Is Figma Make ready for primetime?

📰 3 THINGS TO CHECK OUT

Meta's CTO on Navigating the Next Design Paradigm

• Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth outlines 10 principles for designers navigating the next wave of human-computer interaction, such as questioning inherited design assumptions, recognizing when to invent versus optimize, and more.
  
  
• Bosworth urges designers to challenge existing paradigms, suggesting that many current interaction models are outdated and ripe for reinvention, while still putting an emphasis on human-centered design.
  
  
• “I'm excited about tools that understand what you're trying to accomplish. Your tools should have just the right amount of agency to help on your behalf—not too much, not too little.”

Figma Make: Great Ideas, Nowhere to Go

• UX design consultant Roger Wong critiques Figma’s new AI tool Figma Make for generating interactive prototypes, ultimately seeing it as an exciting concept that isn’t quite ready to deliver on its ambitions.
  
  
• While he acknowledges its innovative features, he finds the execution lacking—citing inconsistent results, limited flexibility, and a disconnect between AI output and practical design workflows.
  
  
• “In its current state, Figma Make is a dead end. But it is beta software which should get better before official release. As a preview I think it’s cool, despite its flaws and bugs. But I wouldn’t use it for any actual work.”

Design Isn't Dead!

• UX Design manager Nate Schloesser pushes back against claims that design is becoming obsolete, arguing that such views stem from a shallow understanding of design’s true purpose.
  
  
• Schloesser critiques parts of the design community for focusing too much on aesthetics and AI, urging a shift toward strategic work that focuses on collaboration and solving complex, human-centered problems.
  
  
• “If you’re a designer and you’re scared of AI, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate what you think your job is. If you think the job is just ‘making wireframes’, then yeah, AI might shake you. But design is not production. Design is problem-solving.”

💜 PORTFOLIO INSPIRATION

Avital Ruti, a UX Academy graduate, brings her prior experience in healthcare to the forefront in her design work for wellness app Dot, where she focuses on creating a more usable, accessible, and enjoyable experience for tracking and accomplishing goals. In her redesign for GoSolar, she combines in-depth competitor analysis with a clear understanding of user pain points to streamline the user journey, while also elevating the product’s UI with a comprehensive visual rebrand.

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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Love blinds us. Don’t love anything – an idea, a tool, a graphic, a technique, a technology, a client or a colleague – too much. — Adam Judge, author

🧪 FROM THE LAB

🚨 UX Academy Foundations Starts Soon

Our next cohort of UX Academy Foundations launches in just over a week, on Monday, June 9th. Learn foundational design skills through hands-on projects, work 1:1 with an industry expert mentor, and join our supportive community. Gain proficiency with Figma, begin to integrate AI into your workflow, and understand how to start thinking like a designer.

Learn more at our live upcoming webinar or enroll today to reserve your spot.

🚀 Courses Launching Next Friday

AI for UX Design (Launching 6/6):

• Perfect for: Experienced designers looking to become more efficient and effective integrating AI into their UX workflows
  
  
• You’ll learn: How to use AI for research, ideation, prototyping and testing, when not to use AI, and develop a full portfolio-ready project along the way
  
  
• How you’ll do it: Asynchronous lessons and projects supplemented by consistent feedback, live lectures by course creator Chrissy Welsh, and live peer sessions facilitated by expert mentors
  
  
• Course length: Four weeks

Data-Driven Design (Launching 6/6):

• Perfect for: Experienced designers who want to grow their confidence working with data and metrics
  
  
• You’ll learn: How to run better experiments, use data to strengthen your design recommendations, present with data, and more.
  
  
• How you’ll do it: Hands-on practical project work, consistent feedback, and live peer sessions facilitated by expert mentors
  
  
• Course length: Six weeks