Now you can bring an existing design library to Figma Make, so the model can extract color palette and usage guidelines, typography and custom fonts, as well as core styling elements. You can also manually define rules for the model to follow via a guideline.md file. Watch the above video from Make PM Holly Li, or read the help article.
You can now adjust the width of your stroke at any given point along a path with the new variable width stroke vector editing tool. Variable width stroke also makes it possible for users to draw with pressure sensitivity on tablets. Figma will set the stroke width to reflect the amount of pressure applied at each point when drawing with a stylus, which makes freehand drawing in Figma more realistic. (Still no iPad app though.)
“New in Dev Mode MCP Server: Annotations are included as design context. Generated code now benefits from both the structure of your design and your design intent.”
“You can now opt-in to receive push notifications from Figma in your browser, the same way you do in Figma’s desktop app. Once you allow Figma to send you notifications in the browser, you will be alerted to comment replies, @ mentions in comments, and @ mentions in the file (i.e. on a sticky in FigJam) in real time.”
Beautiful work by Tim Van Damme. See a sneak peek of a few more on their way.
Sweet, the text in Figma is now autocompleted with AI.
Nice to see that Figma addresses some of the early accessibility concerns with Figma Sites.
It’s been a year since Figma introduced the new UI at last year’s Config. The beta is over and the previous UI is no longer supported, everyone has been moved over to UI3.
The new curved connectors mode for right-brained people. I’ll stick to my neatly organized “elbowed” connectors.
The new Edit Image feature allows changing an image using prompts, powered by gpt-image‑1. The Make an Image feature got an AI model picker so users can choose between gpt-image‑1, Gemini Imagen 3, or Titan V2. Additionally, the AI beta was rolled out to all Professional, Organization, and Enterprise plans. If you’re not seeing AI features, check that your Admin has your AI access toggle turned on.
Jesse Showalter explores 5 latest features: Lock Aspect Ratio, Collapse Layers, Reorder Modes and Collections, Accessibility Contrast Information, and Copy and Paste Styles.
Create QR codes for websites, text, Wi-Fi, calls, and messages with custom styles. After generating a custom QR code, click “Get QR Code” to add it to your Figma designs.
“Connected Projects makes it easy for freelancers and agencies on different Figma plans to collaborate seamlessly with clients. Work together to co-edit designs, and share resources like libraries — all while staying on your own Figma seat.”
Three primary updates: hide and show variable fills, duplicate and copy styles, and the go-to-main component shortcut (Control+Option+Command+K). See the complete list of quality-of-life updates in the release notes.
The recording of the latest Release Notes livestream is finally available. While these updates have already been covered in the last two issues, I always enjoy watching hands-on demos and explainers. In this episode, Luis Ouriach and Alexia Danton share all the latest goodies like FigPals (RIP), design handoff releases, accessibility contrast info, annotations in design mode, collapsing layers, reordering modes and collections, and more.
Annotations are now available in Design Mode with new color-coded categories. Love that categories are fully editable, so you can adjust them to your team’s workflow.
This one is a big “finally” for me! BRB, I have some library cleanup to do.
Freshly baked goodies: FigPals for April Fun Week (extended until April 11); a button for collapsing layers — love that it excludes the layer tree of your selection; quality-of-life improvements to corner radius inputs and flyouts for effects, fills, and layout grids; reordering variables modes and collections; annotations in Design Mode; accessibility contrast in color picker; and finally, an eyedropper added to Dev Mode.
“On April 30, we’ll be fully transitioning to UI3, our redesigned interface that puts your work center stage. Here’s what you need to know about the change, along with tips for a smooth transition.”
“Figma is localizing for the Spanish market. This includes full product translation, culturally adapted user interfaces, and dedicated support for Spanish language users. Figma plans to expand product localization to additional languages throughout the year, as it continues to invest in its global community.” (Coincidently, I was in Spain when this was announced. Rest assured I didn’t touch Figma while vacationing with my family.)