Figma is a powerful and popular tool for UX/UI designers, but it can be intimidating for beginners. If you want to learn how to use Figma and create amazing user interfaces and experiences, this blog post is for you. In this post, I will cover the following topics:
- What is Figma and why should you use it?
- How to set up your Figma account and workspace
- How to create your first design project in Figma
- How to use Figma’s basic features and tools
- How to collaborate and share your designs with others
- How to prototype and test your designs in Figma
- Where to find more resources and inspiration for Figma and UX/UI design
What is Figma and why should you use it?
Figma is a cloud-based vector design tool that enables UX and UI designers to create, collaborate on, and share their designs. Designers using Figma can create high-fidelity prototypes and user interface designs for web, mobile, and desktop applications.
Figma has many advantages over other design tools, such as:
- It works on any platform: Figma lives in the browser and works on Windows, Chrome, Mac, and Linux. You don’t need to install anything or worry about compatibility issues.
- It supports real-time collaboration: You can work on the same file with your teammates at the same time or asynchronously. You can also leave and receive feedback directly on designs and prototypes via comments.
- It has a powerful team library: You can create design systems with linked UI components and styles that your whole team can use across all of your projects. You can also publish and update shared components easily.
- It has a rich community: You can find pre-made assets and UI kits from other designers on Figma’s community page. You can also join online events, webinars, and courses to learn more about Figma and UX/UI design.
How to set up your Figma account and workspace?
To get started with Figma, you need to create an account on their website. You can sign up with your email, Google account, or GitHub account. You can also choose between different plans depending on your needs. Figma offers a free plan for individuals and small teams, as well as paid plans for larger teams and organizations.
Once you have an account, you can access your workspace on Figma’s web app. Your workspace is where you can create and manage your design projects. You can also invite other people to join your workspace and collaborate with you.
To create a new project, click on the New button on the top left corner of your workspace. You can name your project and choose a thumbnail for it. You can also organize your projects into folders by dragging and dropping them.
How to create your first design project in Figma?
After creating a new project, you will see a blank canvas where you can start designing. On the left side of the canvas, you will see the Layers panel, where you can view and manage the elements of your design. On the right side of the canvas, you will see the Design panel, where you can adjust the properties of the selected element.
To add elements to your canvas, you can use the tools on the top toolbar. The most common tools are:
- The Frame tool: This allows you to create containers for your design elements. Frames are useful for defining the layout and boundaries of your screens or pages.
- The Shape tool: This allows you to draw basic shapes such as rectangles, circles, polygons, stars, or lines. You can also use the Pen tool to draw custom shapes or paths.
- The Text tool: This allows you to add text to your design. You can choose from different fonts, sizes, colors, alignments, styles, and effects.
- The Image tool: This allows you to insert images from your computer or from a URL. You can also drag and drop images from other sources into your canvas.
- The Component tool: This allows you to create reusable elements that you can use across your design. Components are like symbols or templates that you can edit once and update everywhere.
To modify elements on your canvas, you can use the tools on the bottom toolbar. The most common tools are:
- The Move tool: This allows you to move elements around by dragging them with your mouse or using the arrow keys. You can also use the Align tool to align elements relative to each other or to their parent frame.
- The Scale tool: This allows you to resize elements by dragging their handles or using the Shift key to maintain their aspect ratio. You can also use the Constraints tool to define how elements should resize or reposition when their parent frame changes size.
- The Rotate tool: This allows you to rotate elements by dragging their rotation handle or using the Command key to snap them to 15-degree increments. You can also use the Flip tool to flip elements horizontally or vertically.
- The Boolean tool: This allows you to combine or subtract shapes using boolean operations such as union, subtract, intersect, or exclude. You can also use the Vector Networks tool to edit the nodes and segments of your shapes or paths.
How to use Figma’s basic features and tools?
Figma has many more features and tools that can help you create better designs. Some of the most useful ones are:
- The Color Picker tool: This allows you to choose colors from a palette, a color wheel, an eyedropper, or a hex code. You can also create and save your own colors as styles in your team library.
- The Effects tool: This allows you to add effects such as shadows, blurs, or masks to your elements. You can also create and save your own effects as styles in your team library.
- The Layout Grid tool: This allows you to add grids to your frames to help you align and distribute your elements. You can choose from different types of grids such as columns, rows, or squares. You can also create and save your own grids as styles in your team library.
- The Auto Layout tool: This allows you to create dynamic layouts that adjust automatically when you add, remove, or resize elements. You can use auto layout to create responsive designs that work on different screen sizes and orientations.
- The Plugins tool: This allows you to install and use plugins that extend Figma’s functionality. Plugins are third-party applications that can help you with tasks such as importing data, generating content, creating icons, or animating elements.
How to collaborate and share your designs with others?
One of the best features of Figma is its collaboration capabilities. You can work with other designers on the same file in real-time or asynchronously. You can also share your designs with stakeholders, clients, or users for feedback or testing.
To collaborate with other designers on Figma, you need to invite them to your workspace or project. You can do this by clicking on the Share button on the top right corner of your workspace or project page. You can then enter their email addresses or copy a link to send them. You can also set different permissions for each person, such as view only, comment only, edit, or owner.
To share your designs with others for feedback or testing, you need to create a shareable link for your file. You can do this by clicking on the Share button on the top right corner of your canvas. You can then copy the link and send it to anyone you want. You can also set different options for your link, such as password protection, expiration date, or presentation mode.
To receive feedback on your designs, you can use the Comments feature on Figma. You can add comments to any element on your canvas by clicking on the Comment button on the top toolbar. You can then type your comment and mention other people using the @ symbol. You can also reply to other people’s comments or mark them as resolved.
To test your designs, you can use the Prototype feature on Figma. You can create interactive prototypes by linking elements together using hotspots and transitions. You can then preview your prototype by clicking on the Play button on the top toolbar. You can also share your prototype with others using a shareable link.
How to prototype and test your designs in Figma?
Prototyping and testing are essential steps in the UX/UI design process. They allow you to validate your design ideas and assumptions with real users and get feedback on how to improve them.
Figma makes prototyping and testing easy and fun. You can create interactive prototypes by linking elements together using hotspots and transitions. You can then preview your prototype by clicking on the Play button on the top toolbar. You can also share your prototype with others using a shareable link.
To create a prototype in Figma, you need to switch from the Design mode to the Prototype mode on the top toolbar. You will then see a blue outline around each element on your canvas. To link an element to another element or frame, you need to drag a blue handle from one element to another. You will then see a connection line between them.
To edit the properties of a connection, you need to click on it. You will then see a panel where you can adjust the following options:
- The Trigger: This is what activates the connection when someone interacts with the element. You can choose from different triggers such as click, hover, drag, press, etc.
- The Action: This is what happens when the connection is activated. You can choose from different actions such as navigate to
a frame, open overlay, close overlay, swap overlay, scroll to, or back.
- The Destination: This is the element or frame that the action leads to. You can choose from any element or frame in your project or create a new one.
- The Animation: This is how the transition between the elements or frames looks like. You can choose from different animations such as dissolve, slide, push, move in, etc. You can also customize the duration, direction, and easing of the animation.
- The Overlay: This is an optional feature that allows you to show an element or frame on top of another one. You can use overlays to create pop-ups, menus, tooltips, etc. You can also adjust the position and alignment of the overlay.
To preview your prototype in Figma, you need to click on the Play button on the top toolbar. You will then see a new window where you can interact with your prototype as if it was a real app. You can also use the Device option to choose different screen sizes and orientations for your prototype.
To share your prototype with others in Figma, you need to create a shareable link for your prototype. You can do this by clicking on the Share button on the top right corner of your prototype window. You can then copy the link and send it to anyone you want. You can also set different options for your link, such as password protection, expiration date, or presentation mode.
To test your prototype with real users in Figma, you need to use a third-party tool such as UserTesting, Maze, or Lookback. These tools allow you to recruit users, record their interactions and feedback, and analyze the results. You can integrate these tools with Figma by using their plugins or by pasting your prototype link into their platforms.
Where to find more resources and inspiration for Figma and UX/UI design?
Figma is a great tool for UX/UI design, but it is not enough to master it. You also need to learn the principles and best practices of UX/UI design, such as user research, usability testing, information architecture, visual design, etc.
Fortunately, there are many resources and inspiration available online for Figma and UX/UI design. Some of the best ones are:
- Figma’s official website: This is where you can find Figma’s documentation, tutorials, blog posts, webinars, courses, and community page.
- Figma’s YouTube channel: This is where you can watch Figma’s videos on how to use its features and tools, as well as interviews and presentations from Figma’s team and experts.
- Figma’s Twitter account: This is where you can follow Figma’s latest news and updates, as well as tips and tricks from Figma’s team and users.
- Figma’s Medium publication: This is where you can read Figma’s articles on design topics such as accessibility, collaboration, prototyping, etc.
- Figma’s Dribbble account: This is where you can see Figma’s showcase of its own designs and projects.
- Learn UI Design: This is an online course by Erik Kennedy that teaches you how to create beautiful and intuitive user interfaces using Figma and other tools.
- Design+Code: This is an online platform by Meng To that offers courses and books on how to design and code apps using Figma and other tools.
- UI Sources: This is a website that collects and analyzes UI patterns from popular apps and websites. You can use it to get inspiration and learn from the best practices of UX/UI design.
- UI Movement: This is a website that features the best UI animations from Dribbble. You can use it to get inspiration and learn how to create engaging and delightful user interfaces.
Conclusion
Figma is a powerful and popular tool for UX/UI designers that allows them to create, collaborate on, and share their designs. In this blog post, I have covered how to get started with Figma and UX/UI design by explaining how to:
- Set up your Figma account and workspace
- Create your first design project in Figma
- Use Figma’s basic features and tools
- Collaborate and share your designs with others
- Prototype and test your designs in Figma
- Find more resources and inspiration for Figma and UX/UI design
I hope this blog post has helped you learn more about Figma and UX/UI design. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below. Thank you for reading !