Figma 101: Mastering The Basics Of UI UX Design For Beginners

Designing user interfaces (UIs) and user experiences (UXs) is a complex yet essential part of web design. There are certain skills and techniques that must be mastered in order to be proficient in UI UX design. Figma is a platform that makes it easier to create prototypes, visual designs, interactive animations, and more! In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about getting started with Figma and mastering the basics of UI/UX design for beginners.

Introduction to UI and UX design

User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design are often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to two different aspects of the design process. UI design is concerned with the visual elements of a product, such as a layout, color scheme, and typography. UX design, on the other hand, is focused on how a user interacts with a product, and how easy it is to use.

Creating a successful UI UX requires a balance between form and function. The UI must be visually appealing, while the UX must be easy to use. In other words, the goal of UI UX design is to create products that users will enjoy using.

There are many tools available to help with UI/UX design, but Figma is one of the most popular. Figma is a vector graphics editor that can be used for both web and app design. It’s simple to use and ideal for beginners. In this article, we’ll show you how to get started with Figma by walking you through the basics of UI and UX design.

What is Figma?

Figma is a vector graphics editor and prototyping tool which was founded in 2012. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and employs over 100 people.

Figma has become popular among designers and teams for its ease of use, collaboration features, and unique takes on design problems. It’s one of the few tools that let you work on interface designs with real data. And it offers an infinite canvas, making it easy to prototype complex products.

Figma Acquisition by Adobe

On September 15th, 2022 Adobe announced a major acquisition of the design platform Figma for a staggering $20 billion. This is the largest acquisition that Adobe has made to date. According to company officials, the acquisition of Figma will expand Adobe's product offerings by adding Figma's web-based, multiplayer capabilities.

Additionally, it will accelerate the delivery of Adobe's Creative Cloud technologies on the web. In a statement, Adobe's CEO, Shantanu Narayen, said that the combination of Adobe and Figma is "transformational" and will help accelerate their vision for collaborative creativity. However, the acquisition also raises several questions, such as how the acquired tool will be integrated, concerns about market elimination, the learning curves for UX designers, and the fate of other software suites.

Setting up a Figma Account

In order to use Figma, you will need to set up an account. You can do this by going to the Figma website and clicking on the "Sign Up" button.

Once you have clicked on the "Sign Up" button, you will be taken to a page where you will need to enter your email address and create a password. After you have entered your information, click on the "Create account" button.

You will then be taken to a page where you can choose whether you want to use Figma for personal or work purposes. Choose the option that best suits your needs and then click on the "Continue" button.

The next page will ask you to enter your name and decide how you would like to receive notifications from Figma. Once you have entered this information, click on the "Continue" button.

The final page will give you a short overview of what Figma is and how it can be used. Once you have read this, click on the "Get started" button.

Learning the Basics of Figma

If you are new to Figma, this section will help you get familiar with the basics. We will cover the three main areas of Figma: the tools, components, and layers.

The Tools:

Figma has a variety of tools available for use. The most commonly used tools are the Selection tool, the Move tool, the Scale tool, and the Rotate tool.

To select a figure, click on it with the Selection tool. To move it, click on it with the Move tool and then drag it to where you want it to go. With the Scale tool, you can resize figures by clicking and dragging on their sides or corners. And finally, with the Rotate tool, you can rotate figures by clicking and dragging on their rotation handles.

Components:

Components are reusable elements in Figma that can be used in multiple designs. To create a component, select one or more elements and then click "Create Component" in the right sidebar.

Once created, components can be found in the "components" library. To use a component in another design, simply drag it from the library onto your canvas. When editing a component, all instances of that component will be updated automatically. This is especially useful when making global changes to your design (e.g., changing colors or fonts).

Layers:

Layers are where your design elements live in Figma. Every element in your design must be added to a layer.

Layers can be rearranged, hidden, and locked, which is a great way to keep your design organized. You can also group layers together in folders to make them easier to find and manage.

Canvas:

In Figma, the Canvas is the area where you create and edit your designs. It is the central part of the Figma interface, and it is where you can add and arrange elements such as text, shapes, and images.

The canvas is also where you can apply styles and effects to elements, and where you can create and edit layouts. In addition, the canvas is where you can view and interact with your designs in different modes such as Prototype and Presentation mode. It is the main area where you will be working on your design project and it's the core element of the Figma interface.

Inspector:

In Figma, the Inspector is a panel that allows you to edit the properties of the selected elements on the canvas. It is located on the right side of the Figma interface and can be opened by clicking on the "Inspector" button or by pressing the "i" key.

The Inspector panel is divided into several sections, such as "Layout", "Paint", "Effects" and "Text", that allow you to fine-tune different aspects of the selected elements. The Layout section allows you to adjust the size, position, and spacing of elements. The Paint section allows you to edit the fill, stroke, and corner radius of elements. The Effects section allows you to add effects such as shadows and blurs to elements, and the Text section allows you to edit the typography of text elements.

Inspector also gives you the ability to apply constraints and auto-layouts to elements, which helps in creating responsive designs. It's a powerful tool that gives you precise control over the design elements and helps you to create consistent and polished designs in Figma.

The "File" menu includes options for creating new files, opening existing files, saving and exporting designs, and more.
The "Edit" menu includes options for undoing and redoing actions, cutting, copying, and pasting elements, and more.
The "View" menu includes options for zooming in and out, changing the layout of the interface, and more.
The "Layer" menu includes options for creating and managing layers, as well as options for aligning and distributing elements.
The "Object" menu includes options for working with different types of elements, such as frames, text, and shapes.
The "Plugins" menu provides access to various plugins that can be installed and used to extend the functionality of Figma.
The "Help" menu includes options for getting help, accessing the Figma community, and more.

The menu is an essential part of the Figma interface and provides quick access to the different tools and options you need to work efficiently with your design projects.

How to Set Up Frame in Figma?

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create a Frame in Figma:

Open Figma and create a new file or open an existing one.
Click on the "Rectangle" tool in the toolbar on the left side of the screen, or press the "R" key.
Click and drag on the canvas to create a rectangle. This rectangle will be the frame.
Use the Inspector panel to adjust the size and position of the frame. You can also adjust the corner radius, fill color, stroke, and other properties.
To add elements to the frame, you can use tools such as the Text tool, the Shape tool, and the Image tool. Simply select the desired tool and click and drag on the canvas to add the element to the frame.
To move or resize elements within the frame, select the element and use the Inspector panel to adjust its position and size.
To create multiple frames, simply repeat steps 2-6, and with each frame, you can choose to link it with the first one, that way you can navigate through different screens of your design.
Once you have completed your design, you can use the "Prototype" feature in Figma to create interactive animations and links between frames.

Figma is a powerful design tool and using frames is a great way to organize and structure your designs. By following these steps, you can easily create frames and add elements to them to create polished and professional designs.

Design Challenges & Tutorials for Figma

Designing a UI/UX can be a daunting task, especially for beginners. Figma is a great tool for designers of all levels to create detailed designs and prototypes; however, there can still be some challenges when it comes to using the software. In this section, we will go over some of the most common design challenges faced when using Figma, as well as some helpful tutorials on how to overcome them.

One of the biggest challenges when designing in Figma is working with complex shapes and objects. When you have multiple objects overlapping or intersecting, it can be difficult to select or edit the individual elements. This can often lead to frustration, and even wasted time as you try to select the wrong object.

However, there are some ways to work around this issue. One method is to use the Layers panel to better organize your design elements. By grouping similar objects together, you can easily select and edit them without having to move around other objects in your design. Another method is to use keyboard shortcuts; by holding down the Shift key while clicking on an object, you will be able to select multiple elements at once. This can be very helpful when working with complex designs.

Another common challenge when using Figma is aligning objects correctly. When you have multiple objects on your canvas, it can be difficult to line them up perfectly without any gaps or overlaps. Luckily, Figma has some helpful alignment tools that make this process much easier. To align two or more

Collaboration with Teammates using Figma

Designing with a team can be difficult, but Figma makes it easy for designers to work together on projects. With Figma, you can easily share your designs with teammates and get feedback from them in real time.

You can also leave comments on specific parts of the design, so everyone knows what needs to be changed. Plus, if you need to make changes to the design later on, you can do so without having to send out new versions of the file to everyone – they’ll automatically see the updated design in Figma.

Animating and Prototyping using Figma

Animating and prototyping are two essential skills for any UI/UX designer. Figma is a great tool for both tasks. In this section, we'll cover the basics of animating and prototyping in Figma.

We'll start with animating. Figma has a built-in animation tool that makes it easy to create simple animations. To use the animation tool, simply select the layer you want to animate and click the "Animate" button in the toolbar. This will open the animation editor, where you can add keyframes and adjust timing and easing.

Once you've created your animation, you can add it to your prototype. To do this, select the frame you want to add the animation to and click the "Add Animation" button in the toolbar. This will open the Add Animation dialog, where you can select your animation and specify when it should play.

Now let's talk about prototyping. Prototyping is a great way to test out your designs and see how users interact with them. Figma makes it easy to create prototypes with its built-in prototyping tools.

To create a prototype, simply select the frames you want to include in your prototype and click the "Create Prototype" button in the toolbar. This will open the Prototype Editor, where you can specify how your frames are connected and what triggers each transition. You can also add interactions, such as hover or click effects.

Once you've created your prototype, you can preview it by clicking the "Play" button in the toolbar. This will open a new window where you can interact with your prototype and see how all of the elements come together.

Animating and prototyping are important skills for any UI/UX designer, and Figma makes both tasks easy to do. With a few clicks, you can create animations, prototypes, and interactions that help bring your designs to life. Give it a try today!

Resources for Further Learning in UI UX Design and Working with Figma

There are a number of excellent resources for further learning in UI/UX design, and working with Figma specifically.

Some of our favorites include:

The UX Design Institute offers a comprehensive online course in UI/UX design, which covers everything from basics to advanced concepts.
If you want to learn more about Figma specifically, their website has a wealth of resources, including tutorials, case studies, and an extensive blog.
InVision's blog is another great resource for general UI/UX design information and inspiration. They also have a helpful article on getting started with Figma.

As a beginner in UI UX design, it is essential to have access to quality resources that can help you further your understanding and skills in the field. Figma is a great resource for beginners because it offers a variety of tutorials and templates that can be used to create prototypes and mockups. In addition, Figma also has a community of designers who are willing to share their knowledge and expertise.

Here are some key resources for learning more about UI/UX design and working with Figma:

The Figma blog is a great place to start learning about the software and how to use it effectively. The blog features articles on a range of topics, such as tips for designing better interfaces, how to use Figma’s features effectively, and case studies from real-world projects.
Design+Code is an excellent resource for learning about both design and development. The site offers concise video tutorials on topics like typography, layouts, accessibility, and animation. In addition, Design+Code also sell kits that contain pre-made UI elements that can be used in Figma designs.
UXPin is another comprehensive resource for all things UI/UX. The site offers both free and premium tutorials on topics such as wireframing, prototyping, usability testing, and design thinking. In addition, UXPin also has a library of resources such as templates, icon sets, and stock photos.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Figma is a great tool for any beginner UI/UX designer. With its simple and streamlined interface, it's easy to get up and running with the basics of creating designs in no time. Being constantly updated with new features makes it an ideal choice for anyone that wants to quickly create beautiful designs without getting bogged down by technical details. Whether you're just starting out or looking to brush up on your skillset, Figma 101 can be a valuable resource for learning how to use this powerful software.