Figma’s annual design conference, Config 2024, unveiled a suite of groundbreaking features and updates, including Figma AI, a redesigned interface (UI3), and Figma Slides, aimed to revolutionize the design process and enhance collaboration between designers and developers.
Figma AI: Revolutionizing Design Workflows
Figma AI introduces powerful features designed to streamline design workflows and enhance creativity. Key capabilities include Visual Search and AI-enhanced Asset Search, which simplify finding and reusing designs. The “Make Designs” feature generates UI layouts and component options from text prompts, helping designers overcome creative blocks and explore various design directions quickly. Additionally, Figma AI offers tools for automatic layer renaming, quick-click prototyping, and realistic content generation, enabling designers to populate their designs with relevant, engaging content beyond placeholder text and images. These AI-powered features not only boost productivity but also lower the barrier for new users while empowering experienced designers to iterate more rapidly, marking a significant advancement in the integration of AI into design tools
UI3: The New Figma Interface
Figma’s UI3 redesign introduces a more streamlined and intuitive interface, aiming to simplify the design experience while accommodating the platform’s growing complexity. The new layout features resizable and collapsible panels, placing greater emphasis on the canvas workspace. Key changes include a reorganized navigation panel, a toolbar moved to the bottom of the editor, and a redesigned properties panel with grouped settings matching modern workflows. UI3 also introduces new features like property labels and a minimizable UI option, enhancing usability and providing more control over the interface. This redesign not only addresses current user needs but also lays the foundation for future Figma products and features, creating a consistent experience across Figma Design, FigJam, Dev Mode, and Figma Slides.
Figma Slides: Transforming Presentations
Figma Slides, introduced at Config 2024, is a new presentation tool that integrates seamlessly with Figma’s design platform. This feature allows users to create interactive and visually stunning presentations directly within Figma, leveraging the platform’s collaborative capabilities and design tools. Figma Slides offers professionally designed templates, real-time collaboration, and unique features like Design Mode for customization. It also incorporates AI-powered elements such as auto-rewriting text and diverse styling options. The tool emphasizes user engagement through interactive elements like stamps and polls, aiming to revolutionize traditional presentation software by promoting creativity and participation. Currently in beta and free to use, Figma Slides is set to become a paid feature upon its official release, catering particularly to product builders and design professionals within Figma’s core user base.
Figma Config 2024 Highlights was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.