Figma announces big redesign with AI

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Figma’s New Era: A Redesign, AI, and a Slide Show

Figma, the popular design platform, is shaking things up with a slew of new features unveiled at its annual Config conference. 2024 marks a significant moment for the company, following the aborted Adobe acquisition and the rise of generative AI. Figma’s CEO, Dylan Field, has described this year as a time for "bold bets" and "powerful new experiences." The announced features, including a major UI redesign, integrated generative AI tools, and a built-in presentation platform called "Figma Slides," aim to do just that.

A New Look and Feel: UI3 Redefining the Canvas

First and foremost, Figma is introducing "UI3," its third major redesign since its closed beta launch a decade ago. This overhaul is more than just cosmetic, it’s fundamentally changing how users interact with the platform. Figma’s goal is to shift the focus from the tool’s interface to the user’s work itself. To achieve this, they’ve implemented a new toolbar, rounded corners across the interface, and a whopping 200 new icons. The redesign aims to create a more simplified experience for newcomers, while maintaining the sophistication and power that seasoned Figma users have come to expect.

"Focus the canvas less on our UI and more on your work." – Figma, announcing UI3

The company is rolling out UI3 in a limited beta, with users able to join a waitlist to experience the new design. This phased approach allows Figma to gather feedback and ensure a smooth user experience before making the redesign widely available.

AI-Powered Design: Empowering Creativity, Simplifying Workflow

Another key announcement is the introduction of Figma’s generative AI tools. This is not merely a trend following, but a strategic effort to utilize AI in a way that truly enhances the design process. These AI functionalities are designed to work seamlessly within Figma, offering users a faster and more intuitive way to generate design elements.

"We’re using AI to lower the floor and raise the ceiling." – Yuhki Yamashita, Chief Product Officer at Figma

The demos presented by Yamashita showcase the potential of these tools. For example, a simple prompt like "design an app for a new restaurant" quickly generates a functional app mock-up with menu listings, a tab bar, and even buttons for popular delivery services. While the initial output might be generic, it provides a strong starting point that users can easily customize and refine.

Beyond simple generation, Figma AI is designed to streamline task-specific workflows, including:

  • "AI-enhanced" asset search: Instantly finding the right asset within a large library.
  • Auto-generated text: Replacing placeholder text with relevant, contextually appropriate content.

Figma AI is currently in limited beta with a waitlist for access. While the tools are free during the beta phase, Figma acknowledges potential future usage limits and plans to offer clear pricing models upon official launch.

Transparency and User Control: A Response to Adobe’s missteps

The company is taking a proactive stance regarding data privacy and user control in the era of AI. Figma is transparently outlining how its AI models are trained, emphasizing that they are not trained on users’ private files.

"All of the generative features we’re launching today are powered by third-party, out-of-the-box AI models and were not trained on private Figma files or customer data." – Kris Rasmussen, CTO at Figma

Instead, Figma’s AI is trained on publicly available resources, specifically UI images from its community file platform. This strategy aligns with user concerns over potential misuse of private design data, anxieties that were amplified by Adobe’s recent controversy surrounding their terms of service and AI training practices.

Figma is offering users a high level of control over data sharing and AI training. While Starter and Professional plan users are automatically opted in to sharing their content, Organization and Enterprise plans are opted out by default. Furthermore, Figma Admins will have the overall ability to manage data sharing and AI training for their organization.

Figma Slides: The Power of Presentation, Integrated

Figma’s boldest move might be the introduction of "Figma Slides," a presentation tool built right into the platform. The company has recognized that users have been creatively adapting Figma for slideshow creation. Now, there’s an official and refined way to create, edit, and share presentations directly within Figma’s familiar environment.

"Users have already been hacking Figma to find a way to make slides, so now there’s an official method to build and share presentations right inside the app." – Yuhki Yamashita, Chief Product Officer at Figma

Figma Slides goes beyond the basic functionality of tools like Google Slides, offering seamless integration with the design platform:

  • Real-time design editing: Directly edit design elements within slides, maintaining their connection to the original Figma files.
  • Prototype presentation: Showcase interactive prototypes within the slide deck, eliminating the need for separate screen recordings.
  • Interactive audience engagement: Incorporate features like polls and alignment scales to encourage audience participation.

Figma Slides is currently in open beta, making it accessible to a wider user base. While it’s free during the beta period, it will become a paid feature once officially released.

Beyond the Headlines: Refocusing on Developers

Figma’s latest update also reflects its commitment to developer-centric features. The company is enhancing its "Developer Mode" with a new "Ready for Dev" task list, designed to streamline the process of converting Figma designs into production-ready code. This feature aims to simplify the workflow between designers and developers, fostering better collaboration and reducing development bottlenecks.

A New Chapter for Figma: A Future-Forward Vision

The features announced at Figma’s Config conference are more than just updates, they represent a strategic shift for the company. Figma is embracing the potential of AI, emphasizing user control and data privacy, and expanding its capabilities to meet the evolving needs of its users. With its bold bets on the future of design, Figma is positioning itself as a leader in the design landscape, ready to empower creative workflows for the next decade.

Article Reference

David Green
David Green
David Green is a cultural analyst and technology writer who explores the fusion of tech, science, art, and culture. With a background in anthropology and digital media, David brings a unique perspective to his writing, examining how technology shapes and is shaped by human creativity and society.