Latest news with #FigmaInc
The Verge
4 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
Figma will let your AI access its design servers
Figma is launching a new tool that can help AI models more effectively translate designs into fully coded applications. The product design company is giving LLMs and agentic coding tools like Copilot in VS Code and Claude Code more context about how designs are created in Figma via a new Dev Mode Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, which is rolling out in beta for users with Dev or Full seat Figma access. The MCP server is a developer tool that allows AI models to directly tap into data from Figma, such as precise figures used in graphs or the exact color shades used in a design, instead of visually guessing based on image files. Figma likens this process to replicating a painting, as someone would need to both see the image and know the technique used to make it — the design data, in this example — to accurately recreate it. It should help to reduce LLM usage by minimizing the amount of work it takes for AI coding tools to transform designs into functional applications that accurately reflect what the developer was envisioning. Figma says it plans to release a slew of Dev Mode MCP Server updates 'in the coming months,' including remote server capabilities and 'deeper codebase integrations.' The beta rollout follows the prompt-to-code Figma Make platform introduced in May becoming fully available to all Full seat Figma users on Tuesday, which allows users to create working applications by describing them. The Figma Sites Code Layers feature that provides AI tools for turning designs into interactive website experiences will be rolling out on June 12th.
Geeky Gadgets
14-05-2025
- Business
- Geeky Gadgets
Figma Sites and Figma Make : The Future of Design and Development?
What if your design tool could not only help you create stunning visuals but also build entire websites and write code—all while understanding your creative intent? That's exactly what Figma is aiming to achieve with its latest innovations. In a bold move to redefine its role in the design and development landscape, Figma has unveiled two new tools: Figma Sites, a content management system (CMS) for non-technical users, and Figma Make, an AI-powered code generator. These tools don't just expand Figma's capabilities—they challenge the very notion of who gets to design and build in today's AI-driven world. As competitors like Bolt and Lovable race to simplify workflows, Figma is betting on a future where human creativity and AI work hand in hand. With these new offerings, Figma is stepping into uncharted territory, blending design, development, and automation in ways that could reshape how we think about creative workflows. Figma Sites promises to make website creation as intuitive as dragging and dropping, while Figma Make enables designers to turn static prototypes into fully functional applications without writing a single line of code. But these tools aren't just about convenience—they're about expanding access and redefining roles in an industry undergoing rapid transformation. Could this be the start of a new era where design tools don't just assist but actively collaborate with their users? In the video below Theo explores what this means for the future of creativity, and whether Figma's ambitious vision can outpace its growing competition. Figma's AI-Powered Expansion Key Challenges Confronting Figma Figma's leadership in the design industry is being tested by a combination of external pressures and market shifts. The blocked acquisition by Adobe, due to regulatory concerns, has left the company vulnerable to competitive threats and market disruptions. Simultaneously, the rise of AI-powered platforms is reshaping traditional workflows, allowing non-technical users to bypass conventional design processes. Competitors like Bolt and Lovable offer faster, cost-effective solutions for creating websites and applications, posing a direct challenge to Figma's established workflows. In response to these challenges, Figma has embraced innovation as a core strategy. By integrating AI into its ecosystem, the company aims to empower its existing user base while attracting new audiences. This dual focus ensures that Figma remains a relevant and indispensable tool in an industry undergoing rapid transformation. Figma Sites and Figma Make: Expanding Capabilities To address the evolving needs of its users and counter competitive pressures, Figma has launched two AI-driven tools that redefine its offerings and broaden its reach. Figma Sites: This tool serves as a website builder and content management system (CMS) tailored for non-designers. By simplifying web development, Figma Sites competes with established platforms like WordPress. Key features include a one-click 'publish' button for seamless deployment and planned AI-powered design generation, allowing users with minimal technical expertise to create and manage websites efficiently. This tool is designed to make web development more accessible while maintaining professional-grade quality. This tool serves as a website builder and content management system (CMS) tailored for non-designers. By simplifying web development, Figma Sites competes with established platforms like WordPress. Key features include a one-click 'publish' button for seamless deployment and planned AI-powered design generation, allowing users with minimal technical expertise to create and manage websites efficiently. This tool is designed to make web development more accessible while maintaining professional-grade quality. Figma Make: An AI-powered code generator, Figma Make bridges the gap between design and development. It transforms static designs into interactive prototypes and fully coded applications, allowing designers to create functional prototypes without relying on developers. Features such as point-and-edit tools and targeted design prompts streamline the design-to-development process, giving designers greater autonomy and control over their projects. These tools highlight Figma's commitment to enhancing the creative process rather than replacing it. By integrating AI in a way that complements human creativity, Figma aims to build trust and loyalty among its core users while attracting a broader audience. Figma Sites and Figma Make Overview Watch this video on YouTube. Here are more detailed guides and articles that you may find helpful on AI coding. Strategic Positioning Amidst Competition Figma's strategy revolves around balancing innovation with its designer-focused identity. Unlike competitors that position AI as a replacement for traditional roles, Figma emphasizes its tools as enablers of collaboration and efficiency. This approach enables designers to take on tasks traditionally handled by developers, such as prototyping and publishing, while also making the platform accessible to non-technical users. By framing AI as a collaborative tool rather than a disruptive force, Figma differentiates itself in a crowded market. This positioning fosters a sense of partnership with its users, reinforcing its role as a trusted ally in the creative process. As AI continues to reshape industry norms, Figma's ability to maintain this balance will be critical to its success. Adapting to Competitive Pressures Figma's foray into AI-powered tools comes at a time of intense competition from platforms targeting non-technical users. Rivals like Bolt and Lovable offer streamlined workflows that reduce reliance on professional designers and developers, promising faster and more affordable solutions. These platforms challenge Figma's traditional business model by appealing to a broader audience with simplified processes. In addition to innovation, Figma has taken defensive measures to protect its market position. For example, the company issued a cease-and-desist order against Lovable for using the term 'dev mode,' signaling its intent to safeguard its intellectual property. However, such actions alone may not be enough to counteract the broader industry shifts driven by AI. Figma's ability to adapt and innovate will ultimately determine its resilience in this competitive landscape. Shaping the Future of Design and Development The launch of Figma Sites and Figma Make marks a significant step in the company's evolution. These tools not only demonstrate Figma's commitment to innovation but also reflect its efforts to address the diverse needs of its users. By striking a balance between embracing AI-driven automation and preserving its designer-focused ethos, Figma aims to remain a leader in the design and development industries. The implications of these developments extend beyond Figma itself. As AI continues to provide widespread access to access to design tools, traditional workflows are likely to evolve, creating new opportunities and challenges for professionals. Platforms like Figma will play a pivotal role in shaping this transformation, influencing how design and development are approached in the future. Figma's ability to adapt to these changes while staying true to its core values will serve as a valuable case study for other companies navigating similar challenges. By empowering both designers and non-designers, Figma is positioning itself as a versatile and forward-thinking platform in an increasingly competitive and AI-driven market. Media Credit: Theo – t3․gg Filed Under: AI, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Fast Company
09-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Figma's world is growing fast
As recently as 2021, Figma was a one-product company. That product was Figma Design, the dominant tool for creating app and web interfaces. The company's subsequent addition of offerings such as FigJam (whiteboarding) and Figma Slides (presentations) was hardly a frenzied land grab. But the announcements Figma made this week at its Config conference in San Francisco cover so much ground that my impulse was to interpret them as a massive, sprawling new attempt to take on . . . well, almost everybody. Figma Make turns prompts into AI-generated code? Shades of GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and numerous other AI programming tools. Figma Sites provides features for constructing, hosting, and updating websites? Well, that's a content management system, like WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix. Figma Buzz helps companies create marketing assets that retain a degree of consistency, with AI help if desired? Sounds akin to Canva and Adobe's Canva rival, Express. Figma Draw lets people create free-form vector illustrations? So does Adobe's 38-year-old Illustrator. When I asked Figma cofounder and CEO Dylan Field whether the company was indeed trying to compete directly with so many well-established players in multiple categories, he discounted the notion. Instead, he told me, the new products all support its original focus on turning raw concepts into shippable software. 'The Figma journey that we're trying to support users on is going from idea to product,' he told me. 'Everything's truly through that lens.' Still, it would be a mistake to regard Figma's news as NBD. Even if its original product was a design tool, two-thirds of its users aren't designers. They're all the other people inside companies who play roles in product creation, and even if all the company does is address their needs, it will brush up against new rivals. As Field likes to declare, 'Creativity is the new productivity.' Figma might be in as good a position as anyone to spread that vision to additional classes of software. As a business, Figma also has every incentive to think big. It's been almost a year and half since its $20 billion deal to be acquired by Adobe fell apart over antitrust concerns, leaving it as an independent entity pursuing a self-contained vision. Last month, it confidentially filed a draft S-1 form with the Securities and Exchange Commission, beginning the process that will eventually lead to it going public. The more optimistic investors are about the company's ability to keep growing, the better its IPO will fare. (Figma Design's ubiquity as a UX design tool is manifestly obvious—90% of designers who responded to a 2023 survey said they used it—but as a private company, Figma is secretive about hard numbers relating to its business. It does say that 85% of users are outside the U.S., proving that it's a global phenomenon. But the last time it talked about financial return was in September 2022, as part of the Adobe deal announcement. Back then, it said that it expected to do $400 million in revenue that year, with a gross profit of 90%. More current information will come out as part of the IPO process.) As Figma has decided which new products it might build, it hasn't had to look far. Like Excel and Photoshop, Figma Design is the kind of tool that people grow comfortable with and call into service for jobs well beyond its theoretical mandate. Rather than turn it into too much of a kitchen sink, the company has tended to spin out tasks into new purpose-built apps. All of them have a familial resemblance and work together as a suite. The centrality of Figma Design does serve to set the company's latest products apart from others in the same general zip code. Maybe Figma Buzz will win some hearts based purely on its quality. But it seems even more likely that people will pick it over Canva or Adobe Express because it's optimized to serve workflows that are already Figma-centric. 'It's very easy to be able to push a template from Figma Design to the Buzz surface,' Field says. 'And then people know exactly what they can edit. They can go edit it, insert images, or go find a different template if they so choose, and know that they're on brand. Or they can go off the rails if they want to.' Then there's AI, which was already in the air at Config 2023. At last year's conference, the company announced a design-generating feature called Make Designs, which—like AI rollouts all over the tech industry —got off to a bumpy start. After controversy ignited on Twitter over the eerie similarities between a weather app it designed and the one Apple ships on the iPhone, Figma pulled back the feature and reworked it. Even now, designers are still puzzling out how they feel about AI. In a new study commissioned by Figma, only 31% said they currently use the technology for their core work, 69% were satisfied with it, and 54% thought it improved quality. All those figures were notably lower than ones reported in the same study by developers. Uncertainty over AI might be a sign the killer apps haven't arrived. 'People value efficiency,' Field says. 'And so where we can help there, that's really important. But also, they really value raising the ceiling and making it so they're able to do better work. And I think that's where AI has not yet had the impact it should.' Customer feedback might help explain Figma's careful positioning of its new AI features. The company says some organizations may ship products created by Make, which lets users start with something they've roughed out in Figma Design and then use prompts to generate code. Mostly, though, it's emphasizing the potential to quickly turn flat designs into rich prototypes that help push progress along. Another application: adding a dash of custom interactivity to websites powered by Figma Sites. AI is also present in both Figma Design and Figma Buzz in the form of image generation features based on OpenAI's latest GPT-Image-1 model. But when I spoke with Field, he seemed less excited by the prospect of turning over image creation to a machine than by Figma Draw, a classical sort of illustration tool for people who want to hand-create imagery that's precise, reflects a distinctive style, and may even mimic work done with old-school art implements such as a paintbrush. If Draw has any AI at all, it didn't matter enough to merit a mention in the blog post introducing the product. 'We have a lot of opportunity to build tools for folks [to] be more divergent and have more craft and stand out,' Field told me. 'And we think that's the differentiator that'll make people win over time.' As some organizations lean too heavily on AI, we're going to see more and more bland, look-alike products. It's nice to think that doubling down on unmistakably human creativity could be a competitive advantage. And that Figma won't stray too far from its traditional emphasis on helping create such work, even as it figures out how to make AI make sense.
The Verge
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Verge
Figma's big AI update takes on Adobe, WordPress, and Canva
Figma is expanding its creative software ecosystem to allow product designers to complete entire projects without jumping to third-party apps. Four new products for website building, AI coding, branded marketing, and digital illustration were introduced at Figma's Config event today, aiming to fill in any gaps holding Figma back from being an all-in-one platform that supports the entire product design lifecycle. For example, while existing products like Figma Design, Slides, and FigJam could be used to ideate and create prototypes, developers would need to use services like WordPress to create live websites or Adobe Illustrator to create customized and scalable brand imagery. Figma's first solution is Figma Sites, a website builder that integrates with Figma Design and allows creators to turn their projects into live, functional sites. Figma Sites provides presets for layouts, blocks, templates, and interactions that aim to make building websites less complex and time-consuming. Additional components like custom animations can also be added either using existing code or by prompting Site's AI tool to generate new interaction codes via text descriptions, such as 'animate the text to fall into place like a feather.' Figma Sites is rolling out in beta for users with full seat access to Figma products. Figma says that AI code generation will be available 'in the coming weeks,' and that a CMS that allows designers to manage site content will be launched 'later this year.' Figma Make is Figma's take on AI coding tools like Google's Gemini Code Assist and Microsoft's GitHub Copilot. The prompt-to-code Figma Make tool is powered by Anthropic's Claude 3.7 model and can build working prototypes and apps based on descriptions or existing designs, such as creating a functional music player that displays a disc that spins when new tracks are played. Specific elements of working design, like text formatting and font style, can be manually edited or adjusted using additional AI prompts. Make is rolling out in beta for full seat Figma users. Figma says it's 'exploring integrations with third parties and design systems' for Figma Make and may apply the tool to other apps within its design platform. Figma Buzz is a marketing-focused design app that's rolling out in beta to all users, and makes it easier for teams to publish brand content, similar to Canva's product design platform. The tool allows Figma designers to create brand-approved templates, styles, and assets that can be used by marketers to quickly assemble emails, social media posts, advertising, and more. Figma Buzz includes generative AI tools for making and editing images using text prompts, and can source information from spreadsheets to bulk create thousands of image assets at once. Lastly, the Figma Draw vector design app is like a simplified version of Adobe Illustrator that creatives can use to make custom visuals without leaving the Figma platform. It includes a variety of brushes, texture effects, and vector editing tools to create or adjust scalable images and logos for product design projects. Figma Draw is generally available now for full seat users as a toggle in Figma Design, with some features accessible in Sites, Slides, and Buzz.
