Figma Buzz promised speed and scale but gave us CSV uploads, broken layouts, and more manual work than before.
🧪 We Tested Buzz So You Don’t Have To
At Produktiv, one of our core principles is simple and ruthless:
Scale what works. Kill what doesn’t.
Not every bad tool is a total flop. The worst ones are the ones that almost work. Just enough to draw you in. Not enough to deliver.
📦 What We Hoped It Would Do
Our hypothesis was clear.
If Figma Buzz worked as advertised, our designers and ad managers would produce ad variants faster. Less back-and-forth. Less formatting. Smoother handoffs.
The pitch was solid. Dynamic templates. Variable-based layouts. Mass copy imports. Scalable ad production.
But after a full test cycle, the verdict was obvious. Buzz isn’t ready for real workflows.
🧯 Where Buzz Broke Down
1. Templates Took Just as Long as Components
We were looking for speed. We got the same setup time as building regular Figma components.
Our designer created a few Buzz templates. No time saved. No clearer logic. No faster output.
It felt like using the same wrench but with a different grip.
Time Saving Score: 2 out of 10
2. CSV Input Slowed Everything Down
Bulk copy upload sounds useful. Until you try it.
Buzz requires a perfectly formatted CSV file. That means switching tools, checking line breaks, uploading manually, and hoping nothing breaks.
It added steps to a process that was already working.
Time Saving Score: -2 out of 10
We don’t need another file to babysit. We need less friction and faster iteration.
3. No Sheets Integration Meant Manual Pain
Our team runs on Google Sheets. That’s where creative lives. Copy updates. Headline swaps. Campaign notes. All in one place.
Buzz doesn’t support Sheets. So now every update means export to CSV, format again, upload, and test.
It’s slow. It’s clunky. It’s a step backward.
Workflow Score: stuck in 2010
4. Auto Layout Wasn’t Actually Automatic
Buzz promises dynamic layouts that adapt to content. That didn’t happen.
Text overflowed. Spacing broke. Visuals misaligned. Our designer had to step in and adjust each frame by hand.
Instead of speeding us up, Buzz created more touchpoints and more review rounds.
Layout Logic Score: 4 out of 10
🧠What This Taught Us
Tools only matter if they make you faster. If they don’t, they’re a drag.
Buzz assumes you’re starting from scratch with no system. But if you’ve already built a solid workflow in Figma, Buzz complicates things.
So we went back to what works:
- Clean Figma component libraries
- Structured briefs in GTM docs
- Real-time edits in Sheets
- Clear processes between design and ad teams
Simple. Reliable. Fast.
🚀 What Produktiv Does Instead
We don’t optimize for automation. We optimize for output.
That means:
- Templates that don’t need babysitting
- Copy living in one place
- Creative reviews that run like clockwork
- Fast shipping and even faster learning
We use a single GTM doc to keep everything aligned. Copy variants, creative briefs, deadlines, and review notes all live in one place.
Designers know what’s coming. Ad managers know what’s ready. Nothing gets lost.
Buzz didn’t fit this system. So we moved on.
🪦 Final Takeaway: If It Slows You Down, Kill It
Figma Buzz is not a total failure. But it’s not a win either. And in performance marketing, that’s enough reason to cut it.
Speed is the metric. If a tool doesn’t get you to launch faster, test cleaner, or learn quicker, it doesn’t belong in your workflow.
Kill what’s slowing you down. Stick with what works.
We’ll keep testing. If something earns a permanent spot, we’ll let you know.
Buzz isn’t there yet.
