11 super-simple tips to help improve your Figma workflow (2022)
A collection of tips to help improve your design workflow in Figma
In this article (updated and expanded for 2022), I’ve compiled a list of quick and easy tips to help speed up your design workflow in Figma.
Some of these you may already be familiar with, but there’s always a chance you’ll discover something new.
Let’s dive on in…
Oh. Before you read the rest of the article…
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1. In the Inspector, use simple Math. Save your energy for more important tasks.
Don’t waste your time resizing elements manually to find that correct measurement.
Just use Math in the Inspector and save yourself those few seconds of precious time.
2. When you want to change colours in bulk, use the Selection colors.
When you’re working with larger Components in Figma and want to change various colours fast, don’t waste your time by clicking into separate elements and changing colours one by one.
Use the Selection colors panel and adjust those colours in bulk much faster.
3. This handy shortcut will help you keep your Layers in order.
I’ve been guilty in the past of leaving my Layers panel looking like organised chaos, with group after group open, making things much harder to find in the Layers panel.
Use the simple shortcut Option or Alt + L to collapse all Layers and keep your panel looking tidy as you work through a project.
4. To find Text Styles faster, just use the trusty search function.
When working with a Design System with a variety of different Text Styles available, it can be time-consuming constantly scrolling through a list of styles when you need to swap one out.
Have no fear. The trusty Search function is here.
Typing in Headline 2 or H2 is much faster than scrolling through a long list of Text Styles to find something suitable.
5. To find Colour Styles even quicker, use the List option.
When working with a large Design System in Figma, it always pays to navigate Colour Styles, Text Styles etc… in the quickest way possible.
Switching to the List option (as opposed to the Grid option) in the Inspector, I feel, helps you navigate your Colour Styles faster when you have a Label to reference, instead of just the colour swatch alone.
6. To navigate Layers more quickly, use these keyboard shortcuts.
Are you navigating through your Layers with a regular old Mouse? Save yourself some time, and go Mouse-free.
Use the keyboard shortcuts Enter and Tab to quickly drill down through your Layers to find what you need that bit quicker.
Oh. And hold Shift Enter and Tab to jump back up through your Layer groups and parent containers.
7. With this handy shortcut, you can swap out Components faster.
I’ve found this one tip super-helpful when trying out different design ideas and discovered it works best when swapping out Icons in a project.
For example, choose an Icon from your Assets panel, and then holding down Option or Alt + Cmd, drag across your icon onto your design, where you’ll see a purple border around your existing icon, and then swap it out in record time!
8. Don’t settle for the default Nudge value in Figma. Go 8pt.
I’ve been a vocal supporter of the 8pt Grid for a long time. It aids consistency in your designs and is the most versatile of all the grids of its kind.
Figma defaults to a big nudge value of 10px. Nah. We want 8 all the way.
Navigate to Menu > Preferences > Nudge amount… and set it to 8.
To use the nudge value, use the shortcut Shift + Arrow key. 8pt spacing goodness all-round.
9. Rename multiple layers in a much faster and easier way.
It always pays to keep your Figma files organised as you work, with a defined naming structure and hierarchy in place for all your layers.
Don’t bother with plugins when it comes to the simple renaming of your layers and call upon one of Figma’s built-in functions; ‘Rename’.
Simply select the layers you want to bulk-rename and use the shortcut Cmd + R to open the window and make the relevant changes.
10. Use the Scale tool to keep things pixel perfect in your design.
Resizing elements in your design? Don’t just grab and resize. Things may start to look a little funky!
When you need to keep things pixel-perfect and for elements to scale in proportion and without distortion, press K on your keyboard and scale away (press V to jump back to the general Move tool when you’re done).
11. Use this handy shortcut to easily add multiple images to your project.
When you want to drop multiple images into shapes or frames in your design, there’s a much simpler way than going down the ‘one image at a time’ route.
Just select the relevant shapes/frames in your design, reach for the shortcut Cmd + Shift + K, select your images, and then click-drop them in the fastest way possible.
Oh. Before you go…
🏠 Growing a SaaS startup? I combine strategic design with proven founder experience to help you build products users love.
Join the Haus waitlist for early-bird perks → https://gohaus.design/
