By: Oyinloluwa Adedoyin
Design used to end at the user interface. Now, it begins with intent, moves through interface, and flows into code. It’s not about having a hundred tools. It’s about building a stack that solves problems faster and more intuitively. Product designers aren’t just shipping wireframes; we’re shaping emotion, interaction, and business logic.
As a motion and product designer creating for clients across Africa, the U.S., and Europe, I’ve spent the last five years refining a workflow that helps me design smarter, prototype faster, and deliver interactive, motion-rich experiences without waiting for a developer’s greenlight. With zero background in coding, I’ve been able to ship up to 3 plugins for Figma and Chrome. And I’ve been able to vibe code and launch multiple websites and web apps.
Here’s my 2025 core stack and how it empowers more designers to build autonomously, creatively, and collaboratively.
Core 2025 Stack for Product Designers
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Figma – The Heart of Design
Figma is still my visual HQ. From design systems to dashboards, I use Figma to sketch, test, collaborate, and build interactive prototypes. With features like variables, Dev Mode, and component libraries, it’s still the most intuitive way to go from raw UX thinking to polished visuals.
You’ll find many of my design resources and UI kits live on the Figma Community here.
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GPTs (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini etc.) – The Thinking Partner
AI is not replacing designers. It’s removing friction. My current favourite is Claude Sonnet 4.0 for development-related tasks and ChatGPT for researching or writing.
I use GPTs to:
- Draft UX microcopy
- Create journey maps and PRDs
- Brainstorm naming ideas
- Suggest motion logic or transitions
- Even scaffold simple JS interactions for prototypes
- It’s how I go from blank canvas to structured thinking.
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Base44 – Prototype the Vibe
Think of it as a smart architect for apps. This tool might be the only AI tool you will need in 2025 as a designer. Base44 helps me validate product tone and direction early. I use it to test ideas. Base44 is an AI-powered platform that lets you build fully functioning apps. Using both prompt and code, it enables anyone to turn their words into personal productivity apps. It’s built for actual deployment, not just demos.
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Lovable – Frontend Without Friction
Lovable bridges the infamous designer-dev gap. It respects Figma layouts and generates clean frontend code that reflects design intent or imported. Built Oyinloluwa Adedoyinon React, Tailwind & Vite, it has helped me speed up development uniquely while also allowing real-time testing.
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Notion – The Operating System
Every project I touch lives in Notion.
I use it for:
- Managing animation timelines
- Storing product strategy notes
- Sharing design briefs and AI prompts
- Documenting UI/UX decisions
- It keeps my process as thoughtful as it is creative.
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LottieFiles – Animating at Scale
My motion design workflow centres on After Effects. However, LottieFiles is fast developing as a hub for creating, editing and shipping out web animated assets. I animate everything from onboarding flows to explainer loops, export in lightweight JSON, and deliver dev-ready animations. Over 3,000 designers and developers have downloaded my free UI animations on LottieFiles here.
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Locofy, Framer & Vercel – Building Without Bottlenecks
When I need to demo something fast:
- Locofy converts my Figma components into React
- Framer powers quick visual sites with motion
- Vercel helps me share test links with clients, teams, or engineers in minutes
This trio supports a motion-first, prototype-rich product workflow — especially useful for lean, remote teams.
From Lagos to the Global Stage
I didn’t always have access to these tools. I started designing with PowerPoint, and before I discovered Photoshop at university. But through years of practice, working, and learning design, I’ve gone from local gigs to working with global clients and mentoring designers across Africa. My journey – “Switching Pixels: How Oyinloluwa Adedoyin Went from Photography to Design”
“The best product designers in 2025 aren’t just pixel pushers. They’re storytellers, systems thinkers, and translators. We don’t wait for permission to build & test ideas.”
– Oyinloluwa Adedoyin
Product & Motion Designer
Linkedin | Figma
