An inside look at how Figma builds product | Yuhki Yamashita (CPO of Figma)

Product Quality

Figma's commitment to product quality is evident in its approach to using its own software extensively. Yuhki Yamashita emphasizes the importance of internal usage, stating that when team members spend more time with the product, they naturally identify areas for improvement 1. This practice fosters a culture of personal accountability, where designers and engineers feel responsible for the product's success.

It's so important that you're using your own products. And I think we're in a very lucky position where all of us can get creative around using Figma in some way.

--- Yuhki Yamashita

By encouraging the entire company to engage with Figma, they ensure that the software remains intuitive and effective 2.

   

Feature Development

Feature development at Figma involves learning from both successes and challenges. Yuhki Yamashita shares that while Figma often appears to be "firing on all cylinders," not every feature launch is immediately successful 3. For instance, the branching emerging feature initially struggled with adoption due to its complexity and unfamiliarity.

We run experiments all the time that don't come back with winning results.

--- Yuhki Yamashita

Empowering engineers to take initiative in fixing issues they encounter is another key lesson. This bottom-up approach can lead to more effective problem-solving and product improvement 4.