FROM ME THIS WEEK
Structured Chaos
paper reflection and post it note.
This week I was knee-deep in spreadsheets. Tracking links, documenting analytics, and building formulas. The kind of work that's invisible to everyone but me.
It reminded me of good design. The messy, structured thinking that happens before anything looks polished.
Memphis patterns are a good example of that. They look spontaneous — almost chaotic. But every shape, color, and repeat is a deliberate decision. This week I'll show you how to build 7 patterns from scratch in Figma.
LEARN DESIGN
Gradient Glowing Text in Figma
Learn how to create a high-end gradient glow effect using Figma and Photopea.
Cover
🎁 Grab your starter file and follow along!
Video Tutorial is linked below.
Step 1 - Why memphis?
It’s loud, playful, and uses primary geometric shapes to create movement.
I just love it. Let’s start with the most iconic element: The Squiggle. 〰️
memphis inspo
Step 2 – The Base
Grab the Pencil Tool (Shift + P) and draw 5 organic squiggles.
Don't worry about being perfect yet—Figma is going to help us clean up the ""hand-drawn"" mess.
draw squiggles
Step 3 – The Cleanup
Select each squiggle and hit "Simplify Vector."
Pro tip: Select the middle points, then toggle "Mirror anchor and length." This turns a jagged line into a fluid curve. 🌊
smooth the squiggles
Step 4 – The Tiling
Set your stroke to 20px. Arrange them randomly in your tile frame.
Turn on Pattern Fill. Set it to a Hexagon grid at 20% scale.
✨ Boom. Seamless Memphis texture.
make a pattern
Step 5 – The Focus
Don't let the pattern swallow your team!
Duplicate your portrait, give it a solid fill, and offset it 16px right / 8px up as a background.
This "cutout" look enhance the face
warp one of blur layer
Step 6 – Tada!
Stop designing "safe" layouts and start experimenting.
Final result
Watch on Youtube
Like and share the video.
Leave a comment if you got any questions!
WHAT’S COMING NEXT
Memphis Color Pairing for Portraits
One last thing before you head back to your workspace.
Next week, we are diving into a challenge that completely stalls most visual workflows: color pairing with portraits. Specifically, how do you handle a high-energy layout like Memphis design without letting the human subject get buried in the noise?
I used to struggle with this balance until I mapped out a repeatable logic using HSB values and color wheel math. We will break down exactly how to extract skin tones, generate high-contrast split palettes, and build soft pastel layers that keep your design functional and your subject in focus.
It makes complex color theory feel incredibly approachable. See you next week!
Thanks for reading and spending a bit of your day with me.
If you want to keep up with more behind-the-scenes thoughts or small design notes I don’t always send by email, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.
Would love to have you there:
See you in the next email.
MengChi