My first exposure to prototyping was in 2013 where a client of mine was using Axure to create wireframes and User Interface specs. I was fascinated and it re-ignited my desire to be in the UX field. At that time part Business Analyst, part Information Architect.

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These UI specs became increasingly complex as time went on but were very useful for the development teams, as it combined a number of document sources, like business rules and content matrices, into one. 

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As I continued my extra-curricular pursuit to become a UX designer, I picked up other tools along the way. Sketch and InVision became the way I was able to convey my designs in a more interactive way. Hotspots were amazing!

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As time went on it was a battle between the two but in 2018 that I was exposed to something new, something that did not require plugins or additional software to make hi-fidelity prototypes. That all-in-one solution was Figma. 

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I downloaded and started playing with it immediately. The learning curve was relatively shallow, as the canvas and layout was similar to Sketch. The tools were all there to create pixel-perfect mockups and hidden under the prototype menu were the tools to create the interactions.

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When I became a student at General Assembly, London, on their User Experience Design Immersive course, I requested that I could continue using Figma, as they were teaching the class how to use 'industry-standard' Sketch. 

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When we began the group projects, the limitations of Sketch became even more apparent, as there was no way to collaborate on one document at the same time with the team. Figma, however, allows live collaboration and commenting. 

 

Pre-empting the difficulties that the class would face, I asked the tutor if I took the time to teach the class about Figma and conduct a lecture on it. This was accepted with open arms and some of the content and pictures of my presentation have been shared at the bottom of this page. The confidence I gained from teaching the class was invaluable because it cemented, for me, that I have the confidence to share knowledge with others and answer any question related to that topic.