Exploring Advanced Figma Features
Workplace Context
In a professional design environment, creating high-fidelity prototypes is essential for communicating your ideas to clients, stakeholders, and developers. By adding interactive elements to your designs, you help bring them closer to a real-world implementation. This lab will guide you through creating an interactive, high-fidelity Figma design using the tools and techniques you’ve learned so far. These skills will be invaluable as you work on more complex projects where high-quality, interactive designs are essential.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lab, you will be able to:
- Create a high-fidelity Figma design.
- Use Figma’s prototyping features to add basic interactivity.
Submission Requirements
Submit your completed lab using the Start Assignment button on the assignment page in Canvas. Your submission should include:
- A link to your Figma project.
Instructions
Step 1: Research and Inspiration
Before starting your design, take some time to explore existing designs in the Figma Community or other design resources for inspiration. You may choose to base your work on an existing design, but make sure to customize it so that it reflects your own creative direction by the time it’s complete.
Tip: Keep the design simple and focus on no more than three individual pages. Consider designing for mobile, which can help reduce the workload and provides a good starting point for beginners.
Step 2: Wireframing
With a design direction in mind, begin by creating a wireframe in Figma. Use Figma’s tools to sketch a simple layout that reflects your concept. Remember that wireframing is about getting the basic structure down, so don’t worry too much about details — you can always make adjustments later!
Step 3: Components
As you start adding elements to your wireframe, create components for any reusable elements. Components in Figma work like reusable building blocks, similar to how developers create modular code. Use components for items like buttons, icons, and navigation bars to maintain consistency throughout your design.
Note: Only create components for items that will appear multiple times. If an element is unique to a single page, you don’t need to make it a component.
Step 4: Assets
With the layout coming together, add some assets to your design. You can use placeholder images, icons, or real assets if available. Adding these assets will elevate your design and make it feel more polished and professional. The closer a design is to the final product, the more useful it is for development. This type of design is often referred to as high-fidelity.
Step 5: Prototyping
Now that your design is nearly complete, add some basic interactions using Figma’s prototyping features. Focus on simple transitions, such as navigation between pages or button interactions. Aim to create one or two interactions to demonstrate the intended user flow.
Optional: If you’re feeling confident, continue working on your design and add more interactions. The Figma project you create in this lab can be a valuable asset in your portfolio, so feel free to develop it further.
Reflection
Take a moment to reflect on your experience creating this high-fidelity design in Figma:
- What aspects of the design process were most challenging?
- How did creating components and adding interactions enhance the usability of your design?
- How might you use this design as a starting point for future projects?
Knowledge Check
What is the primary purpose of creating components in Figma?
- Select an answer to view feedback.
What is a high-fidelity design?
- Select an answer to view feedback.
Summary
In this lab, you explored advanced features in Figma, including creating high-fidelity designs, using components, and adding interactive prototypes. These skills will be useful as you progress in the course and work on more complex projects that require precise, interactive designs.
By mastering these Figma techniques, you’ll be well-prepared to collaborate with designers and developers, ensuring your designs are professional, reusable, and ready for implementation.