The stage is brought up for $ 13 million to accelerate the UX design through its non -code platform

UX and UI designers work closely with engineers during the development of the product to create and implement design concepts and savings for functional used interfaces. Communications, comments and regular testing of cooperation are needed smoothly and provide a user experience in line with the intended design goals.

Nick Boden, a serial businessman who was working as a UX user interface designer, wanted to spend their days only in design instead of delivery or meetings with engineers. To address some ineffective steps in the design process, the foundations of Budden phase In 2017.

“The user interface application is an expensive manual process that takes a long time that includes designers, product managers and engineers,” Boden said in an exclusive interview with Techcrunch. “The comprehensive user test is also delayed only after the completion of this process.”

TAIIPEI and Berlin, which is based on Berlin, builds a platform without a symbol that helps user interface designers to create fully interactive initial models, and said on Thursday that it raised $ 13 million of funding from Gobi Partners, New Economic Ventures and Palm Drive Capital, Shilling Vc Squareone, Wi Harper, 42CAP and 500 Global.

Today, the startup company has released its first product, which is a user interface animation tool Adobe After the effects and Figma. Phase says that her program allows UI/UX and product designers to create web sites or interactive applications “without manual coding or (use) additions to error.” He can also export the user interface code ready for production, which speeds up the design process.

Boden said that the stage product is much easier for the user interface designer to use it from other tools such as Adobe after Effects or Figma. “The main difference in Figma is the completion of the initial model. So in Figma, you can create an initial model, perhaps 20 % or 30 % of what the real site does, then 70 % or 80 % does not do the initial model, then you have to communicate with engineers and mention Boden.” Our products are designed to do 100 % of what a real website or app is doing. “

This is supposed to be the first in a series of launch operations, and there are plans to provide three other tools to design the user interface and symbols for WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) this year and next year to simplify all the handicrafts required for the UI/UX design, tell Budden Techcrunch. The three new features will be: advanced UI models, user interface design and export of user interface code.

“We do not see the animation of the user interface as an independent market for a long time-it is an opportunity to go to the market today, but this window will be closed as soon as Figma is combined with animation as a built-in feature,” said Techcrunch CEO. “Our strategy is to obtain a preliminary preposition now in animation now, and move down the road map to larger markets before this shift occurs.”

A soft launch in South Korea

The stage first presented its platform in South Korea in May after finding a reliable local partner to help.

Boden explained that designers are adopting new tools by monitoring their peers who discuss and use them, which leads to the adoption of wide design tools, but he pointed out that this effect is often “excessive local”. For example, London designers are mainly affected by others in their area.

“Because of this local dynamic, we launched the region according to the region, which allowed us to deeply engage with every community design and building momentum,” Budden told Techcrunch.

In South Korea there are about 100,000 designers, and Phase says that within a few weeks of its products, more than 10,000 tested it. This practical approach succeeded in starting community growth-at least in South Korea-but it did not succeed as well as the company that was hoping for other regions .

“Big markets had more dispersed design societies, making it difficult to get traction. After months of struggle to re -create Korea’s success, we changed the gears and opened a global experimental version.” Through adjustments to the transition strategy, we saw a rapid growth And continuing (…) this momentum, along with the supply of the product, is why we are getting out of the experimental version now. “

The stage aims to enter the American and European markets as its next priority.