Config 2024: Figma product launch keynote

The speaker introduces the potential value of an instantly responsive computer display for intellectual workers and highlights Figma's commitment to showcasing this value. The audience is taken through the journey of Figma's evolution, from its inception to its current state, with the introduction of new features like FigJam, annotation, typography support, and multi-edit. The community's impact on Figma's development is celebrated, and the importance of design as a differentiator in product development is emphasized.

The talk shifts to Figma's UI redesign, aimed at reducing complexity and enhancing the user experience. The presenter discusses the challenges of managing Figma's growing feature set and introduces 'UI3,' the redesigned interface, which focuses on content and maintaining a flow state. The new interface features a bottom toolbar, spotlight functionality, and resizable panels. The gradual rollout of the redesign and the importance of user feedback are also highlighted, along with updates to support the end-to-end design process.

The presenter delves into improvements in Auto Layout, a feature that allows for responsive design within Figma. They introduce 'Just Auto Layout,' which simplifies the process of applying Auto Layout to frames. The feature is designed to make it easier for users to engage with Auto Layout and create structured designs. Additionally, the integration of the latest iOS 18 and Material 3 design kits within Figma is announced, aiming to facilitate the design and development process.

The focus turns to updates in Figma's Dev mode, designed to bridge the gap between design and development. The presenter showcases new features like the 'Ready for Dev' view, which consolidates work in progress and ready-to-code designs, and 'Focus View,' which isolates the design for inspection. The aim is to simplify the inspection of large files and align code and design more closely, thereby accelerating development workflows.

The speaker discusses Figma's efforts to evolve the platform for its core users and address existing gaps, particularly for freelancers and agencies. They outline plans to connect workspaces with 'Figma Connect,' facilitate project transfers from agencies to clients, and bring more clarity and control to billing and sharing workflows. The introduction of new features to manage editor upgrades and notifications is also covered.

The presenter introduces 'Dev mode,' a space within Figma designed for developers, aiming to simplify the process of understanding and implementing designs. They highlight the iterative nature of design and the challenges developers face in keeping up with changes. New features such as indicating edited states, the 'Ready for Dev' view, and 'Focus View' are introduced to help developers navigate and inspect large files more efficiently.

The speaker discusses 'Code Connect,' a feature that integrates design systems directly into Dev mode, allowing developers to access real code from their design system within Figma. They demonstrate how this feature ensures that existing code is not rewritten and maintains consistency between design and code. The successful implementation of Code Connect by Spotify is shared as a case study.

The presenter introduces Figma AI, which aims to tackle real workflow pain points and enhance creativity. They showcase 'Make Design,' a feature that generates designs from prompts, and discuss the potential for integrating custom design systems. The limitations and future possibilities of AI in design are explored, emphasizing the need for models that understand design concepts and systems.

The speaker demonstrates AI-powered search capabilities in Figma, which allow users to find screens and components based on visual elements or descriptions. They also show how AI can assist in design tasks such as creating contact forms, generating images, and suggesting layer names. The potential of these features to accelerate the design process and improve workflow efficiency is highlighted.

The presenter discusses the future of Figma AI, emphasizing the need for models trained on Figma data to better understand UI and design concepts. They outline Figma's approach to training AI models transparently, with settings可控 by admins and respecting user privacy. The intention to absorb AI feature costs in 2024 and review potential fees in 2025 is also mentioned.

The presenter introduces 'Figma Slides,' a new product designed for creating presentations with the power of Figma's design capabilities. They showcase features like automatic color and text adjustments, grid mode for an overview of presentations, and seamless integration with Figma's design tools. The focus on making presentations more interactive and collaborative is emphasized.

The speaker concludes the keynote with parting thoughts on the importance of craft in product differentiation and the continuous improvement of Figma's capabilities. They express excitement for the future of design and computing with the community and invite the audience to explore new features and join the closing keynote. The contributions of Figma's team and the community are acknowledged and celebrated.