Get closer to the source code.

Figma is really good at making rectangle-shaped artifacts. Websites, apps, etc. Stuff that fits in a rectangle that you’re reading this on. But these types of designs are largely solved problems thanks to a decade of UI kits and design systems. And they’re getting automated away fast. Yes, there will always be an element of craft to it. But for most businesses, AI-generated rectangles will be good enough.

The next era of UX is multimodal: voice, vision, agents. Perhaps all at once. How can designers communicate new interaction patterns? Definitely not with artboards. We need to start communicating our ideas in working software.

Writing software used to be an awful experience. Even after learning the syntax, you would get stuck, then search Stack Overflow for your particular coding problem. The code wouldn’t work exactly as you wanted it to, and you’d have to debug it forever to make it work. ChatGPT was a revelation: it gave me code that was perfectly tailored to my situation. But I still had to copy and paste code between the browser and the IDE. Now with tools like Windsurf and Cursor, that personalization is built right into the code editor.

The developer experience (DX) keeps getting better. You can literally talk to the computer in regular, conversational language and get working software. No syntax needed.

Leveling up in Figma is the wrong move. I wrote ‘Figma has peaked’ last year. And their rectangular-themed features released at this year’s Config prove my point.

“A real craftsperson understands the tools, materials, and constraints of their trade. Digital designers who refuse to learn even the basics of front-end development are like architects who have never set foot on a construction site. They are spectators in their own profession — content to create artifacts, rather than real, usable products.” -Michael Buckley

Get closer to the source (code). You have no more excuses.

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P.S. I spend more time in Windsurf than in Figma. I’m still much faster in Figma, so I’ll sketch there and then move into Windsurf soon after. You can’t beat the fidelity of interactive software.

P.P.S. I used to be a huge advocate for Figma. When the handoff experience with Sketch + Craft + Invision became too painful, Figma was a breath of fresh air, and I switched multiple companies over to them. Figma feels stale now.

P.P.P.S. Figma is a Rube Goldberg machine for avoiding code: https://uxdesign.cc/figmas-not-a-design-tool-it-s-a-rube-goldberg-machine-for-avoiding-code-2a24f11add5d. I highly recommend reading this.