Is Figma Still on Top?

📰 3 DESIGN ARTICLES

The Fall of Figma?

• Product designer Maureen Herben delves into the rise and potential fall of Figma, exploring how controversial UI redesign, pricing issues, and the emergence of competitors like Penpot and AI-powered options may impact UX’s current top tool.
  
• These elements threaten Figma's dominance and raise questions about its future role for designers, especially as new tools could challenge traditional design software or make it obsolete.
  
• “For years, there were no alternatives that came even close to the experience Figma delivers to its users. Today, new (AI-powered) design tools come up that actually are viable alternatives that could fill Figma’s boots.”

Tips for Meaningful Design Reviews

• Product Design Manager Ted Goas outlines the principles of good design he uses to direct his team, emphasizing the importance of clear narratives around goals, innovative thinking, and strategic collaboration when discussing work.
  
• Highlighting the necessity of moving beyond superficial feedback, the article advocates for designers to explore multiple solutions to demonstrate their thinking and creativity—a crucial skill as they move into more senior roles.
  
• “Coming up with different ways to solve a problem shows that you’re not just doing what you’re told, but really using your own judgment. That’s what makes someone great in a senior role. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and suggest bold ideas.”

Publishers are Redesigning the News

• Journalist Diana Budds examines the transformation of news media in the digital age, highlighting the use of UX tools and design thinking in journalism and publication to enhance reader accessibility, unify branding, streamline workflows, and more.
  
• The article dissects these changes across several large news providers, such as showcasing how The New York Times transitioned to a digital-first approach when redesigning its app to improve user navigation and engagement.
• “Whether redesigning an app, introducing a typeface, or launching a website, teams need to stay in lockstep to uphold accuracy, clarity, and accessibility as they experiment with new ways to dispatch the news.”

💜 PORTFOLIO INSPIRATION

Brenda Narvaez, a UX Academy graduate, brings her background in healthcare to her mobile design for Remi, an app made to help users better understand and keep track of their prescribed medications. The thread of health and wellness ties her portfolio together nicely, seen again in the end-to-end design of Lumi, a skincare app meant to be educational and accessible so users can more confidently manage a customized skincare routine.

Got a portfolio you love that you’d like to share with our audience? Email your suggestions to hello@designlab.com.

💡 INTERESTING STUFF...

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• Introducing Claude 3.7 Sonnet
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• Designers are Using AI All Wrong

It's through mistake that you can actually grow. You have to get bad in order to get good. — Paula Scher (graphic designer and painter)

🧪 FROM THE LAB

🚀 Courses Launching Soon

Design 101 (Launching 3/7):

• Perfect for: Marketers, educators, or other non-designers who create or collaborate on visuals deliverables
• You’ll learn: Foundational design principles that will have you designing better (and more effectively) fast
• Course length: Four weeks

Advanced Figma (Launching 3/7):

• Perfect for: Experienced designers wanting to become more efficient with complex Figma features
• You’ll learn: Proficiency with Figma’s auto layout feature, reusable components, design systems, and more
• Course length: Four weeks

AI for Visual Design (Launching 3/7):

• Perfect for: Entrepreneurs, designers, marketers, or anyone wanting to gain proficiency with industry-leading generative AI tools
• You’ll learn: Prompt crafting, working with complex visual ideas such as branding and storytelling, animating with AI, and more
• Course length: Four weeks

UX Academy Foundations (Launching 3/10):

• Perfect for: Those totally new to UX design looking to learn the fundamentals in a supportive structure
• You’ll learn: Visual and UI design foundations, proficiency in Figma, how to iterate on design work, integrating AI, and more. Be fully prepared for UX Academy upon completion.
• Course length: Flexible over four to eight weeks

🎤 Upcoming AI Design Event

Join us this coming Tuesday, March 4th, at 1pm ET for our hands-on workshop “AI for Creative Workflows”. Transform your creative practice with AI-powered tools in this 60-minute session presented by 24|7 & Designlab.

Led by AI expert and the creator of Designlab’s AI for Visual Design course, Sachin Kamath, you'll learn how to harness Midjourney and other cutting-edge AI technologies to enhance your creative workflow, overcome common challenges, and develop strategies for seamlessly integrating AI into your professional toolkit. Register here to attend.