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Figma feature highlight: Observation Mode | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

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Figma’s Observation Mode lets one person mirror another collaborator’s screen in real time. By clicking a teammate’s avatar, users can follow cursor movements, navigation, text changes, and prototype interactions as they happen. Figma presents it as a useful alternative to traditional screen sharing for critiques, client feedback, and user testing.

How Observation Mode Works

  • When multiple people are viewing a Figma file, click a person’s avatar in the upper-right corner.
  • Your view then follows everything that person sees and does.
  • The mirrored activity includes:
    • Moving through the file or prototype
    • Editing text inside frames
    • Selecting objects
    • Expanding design elements
    • Moving the cursor
  • Observation Mode is available even to users with view-only access, provided sharing is enabled for the file or project.

Real-Time Design Critiques and Feedback

  • Designers can watch clients or teammates explore a design instead of relying only on verbal explanations.
  • The feature makes remote critiques more interactive by allowing everyone to follow the same part of the file.
  • Clients can demonstrate their reactions and questions directly within the design.

User Testing in Figma

  • Researchers or designers can observe users as they move through a prototype.
  • Watching interactions live reveals:
    • Where users hesitate
    • Which elements cause confusion
    • Where navigation breaks down
    • Which interface areas create pain points
  • This provides more direct evidence than collecting anecdotal feedback after a test.

Sharing and Privacy Considerations

  • Anyone with access to a shared file may be able to use Observation Mode, including viewers.
  • Designers should be comfortable being observed before sharing a design URL.
  • Teams should consider file-sharing permissions when using the feature for sensitive work.

Observation Mode is best used as a lightweight collaboration and research tool: enable sharing, ask participants to explore the file or prototype, and follow their activity live to gather more precise feedback.