Humans have always used all kinds of things that are not part of their own bodies, essentially for augmentation. It would probably seem a little strange if someone wanted to hammer a nail into a wall with their fist. However, it would seem just as strange if the same person wanted to remove a screw from a wall with a hammer. Abraham Maslow (and others) wrote something along these lines in the 1960s: “If your only tool is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail.” In other words, this sentence describes the tendency to use a familiar tool, even if another one might be more suitable. This is the law of the instrument.

Like ordinary people, modern designers use a variety of (digital) tools. And wield Maslow’s hammer! The booklet retouched in Photoshop, the screen design set in InDesign, minor offenses! Right? The technical internship questions the correctness of the law of the instrument using Figma as an example. The seminar teaches the basic skills for working with the tool. Last but not least, the seminar will also discuss the tool-related limitations in and with the use of Figma.

If Maslow’s thesis proves true, then, to paraphrase Abraham Kaplan, we allow ourselves to say: “Give a student Figma, and he will find that everything he encounters needs Figma.”

The TP questions the correctness of the law of the instrument using Figma as an example. The seminar teaches the basic skills for working with the tool.

Last but not least, the seminar will also discuss the tool-related limitations in and with the use of Figma.