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Figma: A web based collaborative interface design tool hits preview(figma.com)

over 7 years ago from Callil Capuozzo, design @ microsoft

  • Calvin WilsonCalvin Wilson, over 7 years ago

    Hi Dylan, Thanks for taking the time :) I noticed a glimpse of adaptive design layouts within the product. After reading Josh Puckett's articles on modern design tools, it's refreshing to see some of this modern applications in a real product. Looking forward to trying it out.

    My only question is, aside from the collaborative aspects, how does Figma intend to contribute to the progress of modern design? What does it bring to the table that we don't already have?

    Cheers!

    1 point
    • Dylan FieldDylan Field, over 7 years ago

      Calvin, great question. We have so many ideas, some of which we've already implemented, others of which are in concept phase.

      The two things I'll talk about here shouldn't be too surprising; basically, it's what you've read about in Josh's articles. We're big fans of Josh Puckett.

      One feature we're really excited about (and have built) is constraints. Constraints allows you to define relationships between objects and their containing frame. (Frames are similar to artboards, except they can nest and rotate.) In addition to constraining objects to the edges of a frame, you can also constrain objects to the columns of a flexible grid that changes size responsively.

      Another feature we're thinking about — but haven't built yet — is a way to link data to your design. A lot of big companies (Facebook, YouTube, etc) already have plugins which let designers test out different strings, images, etc in their designs. We see this as something we can make way easier for all designers.

      While I wouldn't consider this "modern," we've also made foundational improvements to vector editing. The Path model hasn't changed in over 25 years, and we think we've figured out a better way to draw vector shapes.

      What would you like to see?

      1 point
      • Calvin WilsonCalvin Wilson, over 7 years ago (edited over 7 years ago )

        Excellent! I can def see the value there. With regard to using data, you're probably more than familar with Framer. Using data in a code based environment seems pretty natural. I'm curious to see how you all approach utilizing data in a heavy GUI environment.

        And, yes I'd love to check it out! I requested an invite already if that helps

        EDIT:

        As an aside, I'd also note that collaboration is a huge deal, whether it's collaborative design or just getting feedback, I find anything that helps this process greatly beneficial. The only concerns I'd have is adoption. I can only use so many tools.

        0 points