Figma is a modern design application created specifically for Web, UX, and App Designers. Unlike traditional image editors like Photoshop, which was originally made for print or photo retouching, Figma is purpose-built for designing user interfaces and user experiences.
Through self-guided lessons and practical projects, you’ll explore Figma’s tools for designing responsive layouts using frames, managing typography, color, and imagery, as well as building reusable components. You’ll also create interactive prototypes featuring scrollable areas, navigation overlays, and smart animations. Because Figma is cloud-based, collaboration and file sharing are seamless whether you use the desktop app or log in directly through your browser.
What You Will Learn
- Create UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) designs for websites, apps, and more
- Design finished layouts that are optimized for mobile, tablet, and desktop screens
- Design on grids, extract image assets, share designs with clients/developers, and more
- Build interactive prototypes
- Make animations using smart animate
- Use components (including variants) to make updating your designs easier
- Work with Team libraries to share style and design components
Course Outline
Section 1
Creating a New Figma File
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Creating a new file
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Setting up frames (other apps call these artboards)
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Setting up a Layout Guide
Designing on a Layout Guide (like the Bootstrap Grid)
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How to design on a Layout Guide
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Adding text
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Creating colored backgrounds for text columns
Importing & Cropping Photos
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Importing & cropping photos
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Rounding corners
Vector Graphics, Colors, Shadows, & More
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Importing vector graphics
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Aligning & distributing layers
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Layer opacity vs. fill opacity
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Reusing colors (color styles)
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Adding a drop shadow
Section 2
Components (Reusable Elements)
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Creating & editing components
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Overriding content in one instance vs. globally updating all components
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Setting Constraints
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Detaching from a component
Turning a Design into a Clickable Prototype
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Linking between frames (artboards)
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Previewing the prototype
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Creating an overlay
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Fixing the position of elements so they don’t scroll
Exporting Assets for Web: SVG, JPEG, & PNG
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Exporting individual assets
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Exporting frames (artboards)
Sharing Figma Files: Commenting, Testing, Developers, etc.
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Sharing a Figma file
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Sharing a Prototype
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Commenting on shared files
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Viewing a prototype for user testing
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Specs for developers
Section 3
Auto Layout: Introduction
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Using Tidy Up for Even Spacing
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Using Auto Layout
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Alignment Constraints
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Spacing, Rearranging, & Adding Items with Auto Layout
Auto Layout: Deeper Dive
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Nesting Auto Layouts
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Auto Layout Gap Spacing & Padding
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Auto Layout Sizing & Constraints
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Negative Spacing & Stacking Order
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Ignoring Auto Layout
Linking Up/Down a Page, Scrollable Areas, & Hyperlinks
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Making Links that Scroll Up/Down a Page
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Making the Navbar Fixed to the Screen
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Adjusting the Position & Speed of the Scroll
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Creating a Scrollable Area Within a Page
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Adding Hyperlinks
Text Styles
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Opening Sketch files in Figma
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Handling missing fonts
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Creating, editing, & organizing text styles
Section 4
Component Properties & Variants
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Component Properties (Text, Boolean, Instance Swap, & Variant)
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Creating & Using Component Variants
Hovers, Overlays, & Smart Animate
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Adding a Hover State to a Button (Using Variants)
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Opening a Pop-Up (Using an Overlay)
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Auto Animating the Hover with Smart Animate
Team Libraries (Shared Libraries)
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Publishing a Team Library
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Using Components in a Team Library
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Using Styles in a Team Library
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Swapping Team Libraries
This course is available for 30 days. You can choose when to start your access period. Once you activate, you will have 30 days to complete it (access the course materials, quizzes, projects and videos). You may request one extension of seven (7) days. Other extension requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Videos are not downloadable.
