Front-end development of websites can be a chore. Not only do you have to ensure the webpage is fully functional, but you also have to make it pretty and intuitive for users.
Luckily, tools like Figma exist to make your job much easier. From collaboration tools to customizing individual elements, Figma has something for everyone to take advantage of!
About Figma
Not to be confused with FigJam, a closely related product to Figma, Figma aims to make all sorts of design intuitive and accessible. Designers and developers use Figma for functional and fluid websites and mobile applications among other digital services.
Many people use Figma because of its “multiplayer” functionality, allowing several people to collaborate and work on a single project simultaneously. The flexible nature of Figma is also a valuable asset because it is available on desktop, mobile, and web browsers.
The single most versatile aspect of Figma is the plugins. Provided by a variety of third parties, your work becomes much simpler with any number of powerful plugins.
Some have niche uses like turning raster graphics into vectors while others have broader uses like easily being able to turn Figma projects into HTML and CSS formats.
| Feature | Description |
| System Requirements | The Figma desktop app requires Windows 8 or newer running in a 64-bit environment. For Mac, you must have macOS 11 or newer. Figma also runs in browsers and is compatible with Chrome 72+, Firefox 78+, and Microsoft Edge 79+. |
| Date Released | Figma finished a closed beta in 2015 and was officially released as a finished product on September 27th, 2016. |
| Last Update | Figma’s latest update was on May 23rd, 2023. |
| Rating | Figma receives a 4.7 out of 5 stars on G2 with over 850 ratings. |
| Uses | Figma is a piece of software used to design user interfaces (UI), user experiences (UX), as well as full-fledged illustrations thanks to its vector-based canvas. |
| Cost | Figma has tier-based subscriptions that provide additional features for a higher price. The Starter tier is free, Figma Professional costs $12/month, Figma Organization is $45/month, and Enterprise is $75/month. |
Autoname
- Autoname is an AI tool designed for automatically naming all the layers in Figma.
- It’s free and open source.
- It only takes a click to set up automatic layering names.
This Figma plugin is designed to help with all your layers. Specifically, it uses AI technology to automatically name every layer to make the process easier.
Soon enough, it’s easy to find the exact layer you’re looking for. While Autoname doesn’t do a lot, you’d be surprised by how much time and irritation you save by having this plugin.
UIHUT
- UIHUT offers a large library full of resources for UI design, including kits.
- With UIHUT, copy and paste any design over to Figma.
- There are free, paid, and team plans.
UIHUT is a Figma plugin that provides all sorts of design resources. The plugin offers over 20,000 UI KITS from common different categories, including dashboards, 3D assets, web apps, and web templates.
Locofy
- Locofy’s live prototypes provide instant feedback to fix issues with front-end user experiences.
- Create and save pre-built elements so adding new pages to your website is a breeze.
- There’s a free beta of the plugin for all to try.
While Figma streamlines the process of creating designs, it doesn’t cut down the time needed to get a product on the market. That’s where this plugin comes in. Locofy allows you to design everything the way you want using Figma’s familiar tools.
Color Blind
- Goes through the eight main types of color blindness.
- Color Blind plugin allows you to go through every type, or certain types based on what you picked.
- Can be a little finicky to use, and might work best when shut down between choosing color options.
If you want to make your website accessible to everyone, it’s important to make sure that everyone can use it. One common problem that’s overlooked is what a website will look like to someone who has color blindness.
The Color Blind app goes through the eight most common forms of color blindness to make sure your designs are visible to everyone.
Deck
- Deck is a free plugin.
- Deck works across Sketch, Figma, and Adobe XD, so it’s perfect for those who’ve used other software before Figma and have experience with Deck.
- Deck is used to convert your designs into PowerPoint files that are editable.
Do you want to take your designs that are on Figma and turn them into PowerPoint presentations that you can edit later if you need to?
Then Deck 2.0 might be a plugin you need. It’s a simple plugin that supports text and shapes. Anything outside of their supported layer types is converted into an image.
LottieFiles
- Use private files or choose one of the many free animations through LottieFiles.
- Use intuitive drag-and-drop technology to create frames and let LottieFiles fill in the gaps.
- Fully customize each element of your animation to fit your brand or product.
Although LottieFiles sounds like it might have something to do with organizing large groups of files into manageable chunks, it’s actually a plugin for creating animations.
Even if you don’t have individual frames ready for animation, there are over 80,000 free options available as soon as you install the plugin.
Storyset (by Freepik)
- Choose the color and backgrounds of each image to have them fit your needs even better.
- The illustrations by Storyset can be used in any kind of project and are customizable.
- Illustrations, photos, icons, and templates are all available from Storyset.
Do you need illustrated concepts? Storyset by Freepik might be the best plugin for you. Find thousands of illustrated concepts for your use and add them to your project or design with just the click of a button.
There are different designs and themes to choose from to allow you to find the perfect pictures.
Autoflow
- Autoflow is free for the first 50 flows per Figma file but a one-time fee of $29 gives you access to all future updates and unlimited flows.
- Annotate text along the path between each node in your flow chart.
- Customize how each path in the flow chart is routed for a natural feel.
If you need to make business plans that are easy to understand but communicate complex interactions at the same time, Autoflow is the plugin for you.
The plugin provides you with the tools for creating expansive flow charts. The relationship between each terminal is decided by you so everyone can follow your train of thought.
Content Reel
- Content Reel is designed to help you have more options for applying text and images to all of your designs.
- It makes the addition of text and designs easier than ever, and reduces a lot of irritation.
- Created content is automatically pinned to your home screen for quick and easy access if you sign in.
If text strings are causing you problems, then you may need Content Reel’s plugin to help you out. With Content Reel, you’re able to apply text strings, icons, avatars, and more to your design in any order.
Adjust files and sizes as needed and drag and drop any icons or images exactly where you need them on your layout.
html.to.design
- Gather inspiration from around the web without having to design everything from the ground up.
- Quickly update an old website by transforming it into editable elements.
- Join others on projects and import the designs you need with ease.
Figma is a powerful tool by itself but you can only do so much with raw creativity. Sometimes you need to borrow inspiration from others, and that’s exactly what this plugin lets you do.
After installing, you can convert any website into individual Figma elements for you to edit.
Best Figma Plugins FAQS
What Top Companies Use Figma?
Figma has a wide range of uses. Primarily, it’s used to design interfaces for customers and teams to use. Because it’s such a good product and the plugins are so versatile, it works for most companies’ needs.
Most major companies that you can think of use Figma. Some examples of the top Figma users include:
- Microsoft
- Dropbox
- Adobe
- Volvo
- Uber
Is Figma the Best for UX?
Figma is a design tool. It works well for various parts of design including UI, UX, and prototypes of your design. For those familiar with Sketch, Figma works similarly, but with a cloud-based server.
It’s also focused more on collaboration than Sketch. One of the reasons people gravitate towards Figma instead of Sketch is that Figma offers a free trial, whereas Sketch does not.