9 Figma plugins I use to design faster - UX Design

Introduction

Designing can be a time-consuming and tedious process. But with the right tools and techniques, you can complete your designs faster and more efficiently.

Figma is one of the most popular design tools on the market, and it comes with a wide range of plugins that can help you streamline your workflow. These plugins will make designing faster, easier, and more enjoyable, from auto-formatting text to generating assets from symbols.

In this article, we'll look at 9 of my favorite Figma plugins that I use daily to speed up my workflow and get my designs done faster. From print-quality PDFs to inventive color swatches, these plugins will help you work smarter to get more out of each design session.

What Are Figma Plugins?

Figma plugins are tools designed to help you create better designs faster. They can automate tedious tasks, add design effects and help you find the correct elements for your project. If you're looking for an easier and more efficient way to get your designs done, then Figma plugins are the way to go.

Using Figma plugins can save you a lot of time and energy. You can add animations, apply color themes, draw shapes quickly, and much more with just a few clicks. You can also access high-quality illustration kits or stock images with ease. With all these features, you can take your design projects to the next level.

No matter what type of design project you're working on—Web/UI design, illustration, iconography, or something else—there's a Figma plugin that can help speed up the process and make it easier for you to get your designs finished faster.

1. Design Grid System

When you're working on a design project, frequently, it can be tough to keep track of every element and coordinate them all on the same page. That's why grid systems are essential—they ensure that every element on the page is in its exact spot, making it easier to maintain continuity across your designs.

Grid systems help you manually align elements, maintain proportions, and control spacing while keeping your design intentions in mind. This makes creating a consistent and organized design more accessible, which you can use repeatedly for different projects.

Fortunately, Figma plugins can help you set up grids quickly and easily.

For example, Guesstimate allows you to create fully customizable grids with just a few clicks. You can also use Grids Master to enable horizontal/vertical auto-guides and snap points to align elements on any layer precisely. And Visual Grid provides an interactive layer that shows your grid lines behind all other content on the canvas – perfect for double-checking the accuracy of your designs before you hit "Share"!

2. Parameters Plugin

The Parameters Plugin is an essential tool for Figma users who want to design faster and more accurately. This plugin helps you quickly create variations of an element that can be edited simultaneously with just a few clicks.

With the Parameters Plugin, you can:

• Create elements that can be edited instantly and consistently across your projects

• Automatically generate multiple versions of an element from different inputs

• Customize each element's size, shape, and other properties in a single view

• Quickly update any changes made to one element, which will be applied to the entire series

It's like having a design assistant at your fingertips! The automation capabilities of this plugin make it possible to quickly make drastic changes without needing to adjust every element manually. However, if you're looking for a way to speed up the design process, look no further than the Parameters Plugin!

3. Picker Helper

Picker Helper is the third plugin I use to speed up my design process in Figma. This plugin lets me quickly pick colors, gradients, and shadows from any selection on the canvas. For example, if I want to replicate a shadow already used in the design, I must select the element with the shadow and click on 'Pick Shadow.'

With this plugin, I can also pick colors used in an image and save them as swatches in my document. This is great for designing with multiple elements from the same photo.

Picker Helper also has a handy slider tool that allows me to adjust color values in increments of 10% quickly. It's so much faster than manually entering color values!

These features make Picker Helper one of my go-to plugins for speeding up my design process in Figma.

4. Auto Layout

When it comes to getting designs done faster, Auto Layout is an essential tool. With this plugin, you can create responsive layouts that are always up-to-date.

It does this by allowing you to create connected elements and respond dynamically to changes in the design. This ensures your design looks its best, no matter what device or platform it's viewed on.

Auto Layout is compelling and easy to use simultaneously. It offers several features that let you quickly build your layouts:

1. The ability to automatically align objects with custom spacing between them

2. The ability to set constraints on an object's size and position

3. The ability to nest objects into layers and groups

4. The ability to set progress bars with custom values

5. The ability to apply predefined color swatches

6. The ability to use expressions for dynamic calculations

7. And much more!

Whether you're working on a website or a mobile app, Auto Layout 2 helps you finish your designs quickly by automatically updating them as needed.

5. Icon Search

Figma is an excellent tool for creating UI/UX designs. The Icon Search plugin from Figma elevates your workflow to a whole new level. Icon Search is one of the best Figma plugins for quickly finding, selecting, and using icons for your designs.

This plugin allows you to do the following:

• Search, select, and add icons with just a few clicks.

• Access an extensive library of curated, open-source icons for your designs.

• Organize and save favorite icons into collections for easy access in future projects.

• Find designer-made visuals in various styles and orientations that can be easily customized to fit your project's needs.

So if you want to speed up the design process, this Figma plugin is a must-have. Icon Search helps you find what you need quickly and easily, allowing you to move on to other tasks faster so that you can focus on creating the best designs possible.

6. Magic Mirror

If you find yourself stuck in your designs, then Magic Mirror can help you get unstuck quickly. This Figma plugin allows you to easily create a layout that works on all devices without manually adjusting each element. It can save you time and make sure your designs look great on every screen size.

Magic Mirror works by mirroring the left and right sides of any object or group of things - all you need to do is select what objects you want to apply it to and choose the corresponding options. It also comes with several features, such as a slider control that lets you adjust the mirroring effect in real-time and an auto-alignment feature that ensures your designs match up correctly across different screens. With these features combined, Magic Mirror can help streamline the design process and get your designs done faster.

7. Color and Font Manager

Working with colors and fonts can be daunting, but it can become a breeze with the right plugin. The Color and Font Manager helps you to organize colors and fonts effectively with the ability to set up global variables, color swatches, and font styles.

You can also generate multiple color palettes from a single color source, allowing you to get creative with your design in less time. This plugin helps you save time when changing colors or fonts across your project – select the elements that need changing, select the global style you require, and see the changes happen automatically.

To make things even better, this plugin is super accessible since it gives you access to a drop-down menu available from Figma's canvas and prototype sections. It also has an auto-update mode that synchronizes all your styles into a single point of control whenever new font or color changes are made.

With dynamic features like this, you'll be able to create projects faster and more efficiently than ever!

8. Figmagic

Figma is a powerful, life-saving design tool for both web and print designers. But if you want to take your designs to the next level, consider using Figmagic. This plugin allows you to create complex designs with just a few clicks, speeding up your workflow and reducing the time it takes to complete projects.

Thanks to Figmagic, some of the most tedious tasks associated with design become a breeze. With its customizable export settings and automated processes, you can be sure that all your designs look perfect and are ready for any platform. Plus, the ability to quickly preview changes in real time will ensure that everything looks exactly how you want it.

The best part about Figmagic is that it does not compromise on quality or accuracy—it works just like professional software such as Adobe Illustrator or Sketch. In addition, all data is stored securely and synced across devices, so you never have to worry about losing work or accidentally overwriting changes.

Plus, with its library of over 20 ready-made components, Figmagic makes it easy to customize existing designs and create beautiful new ones in record time—faster than ever before!

9. Themes and Component Closet

The Themes & Component Closet plugin is a great tool for completing your design work quickly and efficiently. It allows you to store and manage your design components in a single location. You can access the components from anywhere, ensuring a consistent look and feel for your projects.

This plugin also allows you to set up and customize your themes, allowing you to switch between different styles for different projects or contexts quickly. You can also save brand colors, fonts, and text styles to access your design projects easily.

The Themes & Component Closet plugin makes managing large collections of design elements easier. Having all your components stored in one place allows you to quickly access any element when needed, saving you time and keeping your designs consistent throughout.

Conclusion

Designing faster doesn't have to be hard work. With the right Figma plugins, you can speed up your design process without compromising on the quality of your work. From the Auto Layout plugin to the Color and Typography plugin, these 9 Figma plugins can help you create designs faster and ensure that your designs are of the highest quality. And remember to check out Figma's vast library of design templates to jumpstart your projects!