figmaOct 26, 2021

What’s new in Figma: October 2021 | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma’s October 2021 updates focus on making collaboration more flexible, prototyping faster, and design work easier to scale. FigJam gained widgets, plugins, templates, code blocks, advanced shapes, and open sessions, while Figma introduced interactive components and several workflow improvements. Together, these features aim to balance structured teamwork with experimentation and spontaneous collaboration. ## Work Better Together in FigJam - **Widgets** can be added directly to FigJam files to support activities such as: - Taking team selfies with Photo Booth - Checking team sentiment with Alignment Scale - Mapping organizational structures with Org Chart - **Plugins** help users develop and synthesize ideas more efficiently: - Tour Guide turns jam boards into slideshow presentations. - Color Picker expands color options for stickies and shapes. - Unsplash provides access to image libraries. - The FigJam toolbar now provides access to: - Plugins and widgets - Templates for brainstorming, workshops, research, and other activities - Code blocks and new shapes for technical collaboration - **Open sessions** allow visitors to join FigJam files without creating an account. ## Bring Designs to Life with Interactive Components - **Interactive components** create reusable interactive elements, reducing the amount of manual prototyping required. - Designers can experiment and iterate more quickly while collaborating with their teams. - Interactions inherited from main components are hidden on instances, making complex prototypes easier to understand and edit. - Additional prototyping improvements include: - `Shift + E` to switch between Design and Prototype tabs - Canvas visibility for interactions, allowing everyone to inspect and explore them - An option to disable keyboard navigation in prototype viewers for more realistic user testing - Copying and pasting prototype interactions to reduce repetitive work ## Explore and Design at Scale - Figma emphasizes supporting design systems while still leaving room for experimentation and new ideas. - The update introduces **branching**, presented as a way to help teams manage and explore design-system work at scale.

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figmaOct 11, 2021

How (and why) we built branching | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma built branching to preserve the benefits of real-time collaboration without letting unfinished or experimental work disrupt approved designs. Branches provide isolated spaces for exploration while keeping the main file a reliable source of truth. The design prioritizes simplicity, familiar multiplayer behavior, and protection against data loss. ## The Need for Branching at Scale - Figma’s real-time multiplayer model usually helps teams work in one shared file. - As organizations grow, however, design workflows become harder to manage: - Unapproved changes can reach production code. - Work may be overwritten. - Teams may struggle to distinguish work in progress from approved designs. - Branches let designers experiment, iterate, contribute to libraries, or preview work without changing the main file. - Changes can be incorporated into the main file only after review and approval. ## Balancing Freedom and Structure - Growing design teams increasingly requested stronger version-control workflows. - Traditional branching comes from software development, where files and changes are stored locally. - Figma had to adapt the concept for cloud-based files, asking: - Whether people should continue editing the main file simultaneously. - How collaboration should work within branches. - How to introduce version control without overwhelming designers with complexity. ## Designing Around Figma’s Multiplayer Model - Figma chose a purpose-built approach rather than copying existing development tools. - Simplicity and consistency became core principles: - The main file remains multiplayer. - A branch behaves like a regular Figma file. - Existing editor and viewer permissions continue to apply. - The system emphasizes data safety so users’ changes remain protected. - Figma intentionally limited complexity, including preventing branches from being created from other branches. ## The Complexity of Merging - Merging involved more than simply resolving conflicting edits. - Figma also had to handle operational problems such as: - The file changing while someone reviews a merge. - A user losing their connection midway through the process. - These cases required safeguards to ensure merges remain understandable, recoverable, and safe. Branching is therefore presented as a structured layer on top of Figma’s collaborative model: teams can explore freely in branches while maintaining a dependable, approved main file.

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figmaApr 26, 2021

Introducing branching: space to iterate and explore freely | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma introduced branching in beta to help large design teams experiment without risking changes to shared files. The feature combines the freedom of isolated exploration with Figma’s multiplayer collaboration, while keeping the main file as the approved source of truth. Branches are auto-saved and can later be merged into the main file by editors. ## The challenge of decentralized design systems - Design systems were spread across teams and tools, creating inconsistencies and forcing designers to switch contexts. - Centralized systems improved reuse and efficiency but introduced governance challenges. - In large systems such as Netflix’s Hawkins, many contributors may update files, even when the latest changes are not approved for production. - Teams needed a way to protect shared libraries while still allowing designers to explore new ideas. ## Branching built around simplicity - Figma considered traditional workflows involving commits and nested branches too complex. - The product adopted two principles: simplicity and consistency. - Branches work within Figma’s existing multiplayer model, retaining real-time collaboration. - Work is automatically saved, eliminating the need for explicit commits. - Designers can create a branch from any file, experiment safely, and merge approved updates into the main file. ## Future plans and availability - Figma planned to expand branching with features such as reviews. - The company was also exploring a unified approach to versioning across branching and multiplayer workflows. - The beta initially launched for Organization-plan customers, with access granted gradually. Branching is intended to let organizations centralize their design systems without limiting experimentation. Teams managing shared libraries should use branches for exploratory work and merge only reviewed, approved changes into the main file.

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figmaApr 20, 2021

Coming together at Config 2021 | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma’s Config 2021 announcements focus on making design more collaborative and accessible to broader teams. The company introduced tools for brainstorming, safe experimentation, mobile review, live discussion, and large-scale participation. Together, these updates reflect Figma’s shift from a specialized interface-design tool toward a broader collaborative workspace. ## FigJam for Brainstorming - FigJam is a new whiteboard space for brainstorming, diagramming user journeys, and exploring ideas. - It includes features such as emotes and chats to recreate some of the spontaneity of in-person collaboration. - Released in open beta, it was initially free through February 2022, with planned free and paid tiers afterward. ## Branching for Safer Iteration - Branching lets users create independent versions of a file to explore ideas without changing the main design. - Teams can collaborate within branches using Figma’s multiplayer tools. - Completed work can be merged back into the main branch. - The feature is available in beta for Organization-plan customers and is intended to support design-system contributions and large-team workflows. ## Mobile Access and Review - New iOS and Android apps make files and prototypes easier to access from anywhere. - The apps improve the mirrored playback experience, helping designers preview how work appears on actual devices. - The mobile app was launched in beta, with a broader release planned. ## Audio Collaboration - Audio allows teammates to start calls directly inside Figma or FigJam. - It supports live design critiques, group brainstorming, and discussions without leaving the editor. - The feature was planned for Professional and Organization plans. ## Larger Multiplayer Sessions - Figma increased its limit to 500 concurrent users: 100 editors and 400 viewers. - The company planned to raise the limit to 1,000 users across Figma and FigJam, with 200 editors and 800 viewers. - These limits support large presentations, workshops, classrooms, and other emerging collaborative uses. ## Publishing to the Figma Community - Everyone can publish files, templates, techniques, and other resources to the Figma Community. - Users can both discover work from others and share their own contributions. - FigJam templates were highlighted as an early example of this expanded community ecosystem. Figma’s Config 2021 updates recommend a broader model of design collaboration: teams can ideate in FigJam, experiment through branching, review work on mobile, communicate through audio, and share results with the wider community.

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