Figma
A browser-based interface design tool built around real-time team collaboration.
Figma is a browser-based tool for designing website and mobile app interfaces. Released by Figma, Inc. in 2016, it lets multiple people work in the same file at the same time.
Figma is a design application built specifically for website and app interfaces. Unlike traditional design software, it requires no installation - it runs in an ordinary web browser. Files live in the cloud (on remote servers), so a design opens from any computer and the classic "send me the latest file" problem simply disappears.
Figma's defining feature is real-time collaboration: a designer, a project manager, and a client can view the same file simultaneously, see each other's cursors, and leave comments - essentially Google Docs for design. When it launched in 2016 this was novel, and it quickly propelled Figma past rivals like Adobe XD and Sketch.
Beyond static design, Figma supports prototypes (clickable, interactive mockups that behave like a real site): you can press buttons and move between pages before a single line of code exists. Its Dev Mode gives developers exact measurements, colors, and fonts as ready-to-use code values, smoothing the handoff from design to development.
Figma is a commercial product with a generous free tier that covers personal use and small projects. In 2022 Adobe agreed to acquire Figma for 20 billion dollars, but competition concerns from EU and UK regulators led both companies to abandon the deal in December 2023, leaving Figma independent.
Frequently asked questions
Figma is a tool for designing website and mobile app interfaces. It runs in the browser, needs no installation, and lets several people work in one file at once. When a website is built, the first stage - defining how it looks - usually happens in Figma.
