The Power of Figma as a Design Tool
Figma is a cloud-based design tool that is similar to Sketch in functionality and features, but with big differences that make Figma better for team collaboration. For those skeptical of such claims, we’ll explain how Figma simplifies the design process and is more effective than other programs at helping designers and teams work together efficiently.
Figma Works on Any Platform
Figma works on any operating system that runs a web browser. Macs, Windows PCs, Linux machines, and even Chromebooks can be used with Figma. It is the only design tool of its type that does this, and in shops that use hardware running different operating systems, everyone can still share, open, and edit Figma files.
In many organizations, designers use Macs and developers use Windows PCs. What does Figma do to help bring these groups together? Figma’s universal nature prevents the annoyance of PNG-pong (where updated images are bounced back and forth between design team disciplines). In Figma, there is no need for a mediating mechanism to make design work available to everyone.
Collaboration in Figma Is Simple and Familiar
Because Figma is browser-based, teams can collaborate as they would in Google Docs. People viewing and editing a file are shown in the top of the app as circular avatars. Each person also has a named cursor, so tracking who is doing what is easy. Clicking on someone else’s avatar zooms to what they are viewing at that time.
Real-time file collaboration helps mitigate “design drifting”—defined as either misinterpreting or straying from an agreed-upon design. Design drifting usually happens when an idea is conceived and quickly implemented while a project is in progress. Unfortunately, this often leads to deviating from the established design, causing friction and re-work.
What is Figma used for? Using Figma, a design lead can check in to see what the team is designing in real time by simply opening a shared file. If a designer somehow misinterprets the brief or user story, this feature allows the design lead to intervene, correct course, and save countless hours that would have otherwise been wasted. (By comparison, teams using Sketch have no immediate way of telling if designers are going astray.)
Side note: Some designers don’t like to be “spied on” when they’re working, so it’s up to the design lead to explain the benefits. In general, most designers quickly see the value in such a feature and easily adapt to working in a shared environment.
Figma Uses Slack for Team Communication
Figma uses Slack as its communication channel. When a Figma channel is created in Slack, any comments or design edits made in Figma are “slacked” to the team. This functionality is crucial when designing live because changes to a Figma file will update every other instance where the file is embedded (a potential headache for developers). Changes to a mockup, warranted or not, are immediately vetted, and the feedback channel is live.
Real-time file collaboration helps mitigate “design drifting”—defined as either misinterpreting or straying from an agreed-upon design. Design drifting usually happens when an idea is conceived and quickly implemented while a project is in progress. Unfortunately, this often leads to deviating from the established design, causing friction and re-work.
What is Figma used for? Using Figma, a design lead can check in to see what the team is designing in real time by simply opening a shared file. If a designer somehow misinterprets the brief or user story, this feature allows the design lead to intervene, correct course, and save countless hours that would have otherwise been wasted. (By comparison, teams using Sketch have no immediate way of telling if designers are going astray.)
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Side note: Some designers don’t like to be “spied on” when they’re working, so it’s up to the design lead to explain the benefits. In general, most designers quickly see the value in such a feature and easily adapt to working in a shared environment.
Figma Uses Slack for Team Communication
Figma uses Slack as its communication channel. When a Figma channel is created in Slack, any comments or design edits made in Figma are “slacked” to the team. This functionality is crucial when designing live because changes to a Figma file will update every other instance where the file is embedded (a potential headache for developers). Changes to a mockup, warranted or not, are immediately vetted, and the feedback channel is live.
Embedded Figma Files Provide Real-time Updating
Figma also shares live embed code snippets to paste an iFrame in third-party tools. For example, if Confluence is used to display embedded mockup files, those files are not “updated” by saving a Figma file—those embedded files ARE the Figma file.
If a change is made to the mockup by anyone in Figma, that change can be seen live in the embedded Confluence mockup. (You can read more about Figma and Confluence integration here.)
The effect of this feature on the UX process is illustrated in the following diagram:
Before Figma, several other tools were used to facilitate the exchange of design mockups and updates. The iteration cycle was a series of back and forth file updates, so teams could review and implement the current design.
After Figma, third-party tools are no longer necessary (but could be used if desired). Since Figma handles the functionality of the third-party tools described previously, there is only one step in the process—move from sketches to Figma and all groups have the latest mockups. There is no “handoff” in the strictest sense of the word.
Figma Is Great for Design Review Feedback
How does Figma work to support the team? When there is in-app commenting for both design and prototyping modes, the comment thread is tracked in Slack and/or email. There’s no need to publish PNG files or perform constant updates to get feedback from a team using a third-party tool like InVision or Marvel.
During design reviews, team designers can discuss their work on a large screen, record comments, and fix issues—all in Figma. This form of live feedback is not possible with Sketch, which requires uploading to a cloud service to get team input.