On Figma, process, and finding surprise in familiar tools.
Welcome back to a new edition of Design Therapy. We’re on the tools this month — diving into design, process, and how the right systems and constraints spark better ideas.
[Q] What’s the best way to build a system around the identity?
It all starts with an idea, and good ideas come from a strong strategy. To get to the idea, I break the strategy down into tangible visual cues, words that make me feel or see something, so I can start to picture how the idea might come to life.
Those tangible words become my springboard. From there, I start building a system of parts, constantly questioning how to push things creatively so the system feels unique to the brand and the idea is expressed consistently through every detail.
The testing phase is crucial. I grab a few core applications and check whether the system actually holds up, if it feels robust and reflective of the original strategy. I always run through a set of questions to make sure the work is expressing the idea properly. If it’s not, I go back and tinker until it does.
When it finally clicks, there’s no better feeling. That’s when the fun begins – expressing it across applications, figuring out where to whip and pop the emotion throughout the brand world. Creating that texture through the balance of loud and quiet moments, that’s the most satisfying part of the job for me.
[Q] What’s the best way to learn Figma for branding projects?
The best way to learn Figma is definitely through hands-on practice. It’s a very intuitive, learn-by-doing tool, and more accessible as they have a free Starter plan!
Figma was originally built for digital design so it’s really naturally good at web design, UI design and responsive layouts - basically anything screen-based. For branding projects, it’s a great base for exploring ideas, testing layouts, and iterating quickly.
You can then bring in more specialist Adobe tools - like Illustrator for custom typography or vector work, and After Effects for motion design. There are also countless tutorials on YouTube and plugins from the Figma community, so I’d definitely check them out.
[Q] How do you navigate a world where a lot of band systems are reliant on the same Google typefaces?
I don’t think Google Fonts are the problem; it’s more about how people use them. They’re free, practical, and everywhere, which can make things start to look the same, but that just means you have to work a bit harder to make them feel intentional.
Most Google Fonts are released under the SIL Open Font License, which basically means you can use, share, and even modify them. You can tweak the spacing, redraw a few forms, or build something new from the same base. And there are loads of other open-source fonts under the same license on sites like Velvetyne, The League of Moveable Type, or Collletttivo if you dig a bit deeper. So you’re never really stuck with what’s on Google Fonts.
NARI use open-source type when it makes sense, but there’s always room to push it through spacing, scale, or composition to give it a bit of personality. And if a brand’s already set on a Google font, that’s fine too; you just tighten everything else around it: colour, image, rhythm, and layout.
Constraints don’t limit you; they make you more inventive!
