A community-focused roadmap for Figma in 2020

As Figma looks toward the year ahead, its priorities are clear: strengthening the ties between users, both inside the product and out. With a team of 150 employees and a user base spanning nearly every country, the company is focusing on how to better connect with its community—through events, support, product features, and shared resources.

Config brings users together in person

The year opens with Config, Figma's first user conference, set for February 6, 2020, in San Francisco. The event's programming is largely community-driven, setting it apart from typical conferences. Attendees can expect sessions on topics selected by peers, including:

  • Soleio on why open source design matters
  • Elizabeth Lin, Akinbiyi Adetunji, and Namnso Ukpanah on developing the next generation of designers
  • Linda Eliasen on finding confidence in design decisions
  • Jason Kunesh on his experience redesigning Chicago.gov

Those who cannot attend in person can tune in online. For anyone looking for local gatherings, Figma is working with community leaders in cities worldwide to launch more user groups throughout 2020, and is inviting interested organizers to reach out.

Expanding global support

Figma's customer service team currently operates during North American and European business hours. To better serve a global user base, the company has moved its support infrastructure to Zendesk. Throughout the year, users will see the rollout of a new Help Center for self-service product knowledge, forums for peer-to-peer support, and streamlined internal processes for faster responses.

Product plans for the wider team

After a 2019 that introduced Plugins, Auto Layout, Smart Animate, OpenType support, and Design System Analytics, Figma's 2020 roadmap remains focused on automating the manual and repetitive aspects of design work. At the same time, the company recognizes that design is a team effort, so upcoming features will also cater to engineers, product managers, and others involved in the development process. More details on the roadmap will be shared live from Config.

Growing the Figma Community

The Figma Community, launched in beta last October, was inspired by how designers naturally share their work. So far, over 300 creators have published 600 files for others to inspect, remix, and learn from, including templates, educational guides, and public libraries. This year, the goal is to expand these offerings, making the Community a destination where both professional and aspiring designers can discover ideas from brands and people they admire. The beta remains open for new participants.

Invitation for feedback

Figma is also soliciting input directly from users, welcoming ideas on how to better bring the community together or what types of events to host. With these initiatives, the company aims to build a stronger, more connected community throughout the year.