Giving a global
community a
Miami rhythm
I adapted Friends of Figma’s global design system into a flexible visual identity rooted in Miami, creating a shared toolkit that helped our volunteer team deliver cohesive experiences across digital, print, and in-person touchpoints
My role
Team Lead & Product Designer
Team
Miami chapter team leads
Focus
Identity system, toolkit & rollout
1. / The Community
What is Friends of Figma?
Friends of Figma is a global, community-led program officially supported by Figma. Local chapters are organized by volunteer leaders from different cities around the world who create opportunities for designers, developers, and other creatives to connect, learn, and exchange ideas through workshops, talks, and community events.
Figma provides the shared platform, resources, and brand foundation, while each chapter brings the experience to life for its local community.
The Miami chapter brings that mission to the 305 through workshops, talks, watch parties, and hands-on events for designers, builders, AI thinkers, and curious newcomers.
One shared mission.
Hundreds of local expressions.
GLOBAL COMMUNITY
MIAMI CHAPTER
The Miami Chapter
Friends of Figma Miami brings this global mission to South Florida’s creative community. As volunteer leaders, we organize inclusive events for designers, builders, AI thinkers, and curious newcomers—creating spaces to share knowledge, explore emerging tools, and build meaningful connections.
2. / The Challenge
A chapter should feel local without losing the system that connects it globally.
Friends of Figma gives chapters a shared foundation: a recognizable logo, templates, sticker components, and rules for composition. But a template alone does not create belonging.
The challenge was to express Miami’s energy and cultural mix while staying unmistakably part of the wider Friends of Figma community. The identity also needed to work for a volunteer team: easy to understand, repeat, and evolve as events changed.
01
Recognizable
Preserve Figma’s core identity and lockup rules
02
Distinctly local
Build a visual language that looks and feels Miami
03
Reusable
Make it easy for the team to create new assets
3. / TRANSLATING THE SYSTEM
From global rules to local expression
I treated the Figma guidelines as product constraints: first understanding what must remain fixed, then identifying where the chapter could create its own voice.
What stayed consistent
Logo structure, hierarchy, component behavior, typography logic.
What became Miami
Color, patterns, illustration motifs, photography treatment, and composition.
DISCOVERY
Finding the chapter’s visual voice
We explored Art Deco architecture, ocean textures, tropical wildlife, bright signage, and the city’s layered cultural energy. Recurring shapes were abstracted into a library of graphic elements rather than used as one-off decoration.
SYSTEM DESIGN
Building with flexible parts
A vivid palette and modular stickers made the identity adaptable. Elements could be remixed while shared spacing, lockups, and composition rules kept every artifact connected.
Global sticker framework
Miami chapter component library
One visual language.
Many touchpoints.
4./ THE TOOLKIT
The system expanded into the practical pieces our team needed: chapter banners, event graphics, badges, printed stickers, and community signage.
THE SYSTEM IN USE
Adapting the identity to real events
For the “Spec Driven Creation” workshop, the system created a recognizable frame while leaving room for the topic, speaker, host, and channel requirements. The coral, aqua, and lime palette connects it to the chapter; the structured hierarchy keeps a content-dense YouTube cover scannable.
FROM SCREEN TO COMMUNITY
Beyond digital assets.
Seeing the toolkit become part of the physical event experience was an important proof point. The same modular elements translated into environmental signage and printed takeaways that members could make their own.
5. / Outcome
Designing the system made the community easier to recognize and easier to run.
The result is not a fixed campaign. It is a living toolkit our chapter can carry from one event to the next, maintaining continuity while leaving space for new themes, speakers, and collaborators.
For me, this project reinforced a core product-design principle: strong systems do more than create consistency. They distribute decision-making, make collaboration faster, and give teams confidence to create.
Shared language
A clear visual foundation aligns volunteer contributors.
Faster creation
Reusable assets reduce one-off design decisions.
Local belonging
A distinct identity makes the chapter feel rooted in Miami.
Room to evolve
Modular parts flex across new formats and future events.