Context
Figmini makes watchOS design more efficient. I wanted a faster way to preview Figma designs on actual devices. What began as a side project now helps watch designers streamline their workflow.
Problem
Designers can't easily preview their Figma watch designs on actual devices
Testing designs on real watches is crucial for understanding how they work in practice. Current methods require coding or sending static screenshots to watches, making the design process slow and technical.
Outcome
A smartwatch app that lets you preview and iterate designs in real-time
Problem Space
No easy way to test Figma smartwatch designs on a real device
Existing solutions aren’t efficient
Wearables are a large industry, yet designers lack proper tools for watchOS interfaces.
Current Figma features
Reviews show mirroring is key, with remote access to files and commenting as secondary features.
I use it almost exclusively for the mirror function.
Comment functionality was added (yes!).
I enjoy being able to look and access projects [...] while away from my desktop.
How to deliver Figma's functionality on a small watch screen while ensuring it feels natural?
User Flow
Focusing on key features
I decided to focus on the 3 features users liked in Figma mobile: Activity to read and reply to comments, Mirror to prototype the designs and Recents for file browsing.
Usability Testing
Iterating on the prototype
I interviewed 5 designers, showing them the early prototype to identify the design flaws.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
After
Final Designs
The design concept of the app
Mirror the designs
Select frame on the desktop and see it on the Apple Watch.
Comment on the go
View and reply to recent comments and other types of activities.
Browse files
View files right on your wrist.
Validation
Let the world know!
I decided to share the concept of Figmini publicly to test if people are interested in the idea.
“This is suuuuper cool to see! I work on the team that builds the Figma mobile app and we love seeing people riff on and build out their ideas 🎉”
“Wow, this would be super useful for testing Watch designs! Could you share the link so I can give it a try?”
20 emails left through Typeform
Final Product
Meet Figmini
After validating the concept with the community, I partnered with Martin to focus solely on the Mirror feature – solving the core user need. This allowed us to test market interest while keeping development focused.
Retrospective
So how did it go?
Early data shows a 5% conversion rate in the first month of launch. While these are initial numbers, they validate market interest in a tool.
During 6 weeks I participated in the Buildspace program to built Figmini.
Recognized as
Top 20 of 60k builders
Won
$5k grant
My learnings
Key takeaways from building a focused design tool from scratch.