Figma Store. The iPad app. Mirabel.
Hi there! This is the first weekly edition of Figmalion, so it’s shorter and more digestible. Last week, the new comments were rolled out to everyone after release was postponed in November because of a bug. Figma is beta testing the iPad app, and I’m really excited to use it with FigJam — so many great possibilities for spatial thinking. They also launched the Figma Store with really fun and well-designed merch. The website itself is fantastic as well, with witty copywriting and an Easter egg when you’re inactive. Treat yourself to something nice!
— Eugene
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App Updates
Comments rolled out to everyone
After discovering a bug in redesigned comments in November, their rollout was postponed for a month. Now they are finally available to everyone. If you need a refresher of what changed, this thread summarizes it well.
Beta-testing the iPad app
This is really exciting! Many iPad users already know and enjoy the Figurative app, but having an official app will be amazing.
What’s New
The Figma Store
The swag store is officially live! Every other day I see people hunting for Figma swag on Twitter, and it tells a lot about the product if happy users are willing to buy and wear its merch. Both the website and all items are gorgeous, and all profits are being donated to charity 👏
Doing-centric explanatory mediums: board game instruction manuals and an unusual Figma document
Insightful essay by Andy Matuschak on mediums which integrate doing with explanation, particularly Figma with its “workbook” files shipped with new features. “Not a board game manual next to the board game, but explanation inside the board game. Not a YouTube tutorial open next to Logic, but an explanatory medium inside Logic.”
The year ahead: a conversation with Soleio, Julie Zhuo, and May-Li Khoe
“As we kick off the new year, we wanted to zoom out beyond the work. So, we reached out to design leaders Soleio, Julie Zhuo, and May-Li Khoe to share how they’re thinking about 2022, in the design community and beyond. In this Q&A, we’re sharing their personal reflections, predictions about creative work, and guidance for the year ahead.”
Using Figma
Figma Focus: Frames vs. Groups
In his new newsletter, Joey Banks answers one of the popular questions — what’s the difference between groups and frames in Figma, and when should you use one over the other?
Slots for dummies
“Slots Components for Dummies” by Ridd, who is one of the biggest proponents of this approach. Great guide to one of Figma’s ultimate superpowers.
Not relying on base components too much
With all the discussions around composition-based design systems, Joey Banks provides a counterpoint on reducing complexity and increasing reliability with simpler variants.
Made in Figma
Mirabel
As always, Vijay is pushing the limits of illustration possibilities in Figma. The new artwork from the Encanto movie has 2,500+ vectors and took him about 12 hours. Don’t miss the thread with some details.
Leica M11 UI
Leica shows the interface of their new iconic M11 camera is being made in Figma during the announcement (starts at 3:22). Really cool!
Data Table v3 (Interactive)
Great example of a rich Figma prototype made with lots of cool interactions. See also a video on Alvish’s Twitter.
Walkcycle animation
Cool (but creepy) character animation experiment by Miggi from Figgi.
Going For a Walk
Cool walking animation by Bruno, Community Advocate for Figma in Portugal.
Plugins
Framer Copy Paste
A new plugin by Framer. You can now copy layers in Figma and paste them directly into Framer to make your Figma projects interactive in just a few steps.