google-y” logo and brand expression. First designs were reviewed as full prototypes at multiple breakpoints. And even with the tight deadlines, we were able to iterate on a variety of result page solutions.
Mimecast
During our collaborative partnership, we used Figma to explore and evolve the Mimecast brand in digital, developing new brand elements, messaging, and animations for their homepage and select pages. Prioritizing early prototypes of the experience, we were able to bring multiple complex storytelling ideas to life with realistic Figma prototypes. These prototypes were so compelling, and the client was so enthusiastic, that they rebuilt their homepage before we could present a second round of their favorite concept!
Genuine Brand
This one was personal for Doug, who more than anyone at Genuine brought us all onto the same FigJam Board: “I had been building some version of a Pinterest board, Instagram collection, Behance library, or tagged bookmark folder for every project I worked on my entire career. FigJam flies by all that and into a more collaborative space for organizing thoughts and building ideas.”
Within Figma, the team was able to build a robust visual inspiration board and start to delineate what we did and didn’t want the new brand to be. By giving everyone in the creative department a space to contribute together, we were all able to add individual thoughts into something unique, coherent and meaningful.
Ready to Jam?
It’s not hard to see why we love Figma. Creating partnerships with clear communication, trust-building, and a willingness to adapt is always our ultimate goal. So what do you say, wanna FigJam?