I am an independent woman and a self-proclaimed feminist who tries her best to take care of Mother Earth. I don’t consider myself materialistic and I hate the general idea of consumerism and waste.

But…I’m a sucker for Valentine’s Day.

Each year I look forward to expressing heartfelt adoration to the people I love in a ridiculous red and pink, over-the-top manner. It’s the one day a year were I look the other way when my husband buys into such consumerism as well. An excuse to eat chocolate truffles for breakfast? Sign me up.

As I spend this Valentine’s Day working in Figma, putting the final touches on my Founders Who UX program, with hearts in my eyes (and a stomach ache), I began romantically reminiscing about all the tools that helped get me here.

What better way to express my gratitude to them on this day than a love letter?

Get ready for the cheese.

Here it goes:

❤️ A love letter to Figma (and all my exes)

Sweet Dreamweaver,

Sigh…my first summer fling.

I learned a lot from you. We built something meaningful together from the ground up. You taught me that I could do anything I put my mind to, even if it was outside my comfort zone.

While I eventually chose another path and my memories of you are now faded, I will always hold a special place in my heart for the world you showed me.

Darling InDesign,

We shared a lot of firsts (and a lot of frustrations).

I didn’t want to include you in this letter, but I can’t deny the role you played in my life. How different things would be today if I would’ve chosen to stick with you. We were looking for very different things, but you offered me a safe space and a sense of security, which I appreciated.

However intrigued I was by you, we never were quite the right fit. At times you were like an open book, with seemingly endless pages to share…and at others, you felt like an empty shell.

While things didn’t work out in the end, I’ve always admired your ability with words and can’t deny my appreciation for your polished and realistic outlook.

Beloved Photoshop,

What can I say? It was love at first sight.

I was searching for a true partner that wasn’t afraid to tackle big things together with me, and there you were–with your power, intelligence, and ingenuity. You were my college sweetheart and loyal companion for years. Thank you for always allowing me to express myself unapologetically.

What I admired most about you was your many layers, each one more unique and interesting than the next.

Every time we interacted, I learned something new about you, and I fell more in love. While you could be manipulative at times, the things we accomplished together were some of my proudest achievements.

I know you really tried to make me happy long-term, but my priorities changed. I changed. I became more progressive and wanted to move faster.

I believe in living lightly and you started to weigh me down.

You began to shut down unexpectedly and always at the most important moments when I needed you most. Several times you even erased all the beautiful things we accomplished together, without explanation. It ultimately felt like you didn’t want to evolve to the next chapter with me.

While it pained me to end things, it was for the better.

Treasured Illustrator,

Remember when we first met?

I was intimidated by your complexity, but you patiently waited while I learned all your features and quirks. Before I knew it, we were creating things that I had only dreamed of creating before.

You allowed me to bring my imagination to life, and each time we experienced something new together, I fell more in love with you.

You quickly become an extension of me. With you by my side, I was limitless. You gave me the freedom to explore and experiment, and for that, I will always be grateful.

We really gave it a good shot.

I had such big plans at that point in my life and while we eventually parted ways, I’m glad we were able to remain friends and get to see each other from time to time.

Dear XD,

It wasn’t you, it was me.

I had heard there were many great qualities about you, but unfortunately, I never took the time to explore them past surface level. Many people tell me that I missed out, and who knows–maybe I did.

I think our timing was just off, but I recognize how incredible you are and hope you’re doing well.

Precious Sketch,

I really thought you were the one.

You showed me things I’d never seen before and opened new doors of possibility. I instantly felt inspired and empowered to push the boundaries of what I was capable of.

I was still hung up on Photoshop when you came into my life, so it took me a while to realize what a power couple we could be. Although at first I was intimidated by your sleek looks and social personality, you made getting to know you so easy and intuitive. I slowly learned what you’re really all about and soon knew we could be unstoppable together.

Because you’re so straightforward, I began to quickly fall in love with every piece of you. I even fought for you when Figma came around.

Unfortunately, even though you were perfect on paper, I couldn’t ignore that there was always something missing. You knew it and I knew it. Although it’s sad that we’ll never get to see what could have been between us, you just didn’t step it up in time.

I will always appreciate you and cherish the memories we shared.

Now to the one whom I love most: Figma,

At times I feel like I manifested you because if I could describe perfection, you’d be it.

You understand me. You understand my needs, wants, dreams, challenges, and desires. My relationship with you is strong and dynamic, and you keep me on my toes. For the first time, I feel I have a true partner that encourages me to be my best self.

While my heart is faithfully yours, I hope you understand why I couldn’t help but think about all the other tools in my past that helped prepare me for you. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate all that you are in front of me.

Each day you surprise and delight me with a new side to you and I know I’m only scratching the surface of what you have to offer.

I know we’re moving into unchartered territory right now, but you are my present and my future. I hope we are able to grow old together.

There is nothing we can’t do together, Figma. It’s me and you against the world.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Yours truly,

Nicole

The moral of the story (er um…letter)

Despite this love letter hopefully being as fun to read as it was to write, there is a larger lesson to be learned here.

Tools come and go. They are only a small piece of what makes an extraordinary designer.

A great UX/UI designer adapts to what tools can best support their individual practice in addition to what tools their clients and teams need them to use.

Tools exist to help us express our creativity and solve problems. Utilizing them allows us to practice our craft. We can design because of tools, but learning a tool does not equal learning design.

My advice to you, as someone who has had to learn and love many tools, is this:

Don’t worry so much about becoming an expert in one specific tool.

Instead, learn to love whatever design tools you need in order to communicate the best solution to the problem you’re trying to solve.

As humans and technology evolve, so do the design tools that support us. Adaptability is a huge part of this profession, so try to be one of the first to explore what better options are out there.

Remember that tools may vary per medium, company, problem, technology, and team structure…and that’s ok. The one thing that will always be unwavering is the refinement of your craft. Keep your focus on that and learning the right tools will come naturally.

Nicole Gallardo has almost 2 decades of experience designing digital products that grow businesses and serve communities. She is the Founder and UX/UI Director of Founder Who UX, a 4-week immersive UX/UI program that teaches tech founders and their teams how to design the right product for the right people.