Figma is a design tool that anyone can use freely with just a computer and an internet connection, regardless of time or place. Although it is best known for UI/UX design and design systems, it can also support planning, presentations, animation, illustration, brainstorming, and much more.
Figma is a design tool that anyone can start using freely with just a computer and an internet connection, regardless of time or place. It is commonly used for UI/UX design and design systems, but its applications are virtually limitless: planning, presentations, animation, memes and emoji, and much more. Thanks to that flexibility, Figma had become the hottest tool in UX design by 2020. (https://uxtools.co/survey-2020/)
Figma's strengths can be grouped into three areas.
1. Powerful UI drawing
It combines vector, bitmap, and web tools
- Its powerful vector drawing features let you create freely.
- It stays remarkably fast even with large numbers of images and production-scale files.
- Work is saved automatically on the web, making system-crash losses very rare.
Build high-quality UI components in one tool
- Variants let you express UI states in a sophisticated, structured way.
- Smart Animate lets you turn the interactions you create into reusable library assets.
- Prototyping and animation can be organized and used systematically.
Adapt it to almost any purpose
- Because visual elements can be defined and combined quickly, Figma works for a remarkable range of uses: presentations, animation, illustration, brainstorming, task management, emoji, and even simple games.
- What if you could use an emoji library you made during a live brainstorming session? FigJam, Figma's lighter companion for brainstorming and workshops, makes it possible to share ideas effectively and enjoyably with non-designers too.
Use a wide range of plugins instantly
- Draw arrows between UI screens to make flowcharts.
- Connect spreadsheet data to UI.
- Turn an asset you drew into 3D.
- Find and use free images without leaving Figma.
It is free
- All core drawing features are free, so the free plan is enough for plenty of enjoyable projects.
- Projects also let you collaborate with many people at no cost.
- Paid library and team features become more valuable as your project and Figma practice mature.
2. Easy sharing
Share with a web link
- A single click takes people directly to the location you want them to see.
- Designers, product planners, and developers can work together in the same project file.
- Auto Layout lets you design components in a way that resembles how developers build UI, reducing communication overhead.
- Comments let teams discuss and incorporate feedback directly in the design file.
- Sharing permissions can be tuned precisely, for exactly the people and scope you choose.
- Services such as Jira and Notion support embeds, so teams can inspect live designs from other collaboration tools.
Store work systematically
- You can design anywhere, anytime, as long as you have a computer.
- You can follow the work from almost any electronic device, including tablets, phones, and computers.
- Because files live on the web rather than a local client, version management and rollback are straightforward.