Figma AI, UI3, and Figma Slides: the major new features of the 2024 config!
Summary of new features
Figma has once again made a significant impact at Config 2024!
This essential gathering for web and product designers took place on June 26 and 27 in San Francisco, and there were many announcements! This year, the focus was on artificial intelligence, a complete overhaul of the user interface, and significant improvements to existing functionalities. In this article, we summarize the main new features for you.
Figma AI
One of the most anticipated announcements of Config 2024 was undoubtedly the introduction of AI with Figma AI, a suite of AI-powered tools available directly from the designer interface. Currently in limited beta, Figma AI aims to transform ideas into finished products faster than ever before!
Key features of Figma AI
- Design Development: Generate UX and UI designs from a simple prompt.
- Visual Search: Find specific components or designs from images or sketches.
- Automatic Frame Naming: Ah! Here’s a significant micro-update that will intelligently rename layers with just one click.
- Prototype Creation: Develop animated prototypes from mockups in a simple click.
- Text Rephrasing: Modify tone, translate, or adjust text to fit designs.
- Image Generation and Editing: Create unique images or remove backgrounds from existing images.
These functionalities will undoubtedly allow designers to enhance their efficiency and creativity by automating many tedious tasks. Our opinion on the subject is further down in the article.
Join the waitlist for Figma AI
To access these tools, users can sign up for a waitlist via the help menu in Figma by clicking on "Join UI3 + AI Waitlist". The beta phase is free until the end of 2024, after which ... pricing will be revealed!
UI3: the new interface
For those who expected a rebranding of Figma, well, that's been missed... or almost!
Because Figma reveals to us UI3, a major overhaul of its user interface. UI3 offers a much more immersive and user-friendly experience, with a component-centered interface and a new range of icons. This update aims to address many friction points raised by designers for some time and to lay the foundations for the future of Figma.
Features of UI3
- Immersive Work Interface: More space to work with accessible tools and a modular interface, especially in the features panel.
- Redesigned Icons and Components: A new range of icons that integrates perfectly into this new interface.
- New Toolbar: A new toolbar is now accessible at the bottom of the screen, encompassing all the new features.
UI3 is also available in a limited beta, with the option to revert to the previous interface during the transition phase.
Figma Slides: PowerPoint in Figma?
FINALLY! This is probably the reaction of many designers and marketers upon seeing this new tool.
It certainly was ours, as Figma Slides offers a major solution for creating presentations (slides) within Figma. Designed for a broader audience, Figma Slides incorporates collaborative features and design tools compatible with all Figma tools.
Features of Figma Slides
- Presentation Creation: Similar to PowerPoint with simplified functionalities for creating all types of presentations.
- Flexible Templates: Pre-registered templates tailored for various audiences.
- Real-time Collaboration: Co-creation of slides and co-presentation with a "multiplayer mode." The Figma touch!
Figma Slides is currently in a free beta and will transition to a subscription model in early 2025, with a starting price of $3 or $5 per user per month.
Dev Mode Updates: Enhancing Design/Dev Collaboration
Figma's Dev Mode receives significant enhancements to strengthen collaboration between designers and developers while speeding up web development processes.
New Features of Dev Mode
- "Ready for Development" View: A new view that centralizes elements ready to be developed.
- "Focus" View: Limit distractions by displaying only what is ready for development.
- Status Updates: Notify developers of changes and progress statuses.
Code Connect has also been improved to integrate connected code snippets into component libraries, making access to design system code easier.
User Experience Improvements
Figma continues to enhance its existing functionalities with other notable updates.
- Improved Auto-layout: Suggests the creation of frames in auto-layout and automatic creation.
- Integrated UI Kits: Direct access to design resources from Apple, Google, and Figma.
- Responsive Prototype Viewer: Visualize designs on different screen sizes from web prototype projection.
These improvements aim to make designers' work smoother and more efficient.
Config 2024 Launch Keynote
Our Opinion on These New Features
The announcements from Config 2024 indicate that Figma continues to play a leading role in web design, particularly with significant advancements in AI.
Regarding AI
Let’s see!
All these AI tools promise to revolutionize design by accelerating the transformation of ideas into finished products—all without requiring special technical skills. Although the beta version seems promising, we are eager to see how these features perform in practice and whether they meet the actual needs of designers.
Regarding the Interface
YES!
The new UI3 interface offers a clearly more immersive, smooth, and enjoyable experience. As with every overhaul of this kind, adapting to these changes will take time, and user feedback will be crucial for future updates.
Regarding Figma Slides
Already on board with the tool!
Figma Slides addresses a significant gap with this integrated presentation solution. Ease of use, compatibility with design files, note-taking, collaboration—a new tool that has already convinced us.
Regarding Dev Mode
Joker
While we use this feature sparingly at Digidop, this update genuinely appears to enhance collaboration between designers and developers, especially with the new view system. It will now be interesting to see how to effectively incorporate it into existing workflows.
All these features hold great promise for designers and web agencies, and their effectiveness will now depend on their implementation within teams.
Config 2024: the international event
Alongside the announcements, Config 2024 is an opportunity for many designer communities worldwide to come together. In France, it was in Paris that the Figma Watch Party took place, in collaboration with Friends of Figma Paris, UX Republic, Flomodia, and Digidop.
This event gathered nearly 250 designers for an evening dedicated to the rebroadcast of the opening keynote by Dylan Field, along with discussions and fun moments.
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