No wonder The Verge jokingly referred to Figma's annual conference as "Coachella for product designers": the Config heralds exciting product news to the cheers of 10,000 passionate fans and brings protagonists from the design world and cultural scene to San Francisco. Chapeau, Figma has worked its way up from a largely niche, collaborative, web-based design tool to an indispensable instrument for product development teams that both solo freelancers and industry giants such as Google, VW and SAP use on a daily basis. What product news is there for them?
Come curious, leave more connected
Inspiring keynotes and creative deep dives from more than 75 keynote speakers from around the world created an impressive backdrop for the product news unveiled by co-founder and CEO Dylan Field, under the motto: The new, collaborative era of software development has dawned and Figma is at the forefront of this revolution.
From computer scientist and AI researcher Dr. Fei Fei Li ("Math is clean, but humans are messy") to product design enfant terrible Jesper Kouthoofd, CEO of Teenage Engineering, to media makers such as BBC Creative Director Laura Llewellyn or the Chief Curator of the Eames Institute, Llisa Demetrios, who linked the rich heritage of the Eames with the challenges of our time in her talk "Infinite curiosity": The Config lineup impressively illustrates Figma's versatile touchpoints - as well as the diversity of its users.
(All talks and panels are freely accessible and sorted by topic here)
Figma AI: Think big, implement quickly
In our portrait of the "Figma for Education" initiative in issue 02.24 and during a recent visit to Munich by Chief Product Officer Yuhki Yamashita, the team indicated that generative AI will play an increasingly important role - in all their products and processes. It was therefore no surprise that the new AI design functions were a focal point of the new products. "AI makes the journey from idea to product more tangible than ever before," says Dylan Field. With Figma AI, designers can now effortlessly create designs via text input and immediately visualize them, visualize them in different styles, edit text and images and create realistic prototypes - all in record time and with just a few clicks.
At a glance:
- Design creation: With a simple text input command, mobile and web UI mockups can be generated in different styles and layouts. This not only saves time, but also enables rapid iteration and customization.
- Visual search function: Work can be searched using a frame, image or screenshot to find the exact design you are looking for. This feature uses advanced AI to understand the search context and display the most relevant results.
- Layer organization: With one click, all layers of a file can be renamed and arranged according to context, making the management of complex design projects much easier.
- AI-supported prototypes: Static designs can be turned into working prototypes without having to perform all the steps manually. This function automates many of the tedious tasks that prototypes usually entail...
Dev Mode: The bridge between design and code
Another exciting update concerns Dev Mode, which was introduced in 2023. The new functions in Dev Mode are intended to further optimize collaboration between designers and developers. With Code Connect, codes from design systems or supported UI kits can now be linked directly, making it much easier to implement the correct code. The improved workflows and the new view increase transparency and efficiency throughout the entire development process.
Figma Slides: Presentations rethought
Mihika Kapoor, who is responsible for Figma Slides and presented a new tool for interactive presentations, received a big round of applause. It combines the creative possibilities of Figma with collaborative presentation tools. It allows teams to create engaging presentations, create consistent looks and coordinate with existing visuals. Particularly impressive are the AI-supported assistance functions that help to rewrite text, edit images and adjust the tonality - all in one place.
Redesign for a new era of software development
With the innovations presented, Figma has also introduced a new user interface. The improved ergonomics and easy access to new functions such as Figma AI should ensure that user-friendliness is further increased.
The new products show that Figma puts a lot of heart and soul into product development. The combination of AI-supported design and development tools and an improved user interface offers teams around the world a great opportunity to implement their ideas faster and more efficiently. At a time when software development and design are becoming increasingly complex, the tech company is showing that it is possible to simplify these processes - and make them accessible to everyone.
All images © Figma
More about Config 2024
The German-language Figma blog with all product news in detail
