Phase raises $13M to speed up the UX design process with its no-code platform

UX and UI designers work closely with engineers throughout the product development of design concepts and wireframes for effective user interfaces. Regular communication, response and examination for cooperation for examination and to provide a user experience that is intended to intend to intend to intend to design the intended design.

Nick Buden, a serial entrepreneur who worked as a UI/UX designer, designers just wanted to spend their days in design rather than meeting with handoffs or engineers. In order to solve a few inefficient steps in the design process, Buden founded Phase In 2017.

“UI implemented designers, product directors and engineers, an expensive, time -consuming manual process,” said in an exclusive interview with Budeen TechCrunch. “The extensive user test is also delayed until the process is complete.”

Taipei and Berlin-based startups are creating a no-code platform that helps UI/UX designers to create full interactive prototypes and say Thursday that it has funded $ 1 million from Gobi Partners, New Economic Ventures, Palm Drive Capitals, , Shilling VC, Square, WI Herper, 42 CAP and 500 Global.

Today, startup has published its first product, a UI animation equipment that will compete with it Adobe After the effect and Fig. Phase says its software lets UI/UX and product designers create interactive website or app simulation “manual coding or without” [using] Error-prone AI Plugin. “It can export the UI code that is ready for production, faster the design process.

Budeen said that phase products are much easier than other tools like Adobe after Effects or Figure for any UI/UX designer. “The main difference in the figure is the completeness of the prototype. So in Figma, you can create a prototype that can be 20% or 30% of what the original website does and then the other 70% or 80% that do not prototype, you need to contact engineers, product managers, and people to get it out Will be, “Budeen mentioned.” Our product is being built for 100% of what a real website or app does “

This is probably the first of a series of launches and it plans to launch three more UI designs and code tools of WYSIWYG (what you see what you get) platforms and the next year to facilitate all the manual work needed next year, UI/UX design, Buden Tell TechCrunch. There are three new features: UI advanced prototyping, UI design and UI code export.

“We haven’t seen UI animation as a Standelone Market for a long time-it is a market opportunity today, but that window will turn off the tools like Figma once as a built-like animation equipment,” tells the CEO of the phase. “Our strategy is now just getting the initial traction in animation and taking our roadmap to the big market before that shift.”

Soft launch of South Korea

Phase first launched its platform in South Korea after searching for a reliable local partner to assist at the launch.

Designers take new equipment by observing their peers and using them, led to the adoption of designs widely, Buden explained, but he mentioned that this effect was often “hyper-local”. For example, London designers are primarily influenced by others in their region.

Budeen told TechCrunch, “Because of this local mobility, we have launched the region by region, allowing each of our designs to be deeply involved and accelerated,” Budeen told TechCrunch.

There are about 100,000 designers in South Korea and phase says that within a few weeks of launching its product, more than 10,000 tested it. At least in South Korea-this hands-on approach successfully kickstart the community growth-but it did not work as a company that expected other regions.

“There were more spreading communities in the larger markets, it made traction achievement stronger. After a few months of fighting to re -create Korea, we opened a World Beta by transferring the gears, “Phase CEO.” As we have seen the tricks of our travel market we have seen a rapid and sustainable growth […] The speed combined with the stability of the product, why are we going out of beta now. “

The goal of the episode is to enter the United States and European markets as its next priority.