Key Figma Config 2024 Updates You Need to Know

Figma's annual Config conference has once again set a new standard for design and development collaboration with exciting updates unveiled at Config 2024. These updates can boost the productivity and creativity of design teams worldwide. Here's a detailed look at what’s new:

UI3: The Third Interface Redesign

Figma introduced its third major interface, called UI3, to make the design process more effective and efficient. Based on user feedback, UI3 has a cleaner, component-focused look with modern icons and better consistency across workflows. This redesign improves visual clarity and gives more space for creativity by moving design tools to the bottom of the editor.

The key features include:

• Immersive work interface: More space to work with easy-to-access tools and a modular interface, especially in the functionality panel.

• Redesigned icons and components: New icons that fit perfectly into the new interface.

• New toolbar: A toolbar at the bottom of the screen with all the new functions.

UI3 is available in a limited beta version, and you can switch back to the old interface during the transition phase.

Advanced Auto Layout Features

Auto Layout has been greatly improved to support more responsive and adaptive designs. These updates make it easier to create detailed layouts with accuracy.

Key additions to Auto Layout include:

• Nested Frames: Automatically create multiple Auto Layout frames.

• Flexible Wrapping: Wrap content horizontally or vertically within frames.

• Resizing Options: Choose from Fixed, Hug, and Fill Resizing to control element size within frames.

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Figma Slides: A New Era in Presentations

One of the most exciting additions is Figma Slides, a powerful new presentation tool currently in open beta. This tool expands Figma's design capabilities to include presentations, making it useful for both designers and non-designers.

Major features of Figma Slides include:

• Flexible Templates: Easily create presentations for any audience with templates like Pitch Deck and Business Model.

• Collaboration Features: Work together on decks with shared presenter notes and controls.

• Interactive Elements: Add live slides with polls, alignment scales, and voting to gather feedback.

• Customization: Use Figma's design tools to customize slides in detail.

Video Link for Figma Slide:

Figma AI

Figma's AI advancements offer powerful tools to make the design process easier and faster. Here are the main features:

1. Design Generation

Designers can quickly create web and mobile UI mockups using simple text prompts. This feature helps with fast idea generation and prototyping, offering different styles and layouts based on needs.

2. AI-based Prototypes

Turning static mockups into interactive prototypes is now easy with Figma AI. This feature cuts down the manual steps in prototyping, speeding up the design process.

3. Visual Search

The visual search option lets users find specific designs in team projects using images, screenshots, or frames. This makes it simple to find exact matches or get inspiration from colleagues' work.

4. Layer Renaming

With one click, Figma AI can rename and organize all the layers in a file based on context. This feature helps with file management and reduces the effort needed to keep layers organized.

5. Automation of Tedious Tasks

Figma AI automates repetitive tasks like adding realistic text, translating content, adjusting tone, creating images, and removing backgrounds. This lets designers focus more on creative work and less on routine tasks.

Dev Mode Updates

Figma has upgraded Dev Mode to boost collaboration between designers and developers. This plays impactful role in accelerating web development.

The new updated features of Dev Mode are as follows:

1. Ready for development view: A new view that shows all elements ready for development.

2. Focus view: Reduces distractions by showing only what's ready for development.

3. Status updates: Inform developers about changes and progress.

Conclusion

Figma AI is going to change how designers work, making the design process quicker, easier, and more efficient. These AI features save time and boost creativity by automating repetitive tasks and offering smart design tips. As Figma keeps innovating, designers can expect a future where their creativity is fully supported by advanced AI technology.