A closer look at how Figma’s new features will change the design landscape.
Figma, the popular collaborative design tool, announced a number of new features at their Config 2023 conference. These features are designed to make Figma even more powerful and versatile for creators and developers.
Additionally, Figma also announced they are acquiring the startup Diagram— well-known for their innovations in AI-powered UI tools. Together, the two companies will spearhead initiatives to further advance the future of generative graphics by incorporating more AI features into Figma in the future.
Among the upcoming, non-AI features shown off, here are the 5 most noteworthy for today’s creators:
Variables: Variables are a new way to store reusable values in Figma. They can represent anything from colors and fonts to complex data structures. Variables make it easy to keep end products consistent and to make changes quickly.
Conditions: Conditions are a way to control the behavior of prototypes based on user input or other factors. For example, you could create a condition that changes the color of a button based on whether the user has logged in or not.
Expressions: Expressions are a way to combine variables and other values to create new values. For example, you could create an expression that calculates the shipping cost for an order based on the weight and destination of the order.
In-context editing: In-context editing is a new way to edit prototypes without having to open the prototype editor. This makes it easy to make quick changes to prototypes, such as changing the text on a button or the background color.
Inline preview: Inline preview is a new way to preview prototypes in the Figma canvas. This makes it easy to see how changes to a prototype will affect the final product.
These features are programmed to make it easier for designers to create complex and interactive prototypes. They also make it simpler to collaborate with developers, as they provide a way to connect design to code.
Here are some examples of how these features could be used:
1. A designer could use variables to store the colors and fonts for a design system. This would make it easy to keep the design system consistent across different projects.
2. A designer could use conditions to create a prototype that changes the layout of a website based on the size of the user’s screen. This would make the website more responsive and user-friendly.
3. A designer could use expressions to calculate the price of a product based on the product’s features. This would make it easy to create a dynamic pricing system.
These are just a few examples of how the new features in Figma could be used. As Figma and Diagram continue to develop their platform, we can expect to see even more groundbreaking and innovative ways to use them.
Conclusion
In summary, Figma, a widely-used collaborative design tool, has unveiled several new and efficient features during its Config 2023 conference, further enhancing its usability and versatility. The features showcase that Figma is dedicated to embracing a new, tech-enabled future for designers across the globe.
Looking ahead, the promising partnership between Figma and Diagram suggests that the future of design may be steeped in even greater technological advancement. With Figma’s commitment to innovating and refining its platform, designers can expect a suite of increasingly intuitive, time-saving tools at their fingertips.
Stay tuned as Figma revolutionizes the design world, one feature at a time.
To learn more about Figma’s upcoming features, read their complete Config 2023 recap here.
And to stay up-to-date on the latest in the technology space, visit www.rewiredgvl.com.
