On this Figma assessment, you will be taught every little thing you’ll want to learn about this well-liked design instrument.
Here is what we’ll cowl:
- Who Figma is for
- Its finest options
- Execs and cons
- Figma options.
Let’s dive proper in.
Figma Overview
Ease of Use
Options
Buyer Assist
Worth
Abstract
Figma is a robust design and prototyping instrument to assist designers and builders collaborate collectively and streamline tasks. Because it’s launch, it has claimed the highest spot for hottest UX and UI design instrument, with a 38% market share. Figma is intuitive and hosts tons of options, making it straightforward for designers to make the change. Learn our full Figma assessment under to get all the main points. Test it out right here!
Execs
- Save hours with seamless staff collaboration
- Easy and engaging interface
- Multi function instrument for design, suggestions, and prototyping
- Simple handoff to builders
- Cloud and desktop-based
- Beneficiant free plan
- Tons of plugins and integrations
Cons
- Wants an web connection
- Requires first rate RAM and graphics to run easily
- A little bit of a studying curve for those who’re new to design instruments
Figma holds the primary spot for the most well-liked design instrument. It claims a 38.61% market share within the collaborative design and prototyping class.
This highly effective prototyping instrument has overtaken well-liked choices similar to Adobe XD. All inside as little as 5 years.
What units it other than others is its simplicity and the variety of options accessible without spending a dime.
On this Figma assessment, we’ll discover its finest options that make this instrument so well-liked.
Figma Overview: Who’s Figma For?
Figma is constructed for designers in graphics, logos, web sites, cell apps, digital merchandise, and extra.
Their mission is to make design accessible to everybody.
Plus, designers can collaborate with builders to get dwell suggestions and streamline the design course of.
Different use instances embody:
- UI design
- UX design
- Wireframing
- Brainstorming
- Templates
- Distant design.
11 Figma Options You Have to See
There are tons of highly effective issues you are able to do with Figma. Here is a detailed take a look at the important thing options you’ll want to learn about.
1. Actual-time Collaboration
Preserving a design staff on the identical web page may be tremendous difficult for giant design tasks. Designers usually want exterior instruments to work collectively. This will result in fragmented and unclear suggestions.
Figma’s real-time collaboration ends the confusion as a result of it brings designers, builders, and mission managers collectively.
Your design staff can work concurrently on the identical design file, just like Google Docs. Embedded commenting makes the design mission a easy dialog. It permits for clear, contextual suggestions.
It additionally lets outsiders be part of. They may give specs and suggestions, serving to tasks transfer quicker.
2. Vector Networks
Creating vector graphics in Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator may be arduous. However Figma’s Vector Networks make it simpler.
With this characteristic, complicated designs change into easy. You’ll be able to join any two factors collectively, handle stroke kinds, and fill enclosed areas with a easy click on.
Figma’s bend instrument permits designers to regulate curves straight as a substitute of fidgeting with management handles. This streamlines the curve adjustment course of in your designs.
The intuitive filling method acknowledges and fills enclosed shapes mechanically. You may as well rapidly create holes inside crammed areas. This characteristic provides flexibility when designing complicated person interface parts.
3. Elements
What occurs when you’ve got a number of parts in a design file that you simply wish to replace globally? In lots of design instruments, you would want to make edits manually to every factor.
That is the place Elements in Figma are available in. By creating situations from a grasp element, design adjustments may be made rapidly by enhancing the grasp element.
That is actually useful when you’ve got a number of buttons of the identical design that want updating throughout all the mission.
4. Auto Structure
Auto Structure is one other thrilling characteristic in Figma that makes you a extra environment friendly designer. It would mechanically modify the dimensions of parts primarily based on their content material.
Meaning you possibly can create padding round buttons and shapes, and the structure will modify uniformly in accordance with its measurement.
It is a design characteristic that simplifies the creation of parts and the way they reply, just like the ultimate impact in internet browsers.
5. Prototyping
Ever marvel how internet or app designs will circulate as soon as they have been coded?
Figma’s prototyping options are an effective way to see how customers will work together with designs earlier than a line of code is written.
It means that you can flip static designs into clickable, interactive prototypes. This characteristic lets you preview the ultimate end result earlier than passing it to a developer.
This may also be helpful for different causes:
- To share concepts throughout the design course of
- Getting suggestions from collaborators
- Testing interactions with customers.
This characteristic is invaluable for testing and demonstrating the performance of designs.
6. Plugins
A Figma plugin extends its performance, permitting for custom-made workflows and automatic duties.
The Figma neighborhood has greater than 3,000 plugins to select from, making Figma much more spectacular.
Listed below are only a few helpful plugins to try:
- Unsplash for including inventory imagery to your work
- Icons8 AI background remover makes clear backgrounds without spending a dime
- Isometric converts 2D designs into product mockups
- Iconsax is a free library of over 6,000 vector icons.
7. Model Historical past
There isn’t any concern of shedding your work or breaking design belongings in Figma; thankfully, due to model historical past.
This characteristic information all adjustments made to a file, enabling designers to refer again to earlier variations if something goes flawed.
8. Internet-Primarily based Platform
One other distinctive characteristic and good thing about utilizing Figma is that it is web-based. Meaning you needn’t set up hefty software program in your PC like different design software program.
So long as you have acquired an web connection, you possibly can entry it from any gadget, making it simpler to work remotely.
Whereas Figma operates on-line, it additionally provides a desktop model. This model improves efficiency and supplies some offline entry.
This lets you work on bigger recordsdata and extra complicated designs that will have extra layers.
9. Embedded Designs
One other characteristic cherished by Figma customers is the flexibility to embed design belongings and prototypes.
This implies you possibly can add your work to an internet site or software for testing or collaboration functions.
Furthermore, viewing and enhancing permissions may be set so solely the best individuals in your staff could make adjustments.
Plus, exterior instruments similar to Notion will mechanically embed with the design recordsdata sharable hyperlink.
10. Constraints
Constraints in Figma is one other highly effective characteristic when designing web sites or cell apps.
It means that you can outline how parts inside a body ought to behave when its measurement adjustments. This ensures designs adapt responsively in accordance with the display measurement, just like how they might act of their completed setting.
It really works by setting the weather’ positions relative to their father or mother, anchoring them inside to keep up their place and scale.
You’ll be able to mix constraints with grids and the Auto structure characteristic to make designing versatile apps or web sites extra environment friendly and save time throughout the design course of.
11. FigJam
FigJam is Figma’s collaborative whiteboarding instrument. It is used for brainstorming and mission ideation.
It may also be used for diagramming, conferences and workshops, and agile workflows.
FigJam has every little thing you’ll want to share concepts in real-time, from sticky notes and drawings to wireframes and feedback.
Better of all, it integrates completely with Figma, permitting for a seamless transition from planning to design.
These options make Figma a robust and versatile instrument for designers, permitting for environment friendly design creation, collaboration, and prototyping.
Figma Overview: Pricing
If you happen to’re a contract designer, then you definately’ve acquired the choice between Figma’s free and Skilled plans.
What makes Figma so interesting is how a lot you are able to do with its free model.
- 30-day model historical past
- Figma Editor
- Auto Structure
- Plugins and widgets
- Limitless file storage
- PDF, PNG, JPG, SVG export
- Multiplayer collaboration
- Shareable hyperlinks
- Interactive prototypes
- Design parts
- And rather more.
The skilled plan provides extra for simply $12 per 30 days.
- Collaboration non-public tasks
- Prototype sharing permissions
- Audio conversations
- Workforce and mission switch
- Prototyping conditional logic
- Workforce libraries
- Dev mode
- And rather more.
FigJam pricing is separate however nonetheless very affordable. Most of the options are included in its free model.
Figma Overview: Execs and Cons
Execs
- Save hours with seamless staff collaboration
- Easy and engaging interface
- Multi function instrument for design, suggestions, and prototyping
- Simple handoff to builders
- Cloud and desktop-based
- Beneficiant free plan
- Tons of plugins and integrations
Cons
- Wants an web connection
- Requires first rate RAM and graphics to run easily
- A little bit of a studying curve for those who’re new to design instruments
Figma Alternate options
In recent times, Figma has dominated the market in design instruments. Nevertheless it won’t be for everybody.
Here is a fast take a look at some Figma options you would possibly wish to take into account.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD is a flexible instrument for UI and UX design, providing a sturdy various to Figma.
Its distinctive options and integrations make Adobe XD among the best design instruments accessible and holds a 15% market share.
This instrument excels in creating interactive prototypes and wireframes with a vector-based setting that’s each responsive and intuitive.
Moreover, its integration with different Adobe Inventive Cloud purposes like Photoshop and Illustrator is seamless, enabling designers to import belongings and improve them inside XD.
This may be the right Figma various for those who’re already conversant in the Adobe ecosystem. Nonetheless, the largest drawback is that Adobe XD does not supply a free plan as Figma does, inflicting some to analyze cheaper Adobe options.
InVision
InVision is one other wonderful design and prototyping platform and a viable various to Figma.
It supplies a freehand drafting mode, interactive mockups, and person testing, that are helpful for design groups.
InVision is praised for its simplicity and accessibility, with drag-and-drop functionalities that make it straightforward to make use of for individuals of all technical ranges.
It additionally integrates with different design instruments like Sketch, which makes it extra versatile. Nonetheless, for those who’re searching for an all-in-one instrument, then Figma could be the higher choice.
Sketch
Sketch is a design instrument particularly for Mac customers. Its complete vector enhancing helps you to management each a part of the design.
Just like Figma, Sketch’s component-based construction is a standout characteristic. It permits designers to create reusable parts throughout artboards, considerably rushing up the design course of.
It additionally provides prototyping, collaboration, and developer handoff.
The one downfall is that it is solely accessible for Mac customers, plus groups that prioritize real-time collaboration would possibly choose what Figma has to supply.
Figma Overview in Conclusion
That concludes this Figma assessment as among the best UX design instruments available on the market.
What makes Figma stand out is its beneficiant free plan, providing designers greater than sufficient options with no need to improve.
If you happen to’re searching for a design instrument that is straightforward to be taught and has a surprising person interface, then Figma is for you.