User Interface | Techlist.io

figmaOct 25, 20172 min readCurated summary

Figma Now Integrates with Zeplin | Figma Blog

Figma announced a Zeplin integration to make it easier for teams to move designs into a developer-focused handoff workflow. The integration supports teams using different design and development processes, allowing Figma frames to be exported directly into Zeplin. However, unlike Figma’s always-current code mode, designs must be re-exported whenever the original Figma file changes. ## Supporting Flexible Design Workflows - Teams use different tools and processes to design, prototype, and build digital products. - Figma aims to support these workflows through integrations with complementary tools. - Zeplin is focused specifically on the developer experience, presenting design specifications and assets in an accessible format for engineers. ## Exporting Figma Designs to Zeplin The integration can be enabled through the following workflow: - Download Zeplin and create a project. - Enable Zeplin in Figma through **Menu → Integrations → Zeplin**. - Create and select a frame in Figma. - Choose **Export**, then select **Export to Zeplin**. - Zeplin opens automatically, where the user can select **Import**. - The exported Figma design then becomes available for viewing in Zeplin. ## Important Workflow Limitation - Exported designs are not automatically synchronized with Figma. - Any updates made to the original Figma design require another export to Zeplin. - This differs from Figma’s code mode, where developers always see the latest design assets. Figma presents the integration as part of its broader effort to help design and engineering teams collaborate more efficiently. Teams that rely on Zeplin can now incorporate Figma into their existing handoff process, provided they remember to re-export designs after changes.

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User Interface Figma Prototyping Front End Development+2

figmaOct 15, 20172 min readCurated summary

ICYMI: An Overview of Figma’s Feature Release Week | Figma Blog

Figma celebrated its first anniversary with “#6DaysofShipping,” releasing a new feature or improvement each day from Monday through Saturday. The initiative aimed to serve both advanced users and beginners, combining powerful workflow enhancements with accessible tips. The post recaps the week’s releases and highlights Figma’s fast, community-driven product development. ## A Week of Daily Releases - Figma created the release week after users praised the company’s rapid shipping pace. - The team decided to launch one feature per day for six consecutive days. - Releases ranged from advanced functionality, such as nested instance swapping, to beginner-friendly resources like a complete keyboard shortcut list. - The campaign was intended as a fun, unexpected celebration for Figma’s community and first anniversary. ## Scrubbable Inputs - Users can change property values more quickly by holding **Option**, clicking, and dragging. - Moving the cursor upward allows values to be “scrubbed” even faster. - The interaction is designed to speed up design exploration and iterative adjustments. ## Shortcuts for Rounding Corners - Rectangle corner radii can be adjusted directly by hovering, clicking, and dragging. - Users can round individual corners by holding **Alt** while clicking and dragging. - This provides more precise control over shapes without relying solely on numeric inputs. Figma’s release week demonstrated how small interaction improvements and advanced capabilities can make design work faster and more flexible. The practical recommendation is to explore both the new gestures and the broader shortcut reference to get more out of Figma’s editing workflow.

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User Interface Figma Design Tools Keyboard Shortcuts+1

figmaSep 28, 20172 min readCurated summary

This Twitter storm shows design systems are still up for debate | Figma Blog

Design systems were still an evolving, contested idea in 2017, without a universally accepted definition. The article examines a Twitter debate sparked by Airbnb’s Karri Saarinen, whose work framed design systems as essential for maintaining consistency and constraints at scale. The discussion suggests that a design system is broader than a library of UI components: it combines shared principles and patterns that shape a product’s overall design. ## An Evolving Definition - Designers offered varied interpretations of what a design system meant, reflecting the concept’s still-nebulous status. - Saarinen defined one as a “set of shared and integrated principles and patterns that define the overall design of a product.” - The debate demonstrated how the design community was actively refining the concept through public discussion. ## Why Design Systems Matter at Scale - Saarinen argued that larger, long-term projects require design systems to succeed. - Systems provide constraints and consistency across products, platforms, and teams. - Airbnb’s approach included principles such as: - Unified - Universal - Iconic - Conversational - Airbnb documented its process publicly as it developed its Design Language System. ## The Twitter Debate - Saarinen’s definition prompted a lively exchange with other design leaders, including Facebook product designer Sean Blanton. - The conversation explored what belongs within a design system and how broadly the term should be applied. - The article presents the discussion as valuable because experienced designers were clarifying the concept in real time. A practical takeaway is to treat a design system as an integrated foundation of principles, patterns, and constraints—not merely a collection of reusable visual components. Its purpose is to help teams create coherent products consistently as they grow.

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User Interface Design Systems Product Design Design Patterns+4

figmaJun 25, 20172 min readCurated summary

Figma Now Has Guides | Figma Blog

Figma introduced Guides in response to frequent user requests for faster alignment and positioning tools. The feature adds draggable horizontal and vertical ruler guides that complement Layout Grids, with options for frame-level organization, pixel nudging, and undo support. ## Creating and Using Guides - Enable rulers through **Main menu → View → Show rulers**. - Hover over the top or side ruler to see the offset, then click to create a Guide. - Guides appear as thin red lines and can be dragged to new positions. - Multiple Guides can be added by clicking several ruler offsets. ## Managing Guides - Delete a Guide by selecting it and pressing **Delete**, or drag it off the canvas. - Guides disappear when ruler view is disabled. - Accidental changes can be undone with **Command-Z**. - Arrow keys allow pixel-by-pixel nudging. ## Frame-Level Guides - Dragging a Guide into a frame converts it into a frame-level Guide. - This keeps the overall canvas cleaner when using many Guides. - Frame-level Guides work only on top-level frames; moving such a frame into another frame causes the Guides to disappear. The feature provides a lightweight, flexible alternative to Layout Grids for aligning designs. Users can enable rulers and create Guides as needed, while frame-level support helps organize complex canvases.

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User Interface Figma Layout Grids Design Editor+1

figmaJun 4, 20172 min readCurated summary

How one designer escaped the export-upload abyss | Figma Blog

The post argues that traditional designer-developer handoff creates unnecessary work, outdated files, and communication problems. At Pivotal, designer Colby Sato replaced repeated image exports and uploads with Figma’s browser-based, collaborative workflow. This saved roughly two days per project and made design critiques more focused and efficient. ## The Export-and-Upload Problem - Colby exported design frames as images and uploaded them to Pivotal Tracker engineering cards. - He repeated this process 15–20 times per project as designs evolved. - Searching through hundreds of engineering cards was time-consuming. - Missed updates sometimes caused engineers to implement outdated designs. - The process wasted developer time and made collaboration frustrating. ## Figma as a Shared Source of Truth - Figma files were accessible in the browser, always current, and shareable through links. - Colby could add a Figma link when creating an engineering card instead of updating images repeatedly. - Comments attached directly to design frames provided functional context. - The workflow eliminated uncertainty about which design version engineers should use. - Colby estimated it saved him two days of work per project. ## More Effective Design Reviews - Pivotal’s weekly critiques had previously relied on post-it notes and verbal explanations. - Figma comments stayed attached to the relevant design, making feedback easier to understand. - Colby could observe where engineers were focusing in the file through their cursor activity. - He could redirect reviewers toward areas where feedback was most valuable. - Reviews became faster, more contextual, and more collaborative. Figma ultimately shifted Pivotal’s focus from tracking files and feedback to improving the product itself. The post recommends using a shared, continuously updated design workspace to reduce handoff friction and enable stronger collaboration between designers and engineers.

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User Interface Figma Design Systems Design Collaboration+2

figmaMay 25, 20172 min readCurated summary

Tips for using Constraints in your workflow

Figma’s constraints feature helps designers build layouts that adapt across different screen sizes and contexts. By anchoring elements to edges, centers, or grids, designs can remain structurally consistent instead of requiring separate manual adjustments. The post presents five practical applications, from simple button placement to flexible navigation bars, table cells, and playful illustrations. ## Pinning Buttons to Corners - Set an action button’s constraints to the bottom and right sides of its parent frame. - This keeps floating action buttons in a consistent location as the screen expands. ## Combining Components and Constraints - Constrain important elements within a frame, then convert the frame into a reusable component. - Duplicate the component for different screen sizes. - Changes to the original—such as colors or text sizes—propagate to all instances, making responsive variations easier to manage. ## Building Flexible Navigation Bars with Grids - Nest a navigation bar frame at the bottom of a phone-screen frame. - Set its constraints to **left & right** and **bottom** so it stretches with the screen. - Apply a layout grid with the **stretch** type. - Place buttons in grid columns and center-constrain them so they reposition as the screen changes. ## Creating Reusable Table Cells - Group related content, such as an avatar and text, and constrain it to the center-left of the cell. - Group action text and a rounded rectangle into a button, then constrain it to the center-right. - The cell’s contents remain attached to their intended sides across different frame widths. ## Experimenting with Illustrations - Horizontal and vertical constraints can also be applied creatively to illustrations. - Stretching constrained artwork can produce humorous distortions and playful effects. Constraints are most useful when combined with components and grids. Setting them thoughtfully allows one design to adapt across many screen sizes while reducing repetitive layout work.

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User Interface Figma Responsive Design Components+3

figmaMay 16, 20172 min readCurated summary

Are hackathons the answer to the tech designer shortage? | Figma Blog

Hackathons could help address the tech industry’s designer shortage by connecting design students with engineers, rapid product development, and recruiting companies. However, traditional hackathons often make designers feel unwelcome because they emphasize coding and seem aimed exclusively at developers. Hack@Brown shows that deliberate outreach and inclusive programming can turn hackathons into an effective pathway into product design careers. ## Making Hackathons Welcoming to Designers - Many design students believe they do not belong at hackathons because they cannot code or view tech companies as “selling out.” - Hack@Brown changed its branding to appear more professional and appealing to designers. - Organizers introduced dedicated UX and UI prizes. - They contacted design clubs nationwide and paid travel costs for students to attend. - The event’s design team grew from four members to six, helping ensure designers’ concerns shaped the experience. ## The Missing Path into Tech Design - Engineers have established routes into technology through coding education, projects, and recruiting pipelines; designers often lack an equivalent path. - Even invited designers sometimes left after seeing recruiting booths focused on engineers, reinforcing the sense that they did not fit in. - Companies need to take responsibility for finding potential designers rather than waiting for them to enter traditional tech channels. - Personal mentorship can be decisive: Atty Eleti discovered his potential as a designer after encouragement from Figma engineer Jessica Liu and designer Alice Lee. ## Hackathons as a Recruiting Funnel - Hack@Brown grew from 15–20 designers in 2013 to more than 100 in 2017—about 20% of attendees. - Companies including Facebook, Kayak, LinkedIn, Dropbox, IBM, and GE were increasing designer recruitment. - Facebook representatives attended to identify students with potential and followed up with attendees, including campus visits. - Recruiters seek designers with a combination of skills that remains difficult to find because product design is still a relatively young field. - Hackathons give companies an opportunity to meet promising candidates early and show students that tech design offers substantial career opportunities. Companies and hackathon organizers should actively invite, support, and mentor designers. With inclusive branding, design-specific challenges, financial assistance, and visible designer participation, hackathons can become a meaningful bridge into tech careers rather than developer-only events.

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User Interface Figma User Experience Product Design+2

figmaMar 8, 20173 min readCurated summary

Did Snapchat succeed because of its controversial UI? | Figma Blog

Snapchat’s confusing, unconventional interface may have helped rather than hurt its success. By rejecting standard usability rules, it created a product that encouraged exploration, social teaching, creativity, and a sense of insider belonging. Its design was partly accidental, but it also introduced influential mobile interaction patterns that made Snapchat distinctive. ## Breaking Conventional Usability Rules - Snapchat violated the principle of making interfaces immediately understandable. - Its navigation was chaotic: - Stories used both vertical and horizontal scrolling. - The camera screen contained unrelated controls. - There was no consistent navigation bar. - Designers argued that design should solve a problem, even if the result is less polished or intuitive. - Snapchat demonstrated that usability is not always the most important measure of a successful product. ## Tribal Knowledge and Millennial Appeal - Many users initially found Snapchat frustrating and ridiculous. - Its hidden features, such as filters and video calling, were often learned from friends. - This dependence on “tribal knowledge” created: - A sense of belonging among users. - A private space that felt separate from parents and older generations. - A rewarding discovery process. - The app’s messy interface also reflected the informal, chaotic identity its young audience associated with itself. ## Pioneering Mobile Interaction - Snapchat was among the first major social apps to open directly to the camera. - This encouraged users to create content rather than simply consume it. - Gestures such as swiping, tapping, double-tapping, and holding became essential commands. - Swiping to access filters was more fluid than browsing static filter thumbnails. - Its multidirectional navigation arguably suited touchscreen devices better than tiny menu buttons. ## “Shareable UI” Instead of Intuitive UI - Josh Elman described Snapchat’s approach as “shareable UI.” - Rather than making every feature discoverable by individual trial and error, the app encouraged users to learn from friends. - Social products can benefit from features that people want to demonstrate and discuss. - The goal is not always immediate comprehension; a powerful or entertaining product may spread because users teach one another how to use it. ## Accidental Innovation or Deliberate Strategy? - Some designers believed Snapchat’s interface was simply the result of accumulated bad decisions. - Others saw its design as unusually attuned to younger users and mobile behavior. - Regardless of intent, its unconventional choices helped establish new patterns for camera-first apps, gesture-based controls, and socially learned features. Snapchat’s success suggests that products do not always need to be intuitive or conventionally polished. A distinctive, difficult-to-master interface can succeed when it creates social value, rewards discovery, and gives users something worth sharing.

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User Interface User Experience Interaction Design Mobile Design+3

figmaFeb 14, 20173 min readCurated summary

Team Libraries in Figma | Figma Blog

Team Libraries bring shared, synchronized components to Figma, addressing the difficulty of maintaining design systems across separate files. The feature builds on Figma’s components, constraints, and web-based collaboration to create a single source of truth that teams can reuse and update efficiently. Its workflow—Publish, Insert, and Update—combines engineering-style structure with an accessible design workflow. ## The Problems with Traditional Design Tools - Many design tools were modeled on print and illustration software rather than interactive applications. - They lack meaningful support for application behavior, platform constraints, and reusable interface structures. - Copying symbols between files creates disconnected versions that must be updated manually. - Large organizations such as Facebook, Google, and Airbnb have had to build custom tools and dedicate staff to maintaining design systems. - Designers need synchronized, compounding component structures to create scalable systems. ## Bridging Design and Dynamic Interfaces - Figma’s earlier features established the foundation for reusable design systems: - Reliable vector editing - Constraints that reflect system behavior - Dynamic, reusable components - Team Libraries extend these capabilities across files and team members. - Because Figma operates online, shared components have effectively no synchronization delay. - Teams can reuse structured components across devices, platforms, layouts, and user flows. ## An Engineering-Inspired Design Workflow - Figma draws on software concepts such as modular composition and frameworks like React. - Structuring interfaces from discrete, clearly defined parts makes products easier to maintain. - The feature adapts engineering principles for designers rather than copying programming workflows directly. ## Publishing Components - Designers select components and choose **Add to Library** in the inspector sidebar. - Multiple components can be collected and reviewed before being published. - Permissions separate the source of truth from its consumers: - Editors of the source file can modify the original components. - Anyone with view access can use the published components. - This lets specialized teams control assets such as icons, colors, or brand guidelines while others reuse them without changing the rules. ## Inserting and Nesting Components - Published components are available in any file for users who can view the source file. - Users insert them through Figma’s components tool. - Components can be nested inside larger components or modules. - Nested structures allow teams to build complex views from reusable source elements while preserving a predictable single source of truth. ## Updating Shared Components - Changes are made to the original component and published again. - Figma provides a confirmation step and a visual diff showing what changed. - Deleting a component from the source file and publishing removes it from the team library. - The update process includes an additional safeguard because changes may affect multiple design explorations and could otherwise cause users to lose work.

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User Interface Figma Design Systems React+3

figmaJun 30, 20162 min readCurated summary

How to do content design / UX writing in Figma | Figma Blog

Figma enables content designers and UX writers to work alongside visual designers instead of contributing only after interfaces are defined. Its web-based, real-time collaboration makes content decisions visible, supports earlier iteration, and helps teams design what a product looks like and communicates at the same time. The post presents five lessons for using Figma to integrate content into the design process. ## Use Real Content to Inform the UI - Add real or near-real copy as soon as a screen, modal, or interaction is created. - Testing actual content early reveals: - Whether the interface communicates the intended message - Whether there is enough space for the copy - Whether the UI needs to be redesigned - Designing content and UI together prevents late-stage copy changes from breaking established interactions or flows. - This is particularly valuable when content designers join a project after visual design has already begun. ## Start Content-First with Written Conversations - Model interactions as real-world conversations before designing them visually. - Use a dedicated Figma frame or comments to script exchanges between the system and the user. - Role-playing conversations helps teams: - Identify goals and edge cases - Understand flow and information hierarchy - Use natural, human language instead of system terminology - These scripts may not become a final blueprint, but they provide a useful reference throughout iteration. ## Map the Entire User Journey - Content designers need visibility into the complete journey, including what happens before and after a specific screen. - Map the journey collaboratively in Figma, then document the content needs beneath each stage. - This encourages visual design to begin with the user’s content and context. - Shared files make the process more iterative than isolated slide decks, sketch files, or physical whiteboards. - Real-time visibility also helps engineers, product owners, and designers understand the content designer’s contribution across the journey. ## Collaborate and Document with Comments - Figma comments provide a shared space for discussing content and recording the reasoning behind content decisions. - Because the work is visible in the same file as the UI, collaborators can respond to copy choices in context rather than reviewing content separately. - The provided excerpt ends before this section’s detailed examples and remaining lessons. Figma is most effective for UX writing when teams use it from the beginning: write realistic content, model conversations, map journeys, and collaborate directly within the design file.

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User Interface Figma Collaborative Design Ux Writing+2

figmaJan 20, 20162 min readCurated summary

From Furniture to Screens | Figma Blog

Furniture design taught Figma designer Sayer Pease that tools should support people’s activities without becoming the focus themselves. Figma applies this principle through simple, versatile tools, tactile controls, and a restrained visual system that helps designers concentrate on their work. The broader lesson is that useful design principles can come from disciplines far beyond digital product design. ## Tools - A small, well-designed toolset can support both simple and complex work, much like a hammer can build anything from a cabinet to a house. - Figma’s pen tool was designed to feel more like a physical pen. - Its vector objects use networks of connected points rather than traditional paths, enabling more flexible and natural drawing. - The editor is intended to resemble an organized workbench, with essential tools easy to find and use. ## Control - Familiar, tactile interactions help users feel in control of digital tools. - Keyboard shortcuts provide both physical familiarity and greater efficiency. - Figma’s Command-drag selection heuristic distinguishes containers from their contents. - Users can select nested elements—such as icons inside a toolbar—without selecting the toolbar itself, reducing the need to think about layer hierarchy. ## Color as Semantic Guidance - Figma initially used an almost entirely monochromatic, “unskinned” interface so the product would fade behind users’ designs. - As functionality increased, the lack of visual differentiation made UI components harder to distinguish. - The revised approach uses color without making the interface visually dominant. - Colors add semantic meaning: green indicates actions, while blue indicates selection. - This helps users understand what they are doing at a glance rather than focusing on how the interface works. ## Learning Across Disciplines - Product designers should challenge the assumptions and conventions of their immediate field. - Valuable solutions can come from both historical design practices and unrelated disciplines. - Furniture design provides Figma with principles centered on utility, organization, control, and unobtrusive support. Ultimately, digital tools should enable users’ creativity rather than compete with it. Designers can improve products by studying how other disciplines create tools and environments that quietly support meaningful work.

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User Interface Figma Design Systems User Experience+2