Week 33 - Config Edition
5 details from the Config announcements we loved.
We’re back, after a small break last week for Config! What an event…
Several exciting announcements were made, and if you weren’t able to attend in person or via streaming, Figma has written a nice recap over on their blog. Interestingly enough, a lot of the new features like AI, Code Connect and Slides were already previously available via plugins… This just goes to show how much influence a Figma plugin can have, no matter how apparently small.
So this week, we’d like to dedicate the issue to the smaller details revealed at Config. Here are 5 improvements you may have missed amidst all the flash of AI and Slides:
1. New CMD+K action
Like Spotlight for Figma.
Figma’s redesign with UI3 means relearning parts of Figma we had been using on autopilot for some time… But if things are easy to find and access, this can reduce the learning curve.
Figma’s search is now more like Apple’s spotlight, with a new look and feel. Now, when hitting CMD+K, you get common actions, tools, plugins, assets and the new AI actions all accessible from one place. We love how easy it is to open a plugin with this!
2. Rename layers with AI
So you never have to manually name layers again.
Another interesting learning from Config: a lot more people name their layers than we might think! However, the debate on whether we should name layers or not can be put to rest as Figma’s AI now does it for us.
For most of us, naming layers is most likely one of our least favorite moments in the design process. This is what makes the ‘Rename layers’ feature such a great application of AI: doing a tedious, unenjoyable task for you and doing it well.
3. Responsive view for prototype
Preview how your website will look when published with figma.to.website!
The days of duplicating the same window to preview your prototype’s responsive version are over! Now, finally, you can resize the prototype window to see the design’s auto layout adjust as the window resizes. A subtle, quality-of-life improvement that gives you a responsive preview of your designs with less effort!
💡 This feature is perfect for previewing exactly how your responsive website will look once published with figma.to.website!
4. Text tone dial
Adjust the tone and length of copy.
We can’t wait to dig into Figma Slides and see all it has to offer (plugins for Slides too, maybe?). But a small thing we loved from the Config demo was the tone dial. Because if there’s one thing that’s almost always true of a slide deck is that the text needs to be shorter… Get to the point already!
The tone dial can be moved to suggest copy that’s casual and concise, or formal and descriptive. It can even try to find a happy medium. The UI is delightful to play with and the application satisfying, because finding the perfect length of slide copy is never an easy task.
5. Visual search with AI
The fastest way to find the design you’re looking for.
It’s not uncommon to see a team’s Slack inundated with screenshots, designers asking where those designs are… Another great application of Figma’s AI unveiled at Config is the ‘Visual Search’ feature. Drag and drop in any screenshot and Figma’s AI scans all design files to find anything that looks like the screenshot. You can then select the design you need and drag it right into your file, without ever leaving what you’re working on. Magic! 🪄
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