TL;DR (why this matters)

Design is moving faster than ever. In the last few weeks alone we’ve seen Figma ship new releases, Apple overhaul its UI guidance, Google sharpen Core Web Vitals around INP, and Photoshop add new Firefly AI tools. If you’re freelancing, this is your edge: learn the changes → fold them into process → sell the outcomes. Figma Apple Developer devtechinsights.com AppleInsider

1) Figma in August: releases, signals, and how to use them with clients

• Stay current via release notes. Figma’s changes have been weekly—great for pitching “what’s newly possible” (variables governance, prototyping & Dev Mode polish, etc.). Keep a standing line in proposals: “Delivered using current Figma release features.” Figma

• Business signal: Figma’s market moment is huge post-IPO; stakeholders now expect Figma-native workflows and Dev Mode handoffs. Use that to justify design-system retainers and handoff QA scopes. Wall Street JournalBusiness InsiderCrunchbase News

Pitch line you can steal:
“Because Figma’s shipping weekly improvements, we include a monthly ‘Design System Maintenance’ cycle to keep tokens/components aligned with the latest platform patterns.”

2) Apple’s 2025 HIG update: “Liquid Glass” and what it means for UI polish

Apple’s WWDC25 guidance (see “What’s New” in HIG) emphasizes a glassy, depth-forward visual language colloquially dubbed Liquid Glass—blur, light, and layered translucency with strong content hierarchy. If you present iOS/macOS work, reflect this in your visual spec and theming tokens. Apple DeveloperCreate with SwiftSoftorino Website

Do right now

• Add a “Glass Depth” section to your design system (elevation, blur radii, overlay color tokens).

• Prototype motion micro-interactions that support depth (parallax on headers; subtle blur shifts during transitions).

3) Material 3: stick to foundations that scale

If you’re on Android/web, Material 3 (M3) is still the fastest way to achieve consistency across surfaces. Use M3 color, typography, and motion to accelerate MVPs, then layer brand flavor. Keep an updated “Why M3” slide in your kickoff deck for non-design stakeholders. Material Design+1

Checklist

• Define semantic color roles (onPrimary, surfaceVariant, errorContainer).

• Establish state layers so hover/pressed/focus are visible and accessible.

4) Core Web Vitals in 2025: INP is the new hill to climb

Google now focuses on INP (Interaction to Next Paint) for responsiveness (≤ 200 ms is “good”). If you ship web products, you must design for speed and measure in real usage. Chrome is testing a new API so SPAs register soft navigations correctly—huge for accurate metrics. devtechinsights.comSearch Engine Journal

Design actions that move the needle

• Favor skeleton states over spinners for perceived speed.

• Collapse or defer below-the-fold imagery; use priority hints for critical assets.

• Audit tap targets and focus states; reduce “rage tap” risks that inflate INP.

5) Photoshop’s July updates: AI as speed, not style

Photoshop’s Firefly-powered updates (Generative Upscale, Harmonize, and faster Remove) now ship across desktop, web, and iPad. Treat AI as a production accelerator—fewer minutes on asset cleanup = more hours for research, testing, and polish. AppleInsideriThinkDifferent

Production uses that clients love

• Harmonize social crops to a campaign’s palette in seconds.

• Generative Upscale to deliver crisp hero images without re-shoots.

• Rapid artifact cleanup for marketing pages.

6) Pricing & process: package the outcomes

Tie the trends to outcomes your clients understand:

• “Performance Design Add-On” → INP audit + skeleton states + asset strategy.

• “Platform Polish Sprint” → Apple Liquid Glass alignment or M3 theming pass.

• “Design Ops Retainer” → Monthly Figma system maintenance + Dev Mode QA.

Result: you’re not selling hours; you’re selling faster products, clearer UI, and better SEO.

Internal link

• [Freelance Client Onboarding: The First Week Blueprint for Success] Griffin Now Blog— how I set expectations so these improvements don’t get cut in scope.

Sources (recent)

• Figma releases: official release notes (updated weekly). Figma

• Figma market context: WSJ/BI coverage around the 2025 IPO. Wall Street JournalBusiness Insider

• Apple WWDC25 / HIG “What’s New”: official doc + summaries. Apple DeveloperCreate with SwiftSoftorino Website

• Material 3: official site & blog. Material Design+1

• Core Web Vitals (INP): 2025 update + Chrome SPA trial coverage. devtechinsights.comSearch Engine Journal

• Photoshop July 2025 AI updates: AppleInsider + iThinkDifferent. AppleInsideriThinkDifferent