SwingDev - a hippo company’s Post

Exciting news, everyone! 🚀 I'm thrilled to share my debut Medium article where I dive into the journey of crafting a streamlined design documentation framework at SwingDev. From organizing Figma space to crafting comprehensive project overviews and perfecting handoff file preparation, this piece is packed with insights and strategies. Don't miss out, give it a read and let me know your thoughts💡 https://lnkd.in/dTRnHMqj #DesignDocumentation #WorkflowOptimization #EfficiencyBoost

💡 Why we do need more critiques! Design critiques are a popular way to get quick feedback on design ideas and solutions. In the past, when working in agencies, we would call our colleagues over to our desks to show our drafts and get different perspectives, ultimately improving our solutions. Now that we are working remotely, we can smoothly conduct design critiques through FigJam. Interestingly, it was Figma's team that made me realize the importance of a similar dynamic for developers. After all, if design critiques work for designers, why not for engineers too? Design/Eng critiques are a brilliant concept that can help break down isolation and limitations for individuals responsible for defining processes, procedures, and architectures. Especially in remote teams! Have a good read:

Ever find yourself juggling countless details in a design project, unsure where to start? I’ve been there, trying to balance user needs and client demands while staying organized and efficient—until I embraced the power of Figma outlines. Here’s the reality: creating user-centric designs goes beyond just aesthetics; it requires structure and clarity. Figma’s outline feature brings that clarity, helping me visualize and manage every screen and component effectively. With this tool, I can prioritize, iterate, and ensure that no detail is overlooked. Here’s how Figma outlines enhance my workflow: → Clarity: Outlines allow me to see the full structure of the project at a glance. From login screens to order tracking, everything is laid out systematically. → Hierarchy: By organizing screens logically, I can ensure that essential flows like checkout or profile editing are always easy to access and refine. → Iteration: With all elements visually mapped, iterating on features becomes seamless. For example, tweaking the payment method section or adding new functionalities is straightforward. → Efficiency: Outlines reduce confusion and save time by providing a clear roadmap of the design. Collaboration with developers and stakeholders becomes a breeze when everyone understands the structure. Figma outlines aren’t just a feature—they’re a game-changer for anyone striving to bring order to creative chaos. P.S. How do you keep your design projects structured and organized? Let’s share insights in the comments!

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗮 𝗯𝗲 100% 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲? ✍️ A day in the life of a design system designer. I was in an alignment meeting with designers and engineers today, discussing how we're structuring our new refined Select component. The main challenge so far is finding that sweet spot where it's easy for designers to work in Figma while also aligning it with code. Right after the meeting, I read an article, Rethinking Atomic Design, that brings the idea that "what is an atom in code is not necessarily an atom in design" – the exact point we've been reflecting. ☝️ Design often requires more elements or layers to work right in Figma and fulfil the needs of our product designers. If we break down our components layer by layer, we start to question: ↳ How far should we adapt design files to fit the code structure? ↳ Should we prioritise practical solutions for designers? This leads us to some key decision points: ↳ Should we aim for consistency across disciplines, or ↳ Focus on usability for day-to-day work? 💡 Well, maybe we can do a little bit of both. So far, our approach has been to make things easy for our users while using one of our main superpowers: communication. For example, with our Select component: ↳ We are adding an extra group layer on the dropdown to make it easier for designers to customise it. ↳ This would be an empty div in code – we don't need it there. ↳ This difference is highlighted during handover, communicated to engineers, and documented in our guidelines. We face some challenges around the (mis)alignment of design and code, so these conversations become more and more important for creating the best outcomes for designers and engineers. By communicating more with our engineers and getting better day by day, we encourage product designers to do the same. 🎉 Yay for refining existing components! 🎉 Yay for bridging that familiar gap! I'd love to know: how do you approach this alignment between design and code?

Picture this: You've landed your first design gig 🥳, excited to dive into your first project but even though you know the design basics, certain skills will make or break your daily workflow. Listen up, junior designers! I want to provide you industry-based lesson which is super important yet quite small that sometimes we end up missing them. As a result, struggle starts 😬 Here’s my “Avoid rookie mistakes” list that can help you streamline your workflow from the beginning. Let’s break it into buckets: 1. Tool mastery (Figma): Make sure to have a good command over these features of Figma as you will be going to use them in your daily design workflow. ✅ Auto-layout ✅ Components ✅ Styles & libraries ✅ Breakpoints (responsiveness) ✅ Prototyping ✅ Pen tool ✅ Variables ✅ Dev mode 2. Developer handoff and documentation: There are tonnes of resources out there to learn the basics of documentation and handoff, and you'll learn even more as you start collaborating with developers. For now, I can share how I do handoff: ✅ Talk to your devs early on to understand how they prefer receiving designs and documentation. Adapt your style accordingly! ✅ Provide a clear rationale for your design choices. This helps them understand the context for implementation and makes it easier to discuss any constraints. ✅ Use clear naming conventions and label every flow thoroughly. Include instructions on how to navigate your file. ✅ At the beginning of your Figma file, include project goals & objectives (business goals, user stories, design goals). If you have a detailed PRD, you might not need to duplicate that info. ✅ Clearly outline different flows (happy path, error states, edge cases, default/empty cases). Anticipate where they might need extra notes or clarification. Experienced designers, what would you add to this 'Avoid rookie mistakes' list?

It's crazy, the best way to thrive here is to align your skill set with AI as soon as possible to stay relevant and employed.

Rebuilding the Foundation: Lessons Learned from Design System Maintenance Anyone who's worked with a design system knows the struggle of maintaining it. Especially when Figma throws an update your way, and suddenly that same component you just fixed is acting up again (you know the one!). In my previous role, I dealt with this frustration all too often. Our design system, built during a fast-paced growth period, had become a mixed bag of components – some from earlier designs, others from the latest update. This inconsistency led to: ☑️ Broken components: Countless hours spent wrestling with Figma updates and broken designs in both the design system and live products. (Attach an example image here of a broken component) ☑️ Static workarounds: Relying on static images for the content map, just to avoid developer headaches from missing design elements. I planned a design system rebuild to address these issues. Here's what I learned: ⚛️ Identify the Root Cause: It's not about quick fixes, it's about understanding why components keep breaking. Is it a complex interaction? Naming conventions? Fixing the root cause saves time in the long run. ⚛️ Embrace Figma's Features: Variants can be your friend! They allow for different component states within the same instance, reducing the need for multiple components prone to breaking. Versioning is another lifesaver – track changes and revert if needed. ⚛️ Tokenization for Efficiency: We tokenized the design system, replacing static values with reusable tokens (like colors, spacing, fonts). This makes updates a breeze and ensures consistency across the system. A well-maintained design system is the cornerstone of a consistent and efficient design language. By rebuilding ours, we aimed to: 🔸Prioritize & Plan: Focus on the most problematic components first (looking at you, frequently-breaking friend!) and break down the rebuild into manageable tasks. 🔸Collaboration is Key: Involve developers in the process to ensure the new system is not only beautiful but also implementable and maintainable. 🔸Communication is King: Keep stakeholders informed throughout the rebuild – timeline, changes, and potential impact on existing projects. What are your experiences with design system maintenance? Share your challenges and wins in the comments! #designsystem #figma #design #userexperience #ui

🚀 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟲 - 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻-𝗢𝗳𝗳: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚, 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬, 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 – 𝙎𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙. I am thrilled to introduce 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻-𝗢𝗳𝗳, a powerful and customizable 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 for Figma and 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗝𝗮𝗺 that enhances the design review and approval process. This tool facilitates seamless collaboration among designers, product owners, content writers, and other stakeholders, ensuring alignment and efficiency from design to development. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝘄:  https://lnkd.in/gdKsrESE 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: https://lnkd.in/gs2sWW7y 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀: 👥 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Easily add and manage designers, product owners, content writers, and others responsible for reviewers. ✅ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: Change the status of designs with a simple button click. 📝 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Include remarks and notes for future reference. 🔗 𝗝𝗶𝗿𝗮 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲: Provide a space to add Jira ticket numbers or links for easy access. 🎨 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Supports multiple theme colors and offers both Light and Dark modes to suit any workspace preference. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲: When a design is completed, a lead product designer or senior team member can review and approve it. This can then be shared with other stakeholders responsible for reviewing and approving. As an example the product owner ensures the design aligns with business objectives, while the content writer checks for copy issues and suggests corrections. This collaborative process guarantees thorough reviews and a streamlined workflow from design to development. 🤝 Give it a try and explore the Design Sign-Off widget today and streamline your design approvals like never before! If you find it helpful, feel free to share and let the community know. If this widget improves your workflow in any way, please leave a comment with your thoughts, suggestions, or any improvements you'd like to see. Your feedback is invaluable in making Design Sign-Off even better! 💬✨ #DesignSignOff #FigmaWidget #DesignCollaboration #ProductDesign #UXDesign #DesignCommunity #FreeTool #FeedbackWelcome Let’s make design approvals easier, together! 💪

Exciting updates from Figma are here to streamline your design process! Introducing Dev Mode, a dedicated space for developers that enhances collaboration with designers. Dev Mode integrates with popular tools like Jira and GitHub and includes a handy VS Code extension. Figma has also improved Dynamic Prototyping with high-fidelity prototypes and conditional logic, making your designs more interactive and efficient. The Auto Layout feature now offers better responsiveness, adjusting components smoothly across various screens. The new Better Font Picker simplifies typography, allowing you to preview and select fonts directly within Figma. Additionally, Variables help maintain consistency across designs by storing reusable values like colors and text. Figma's AI features are also getting an upgrade, offering intelligent suggestions and enhancements to speed up your workflow. The Floating Menu provides quick access to essential tools, keeping your workspace organized and efficient. Figma is also focusing on data protection with EU hosting options for Enterprise customers, ensuring compliance with European regulations. These updates will roll out to users throughout 2024, enhancing both security and functionality. For more details, check out https://forum.figma.com/