Change Management: Adopting Figma as a New Design Tool

Introduction:

In the rapidly evolving field of design, keeping up with emerging tools and technologies is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. This case study focuses on my decision to switch some of my teams’ asset creation from various Adobe software to Figma, a cloud-based collaborative design tool. The need for improved team collaboration, streamlined workflows, and increased efficiency, were just some of the factors leading to our adoption of Figma.

Background:

The team had been using various Adobe software, which often resulted in inconsistent workflows, slow feedback loops, and difficulty collaborating on projects. I recognized that implementing a unified tool could address these challenges and create a more efficient design process.

Challenges:

The transition to Figma presented several challenges. Some team members were resistant to change, uncomfortable parting with their existing tools, and apprehensive about learning a new platform. Additionally, concerns were raised about cross-team collaboration, file migration, and potential disruptions during the adoption period.

Strategy:

To successfully manage the change and drive adoption of Figma, I implemented a comprehensive strategy:

Education and Training: I arranged training sessions and workshops to familiarize the team with Figma's features and benefits. This included hands-on exercises, tutorials, and resources to help team members quickly grasp the tool's capabilities.

Figma Task Force: I initiated a small task force in which Figma was tested for a variety of digital assets. This allowed select team members to see firsthand the advantages of using Figma, such as real-time collaboration, easy sharing, and version control. These team members served as Figma champions for the rest of the team, helping to drive adoption.

Clear Communication: I communicated the reasons behind the transition to Figma, emphasizing how it would address existing pain points and improve team collaboration. Regular updates and open forums were held to address concerns, answer questions, and provide ongoing support.

Support and Resources: I established a support system to assist team members during the transition. This included migrating into FigJam for team meetings, providing templates for assets, and Figma office hours s to facilitate knowledge sharing and address individual concerns.

Implementation and Adoption:

I gradually implemented Figma, starting with an initial task force and gradually expanding usage across the team. Regular check-ins were conducted to gather feedback, address challenges, and refine the implementation strategy. As team members gained proficiency and experienced the tool’s benefits, enthusiasm for Figma grew, leading to wider adoption.

Benefits:

The adoption of Figma brought about several benefits for our design team, including:

Enhanced Collaboration: Figma's real-time collaboration features allowed team members to work simultaneously on designs, improving communication and reducing delays in the feedback loop.

Streamlined Workflow: Figma's cloud-based nature eliminated version control issues and simplified the design process, enabling seamless handovers between design team members.

Increased Efficiency: Figma's design features, such as auto layout and master components, improved productivity, enabling the team to deliver high-quality designs within shorter timeframes.

Improved Stakeholder Collaboration: Figma's ability to easily share design files with stakeholders facilitated smoother collaboration and faster approvals.

Conclusion:

By effectively managing the change and driving the adoption of Figma, I successfully addressed some of the efficiency and workflow challenges facing my team. Implementing Figma brought numerous benefits, including enhanced collaboration, streamlined workflows, increased efficiency, and improved stakeholder collaboration. This case study serves as a testament to the importance of change management when introducing new design tools.

Building an Effective Onboarding Journey

Overview:

The onboarding process is a critical aspect of any organization, especially for creative teams, where cohesion, collaboration, and creativity play significant roles in achieving success. When I joined the Creative Leadership team at Rocket Mortgage, I noticed a lack of formal onboarding process for new creative team members. Despite having a company-wide onboarding process, we struggled to maintain consistency, thoroughness, and structure at the sub-team level. In this blog post, I will explore how I identified and addressed this issue by holding focus groups and leveraging our work management system, Adobe Workfront, to create a seamless onboarding experience for new creative team members.

Identifying the Onboarding Challenges:

Recognizing the disconnect in the onboarding process within the creative team, I took a proactive step by conducting focus groups with team members. These focus groups provided valuable insights into individual experiences and allowed team members to voice their thoughts on what could be improved. Through candid discussions, several key challenges were identified:

Consistency: Different sub-teams had varying onboarding practices, leading to confusion and a lack of unity among team members.

Thoroughness: Some team members felt that certain essential aspects were overlooked during their onboarding, hindering their ability to perform at their best.

Structure: The absence of a structured onboarding plan made it challenging for new members to adapt quickly and understand their roles within the team.

Creating a Comprehensive Onboarding Experience:

Armed with the feedback from the focus groups, I set out to revamp the onboarding process and create a consistent, thorough, and structured experience for all new creative team members. Here's how I achieved this:

Designing a Standardized Onboarding Plan: The first step was to develop a comprehensive onboarding plan that encompassed all sub-teams. This plan included essential communication, technology set up and access, training, and meetings to ensuring that each new member had a seamless and consistent experience.

Customizing Onboarding for Sub-teams: While the core onboarding remained consistent, creative leadership recognized that sub-teams had unique requirements. As a result, they introduced tailored templates for each sub-team, covering specific tools, processes, and best practices relevant to their roles.

Leveraging Adobe Workfront: The focus groups uncovered that using our existing work management system, Adobe Workfront, would be best to host the onboarding experience. This decision not only provided a seamless transition for new team members but also allowed them to become familiar with the tool during their onboarding, enhancing productivity from the start.

Mentorship and Support: To foster a sense of belonging and support, mentors are assigned to each new team member and have their own onboarding tasks in Adobe Workfront. Mentors guided their mentees through the onboarding journey, answering questions and providing assistance when needed.

Surveys and Feedback: I created a set of three surveys for team members to complete at various stages of their onboarding journey. This encouraged team members to provide ongoing feedback on the onboarding process, allowing for continuous improvements.

Outcomes:

A consistent, thorough, and structured onboarding experience is the foundation for building a successful creative team. By actively listening to team members and leveraging existing tools like Adobe Workfront, I was able to implement a cohesive onboarding journey. Through this proactive approach and commitment to improvement, I not only enhanced productivity and collaboration but also set the stage for long-term success within the creative team.