Visual Communication as a Keystone of Success

While efficiency is the hallmark of every successful business, it is especially important for startups. After all — as any web development company will tell you — most startups have to rely on limited resources and need to work within very thin error margins. Consequently, bearing in mind that clear communication between team members is a key component of efficiency in business, visual communication should be employed as often as possible.

The approach is used to convey complex information in an effective and understandable manner.

Benefits of Visual Communication for Teams

Gathered below are some of the main benefits of visual communication in a teamwork setting:

1. Improved Understanding: Visual communication makes information more accessible, allowing team members to impart knowledge easily. 
2. Better Retention: Visual aids including diagrams, charts and infographics are more memorable and easier to recall than text.
3. Enhanced Collaboration: Visual communication facilitates collaboration by helping team members to share their ideas.
4. Clarity and Consistency: By presenting information in a clear and consistent manner, it also reduces the risk of misunderstandings.
5. Increased Engagement: Visual aids can reduce distractions and boredom by keeping team members focused in meetings.

Paired with design tools like Figma, visual communication can become even more efficient.

What is Figma?

On paper, Figma is a cloud-based interface design tool, but it is actually much more than that, as it combines the most useful design features into a single cohesive application. In fact, at the moment, Figma is arguably the gold standard for collaborative design.

Remember word processing before Google Docs? When it came to sharing and collaboration, if your teams weren’t huddled together at the same computer, an email or thumb drive would be making the rounds. Figma is to UI design what Google Docs is to document processing, as it provides a cloud-based design platform allowing team members to collaborate in real time. In addition, Figma provides a wide variety of design tools that enables businesses to design and develop web and mobile applications more efficiently.

So Why Should Your Startup Switch to Figma Today?

#1: Figma is familiar

Put simply, if you can work on Sketch, then you will definitely be able to work with Figma. Not only does the app come with a similar interface, but all the design tools that you love and expect will also be waiting for you upon your arrival. 

Even better — like other cloud solutions, you won’t ever have to worry about downloading, installing or even keeping your application updated.

#2: Collaboration with Figma is a breeze

Figma has the power to wholly transform the way your company collaborates, from the earliest stages of development to the final iteration in design. Not only is it blazingly fast, but it can also handle huge files effortlessly and even offers live suggestions and feedback.

This keeps team members on track at all times and enables anyone to share their design work! In fact, because Figma is primarily a drag-and-drop tool, you don’t even have to be a designer to use it!

#3: Figma allows you to make amazing prototypes

Before the advent of Figma, designers had to resort to a huge variety of different tools for prototyping. Yet making prototypes on Figma is a cinch, as it works similarly to other solutions — with connecting arrows between individual frames. Distribution is also extremely straightforward, as this can be done as with any normal design file. 

The main difference here, of course, is that all other critical steps can also be accomplished: as long as you have the right permissions, you will be able to view and comment on the prototype.

#4: Figma facilitates developer handoffs

Another attractive feature for developers is that at the top of their Properties panel, users are greeted with three helpful tabs: Design, Prototype and Code. In Code view, Figma is able to generate CSS, Swift (iOS) and XML (Android) code. At the same time, any developer may review all design components without the need for any third-party tools. Nonetheless, if you would like to do more than just view code snippets and take simple measurements, then Figma is also integrated with Zeplin — which leads us to our final point!

#5: Figma supports third-party integration

Though by now, you will have certainly already realised that there is very little the app can’t handle on its own, this didn’t stop Figma’s developers from enabling integration with any browser-based application. So if you would like to record feedback on Slack, for instance, you can also do this automatically.

Key Benefits of Using Figma for Startups:

1. Collaboration: Figma enables multiple team members to work on the same design project simultaneously, reducing the time and effort for approvals and feedback.
2. Speed and Efficiency: Thanks to Figma’s intuitive interface and real-time collaboration, businesses are able to design and iterate products much faster than traditional design tools.
3. Accessibility: Figma is accessible from any device with an internet connection, allowing team members to work from anywhere.
4. Versatility: Figma supports a wide range of design projects, from website and application design to branding and marketing materials.
5. Cost-Effective: Figma is a lot more cost-effective when compared to traditional design software, as it does not require a licence for every user and offers a range of features for free.

Top Popular Alternatives to Figma:

Of course, whether due to personal preference or a specific project requirement, Figma may not be suitable for everyone. So with that in mind, here are the top 6 Figma alternatives:

1. Sketch: Sketch is a vector graphics editor built specifically for macOS. It provides a wide range of design tools and is a popular alternative to Figma.
2. Adobe XD: Adobe XD is a user experience (UX) design tool developed by Adobe Systems. It offers a variety of features, including wireframing, collaboration and prototyping.
3. InVision: InVision is a design and collaboration platform that enables team members to design, prototype and easily share their ideas. It not only offers a multitude of design tools, but includes animation, interactivity and collaboration features.
4. Axure: Axure is a wireframing, prototyping and documentation tool for building mobile and web applications. It comes with an array of design tools, including interactive prototypes, dynamic content in addition to collaboration capabilities.
5. Affinity Designer: Affinity Designer is a vector graphics editor and digital design tool for macOS, iOS and Windows. Its own offerings include vector graphics, raster graphics and intuitive design workflows.
6. Balsamiq: Balsamiq is a rapid wireframing tool that is used to create user interfaces for both web and mobile applications. It helps designers, developers and product managers create quick, low-fidelity prototypes. Similarly to Figma, Balsamiq uses a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easier to create wireframes and mockups, even for people with no experience in design.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, Figma has massively simplified the design process and is currently more effective than any viable competitor at bringing together a company’s various departments. In fact, even in software development outsourcing or when working with other external suppliers, Figma helps corporations and startups develop products more efficiently and faster. By providing real-time collaboration and a wide range of intuitive design tools, Figma helps companies save time and money, providing a first-class experience for stakeholders and designers.