Overview

To support USDA’s cross-functional research teams, a suite of reusable research artifact templates was created in Figma. These included a User Persona, Journey Map, and Service Blueprint — all formatted for seamless use in FigJam, the primary collaboration space for USDA user researchers.

The goal was to give researchers flexible, editable tools that enabled faster documentation, better cross-team alignment, and real-time collaboration during workshops or synthesis sessions.

Problem / Solution

USDA user researchers needed a consistent way to create and share research outputs across teams. Existing artifacts varied in structure and format, slowing down communication, collaboration, and reporting. Many researchers also lacked design tools or templates that worked well within their FigJam-based workflows.A modular set of research artifacts was designed in Figma and optimized for FigJam, allowing researchers to:

• Drop ready-made templates directly into FigJam for immediate use

• Populate structured fields for goals, pain points, and user behaviors without needing to design layouts from scratch

• Collaborate live with stakeholders and other teams during synthesis and analysis sessions

• Ensure consistency in how personas, journey maps, and service blueprints were created and shared across projects

UX Considerations

• FigJam-native formatting: Templates were built in Figma using layouts and components that maintained structure when transferred into FigJam.

• Editable by non-designers: Focused on clean, editable fields and flexible grids to ensure accessibility for researchers without Figma expertise.

• Research-driven hierarchy: Content areas were shaped by real USDA research needs — including frustrations, behaviors, tools, and data touchpoints.

• Visual clarity: Used clear labeling, iconography, and legends to help orient collaborators during real-time sessions.

• Cross-project alignment: Standardized artifact design helped unify research documentation across USDA teams working on different tools and user groups.