Figma is a design application which can be used for creating wireframes, designs and prototypes. It is a vector based graphics editor which essentially means that the assets you create in it are vector based. Vector images do not degrade and can be scaled to any size without loosing quality and becoming pixelated. In comparison a graphics application is for the most part raster based which means that the images will degrade and loose quality if they are scaled larger than their original resolution. So for example making a 50 x 50 image 1000 x 1000 is going to distort the image and make it low quality.
Here are 15 reasons why you should be using Figma for design.
1. It is Free
The application is completely free to use so you don't have an excuse for not trying it. They do have paid tiers as well but the free version is more than good enough for most people.
2. The app is cross platform
Sketch is a highly popular design tool which is used by a lot of people. However Sketch is only available on macOS whereas Figma is available on macOS, Windows and Linux.
3. It can be used in the browser
The majority of the most popular design tools are desktop based. This means that you can only use the application offline on your computer and you will have to install it. Figma however can be used right in your browser you don't really need to install anything.
4. It can be used offline too
Figma can also be used offline as well making it extremely flexible. You can install it as a desktop app and I believe that it uses the web version as a wrapper. So if you don't have an internet connection you can work offline and then sync and upload all your changes once you are connected again.
5. Collaboration is built in
Because Figma works in the browser you can collaborate with other people in your team. So everyone can access and work on the design at the same time. This is amazing because you can show the client how the design is progressing and they can leave notes on changes that they would like to see.
6. Figma is very fast
The application is very lightweight and agile. Some apps tend to be bloated with plugins and features that you are unlikely to use. Figma feels quite responsive.
7. Autosave
Now this feature is incredibly useful. Figma automatically saves your work for you so you don't need to manually do it. This is great for those people who forget to save after making huge changes.
8. Version History
Figma let's you see your version history. So if you ever wanted to go back in time and see an earlier design or make some amendments it is fairly straightforward.
9. You can create wireframes
One of its many great features is the ability to create wireframes. Figma even includes wireframe templates to make the starting process easier. Having this feature makes Figma far more versatile than the average design app.
10. Making prototypes
Prototyping in Figma is fairly easy to get to grips with. It lets you make interactive user flows that can simulate how someone would interact with your application. The fact that Figma can make wireframes, designs and prototypes makes it a great all in one design tool.
11. Files and templates
The Figma community is very large and many users have created files and templates that you can use with your designs. So there is an extensive library ready for you to work with.
12. Plugins
There is a huge selection of plugins available for Figma which can increase its feature set even more. For example you could use the Unsplash plugin to insert images from Unsplash into your design. Or the Iconify plugin to import icons from FontAwesome, Jam Icons and many more.
13. Popular size presets built in
In the application if you open the drop down menu for Group or Frame you will see a lot of ready made presets. There are preset sizes for phones, tablets, desktops and even social media. So you can create designs for Twitter posts, Twitter headers, Instagram posts and much more.
14. Figma creates great banners/cover images
I have been using Figma a lot recently to create the banners/cover images that I use with my articles. In fact the one created for this article was designed using Figma. Prior to this I was using Photoshop which is still great of course. But the fact that Figma is so lightweight and creates assets that scale to any size makes it a good option.
15. Small learning curve
Figma is extremely easy to learn even a beginner with a limited design background can make a simple design. You can export assets as PNG, JPG, SVG and PDF so it is very easy to create something useful.
Final Thoughts
I really hope that you enjoyed reading this article and learned something from it. As a content creator and technical writer I am passionate about sharing my knowledge and helping other people reach their goals. Let's connect across social media you can find all of my social media profiles and blogs on linktree.
Peace ✌️
Top comments (7)
Figma is a really great product. I sometimes struggle to think what I would do without it :D But I often use Adobe XD as well and try to figure out which one is better. (With Adobe XD you can create projects easily as normal files stored e.g. in your projects main folder. Sometimes I miss that in Figma.)
Adobe XD is great as well. If Figma did not exist then Adobe XD might be my first choice.
Kinda. It has a freeware tier, but it's proprietary and only works on some OS. I haven't been able to find out what its file formats are since you can't even download it without giving them your details, but I suspect it'll be proprietary, which means it'll be no use to a lot of institutions.
Well it works on any OS with a decent browser.
Figma is great!! Also make it so easy to collaborate with the clients
Totally agree! Figma is great 😎
Reason #1 is enough to convince me. 🤣