Joel Lithgow

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my interest in the Full Stack Engineer position at Figma. As someone who uses Figma daily—for design work, prototyping, and collaboration—I have a deep appreciation for what makes the product exceptional. The opportunity to contribute to a platform that's fundamentally changed how teams bring ideas to life is exactly the kind of meaningful technical challenge I'm seeking.

I bring seven years of experience at California College of the Arts, where I progressed from QA Specialist to Interaction Designer to UX Designer/Developer. This trajectory gives me something valuable for Figma: I understand both sides of the design-development handoff because I've lived both roles. When the job description mentions partnering closely with Product, Design, Research, and Data, I recognize that as how I already work.

My technical foundation is strongest on the frontend—TypeScript, modern frameworks, and building polished user experiences. I've built WebGL shader systems with real-time controls, implemented complex interactive experiences, and developed accessible, performant interfaces. I'm growing my backend skills through Node.js and cloud infrastructure work, and I'm excited to deepen that expertise at Figma.

The product mindset mentioned in the requirements comes naturally from my design background. I think about user needs first, then work backward to technical solutions. At CCA, I've shipped features end-to-end—from identifying user problems to technical design to implementation to iteration based on feedback. I'm comfortable owning projects completely.

I'm also passionate about engineering craft. I started my career in QA, which instilled a focus on reliability, edge cases, and building systems that don't break. I care about code quality, maintainability, and the kind of polish that makes products feel great to use. Figma's attention to detail is something I admire and would bring to my own work.

I'm based in Oakland and would be happy to work from the San Francisco hub or remotely. The opportunity to help build the tools that designers and developers use to create—especially at a company whose product I genuinely love—is deeply motivating.

Thank you for considering my application. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my experience bridging design and development, combined with my daily perspective as a Figma user, could contribute to the team.