Putting joy on the roadmap - Jenny Wen, Mihika Kapoor, Kee Yen Yeo (Config 2023)

Summary

In this engaging talk, figma's UX writing lead Chris Beatty and team members Mahika Kapoor, Jenny Wen, and Kian introduce the concept of infusing joy into digital product design. They share personal experiences and insights on creating delightful features in figma's Fig Jam, emphasizing the importance of humanizing digital spaces. The speakers discuss the balance between functionality and whimsy, drawing inspiration from the physical world to craft experiences that resonate emotionally with users, and advocate for designers to rediscover joy in their work.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The importance of creating digital spaces that feel alive and inspired, rather than like endless voids, is emphasized in the talk.
• 🎨 Jenny Wen, a design manager at Figma, highlights the joy of combining rationality and emotion in design, especially in creative tools like Fig Jam.
• 🛠️ Fig Jam is designed to facilitate work processes like brainstorming and team meetings, as well as to inject fun and silliness into remote work.
• 🤖 Features like the photo booth widget, music player, cursor chat, and high fives in Fig Jam are presented as examples of fun and functional elements in digital产品设计.
• 🚀 The talk discusses the challenge of building and shipping delightful features in a metrics-driven industry and the role of a design-centric company like Figma in making it possible.
• 💡 Mahika Kapoor shares her experience with Japanese culture's attention to detail as a source of inspiration for creating delight in digital products.
• 🔍 The need to define a 'brand of delight' unique to each company is suggested, with examples given from Apple, Arc, and Ramp.
• 🎉 Creating deliberate moments for delight, such as maker weeks or fun days, can lead to serendipitous delightful features in products.
• 🔥 The power of a team's irrational passion for an idea can lead to flagship features that might have otherwise been deemed out of scope.
• 💡 Being open to inspiration from both the physical world and the community can lead to innovative and delightful digital experiences.
• 🛑 The talk concludes with a call to prioritize features that delight users not just for the sake of metrics, but to foster an emotional connection and community-led growth.

Q & A

Who is the speaker leading Figma's UX writing team?

The speaker leading Figma's UX writing team is Chris Beatty.

What is the main topic of the talk given by Jenny Nguyen from Figma?

Jenny Nguyen's main topic is about putting joy on the product roadmap and creating digital spaces that feel alive and inspired.

What is Fig Jam, and what is its purpose?

Fig Jam is a product by Figma, designed as a digital whiteboard to help people with brainstorming, team meetings, planning roadmaps, and visualizing ideas.

What is the significance of the photo booth widget in Fig Jam?

The photo booth widget in Fig Jam is significant as it serves as an icebreaker in virtual meetings, adding a fun and engaging element to the digital workspace.

What role does the music player feature in Fig Jam serve?

The music player feature in Fig Jam helps to remove awkward silence during brainstorms when everyone's heads are down, contributing to a more comfortable and creative environment.

What is the importance of cursor chat in Fig Jam?

Cursor chat in Fig Jam allows users to communicate in a unique way by typing notes in text boxes to each other, fostering a sense of presence and interaction in a digital space.

How does the high fives feature in Fig Jam contribute to remote work?

The high fives feature in Fig Jam brings a sense of fun and connection to remote work, allowing users to give virtual high fives to each other, which can boost morale and team spirit.

What is the challenge faced by the Figma team when adding delightful features to their products?

The challenge faced by the Figma team is managing to build and ship delightful features without them being cut out of scope immediately, given the need to prioritize efficiency and usefulness.

What is the role of the Design Center company, Figma, in fostering creativity and delight in product development?

As a Design Center company, Figma provides an environment that encourages creativity and the inclusion of delightful features in product development, supporting designers in their efforts to enhance user experience.

What are some examples of delightful interfaces mentioned by Jenny in her talk?

Examples of delightful interfaces mentioned by Jenny include General Magic and the Magic Link, early internet customization like Myspace profiles, and Apple's skeuomorphic designs in Apple Books.

What is the comparison made by Jenny between the current state of the internet and physical structures?

Jenny compares the current state of the internet to a skyline of uniform glass skyscrapers, suggesting that the online experience has become too homogeneous and lacks the joy and individuality of the early internet.

What is the advice given by Mahika for adding delight to a product?

Mahika advises defining your brand of delight, carving out moments for creativity, inspiring and being inspired by the team and the community, and being open to serendipitous opportunities for delight.

What is the significance of the 'maker week' event at Figma?

The 'maker week' at Figma is a bi-annual hackathon where different teams come together to build something for the sake of innovation and creativity, leading to the development of delightful features that might not have been considered otherwise.

What is the role of a PM in advocating for delight in product development?

A PM (Product Manager) plays a crucial role in advocating for the inclusion of delightful features on the product roadmap, emphasizing the 'why' behind these features and ensuring they align with the brand values and user needs.

What is the impact of high-impact, high-effort features on a product?

High-impact, high-effort features can significantly enhance user engagement, retention, and satisfaction, leading to a strong emotional connection with the product and potentially driving user growth and revenue.

What is the importance of drawing inspiration from the physical world when designing digital features?

Drawing inspiration from the physical world helps in creating constraints that reflect how people expect things to look and behave, making it easier to design features that align with users' existing mental models and evoke joy and curiosity.

What is the key takeaway from Kian's design philosophy when creating features for Fig Jam?

Kian's design philosophy emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between physical world inspiration and digital medium functionality, ensuring that the features feel natural, intuitive, and enhance productivity without being a distraction.

What advice does the speaker provide for designers to overcome creative blocks?

The speaker advises designers to take a break from screens, explore the physical world, and be curious about their surroundings, as the next great idea might be found in the everyday environment.

What is the final message the speaker conveys about the role of designers in creating joyful digital experiences?

The speaker encourages designers to be expert craftspersons who are curious and find joy in their work, emphasizing that joy is infectious and can be translated into the digital products they create, ultimately enriching the user experience.