How Long Does it Take to Learn Figma?

Like many aspiring Web Designers or User Experience Designers, you might want to learn Figma but worry that it will take too much time. Figma is an accessible program that users can become comfortable using within only a few days of training. More advanced training will help students use the program professionally, but new users will be able to work productively with Figma in a relatively short time. Of course, this depends on several factors.

Keep reading about how you can learn Figma and some resources to help speed the process along.

What is Figma?

Figma is a browser-based user interface design tool that allows users to collaborate with other editors to build unique and accessible website designs. Users work on collaborative shared documents to build interactive prototypes of webpages, making Figma an ideal skill to learn for aspiring Web Designers who want to build complex, multi-feature webpages. Since Figma allows users to update their designs in real-time without downloading an application, teams can collaborate anytime and anywhere.

Figma is also a vector graphics design tool, meaning that all the designs produced are resizable and replicable. This is important for user experience (UX) design because it assures designers can optimize their layouts for several screens, ranging from mobile phones to desktop PCs. Regardless of the project, Figma will give teams the tools they need to construct complex prototypes of their web layouts. Then, users can test these prototypes and ensure that their designs meet all their requirements.

Since Figma prides itself on its collaborative community of designers, there are many readily available plug-ins, templates, and widgets that make designing interfaces much easier. If a Figma user runs into a problem, there is a good chance that another user has already run into that problem, solved it, and made their solution readily available as a plug-in or template.

Read more about what Figma is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Figma?

Figma lets users collaborate in real-time to build and prototype user interfaces and web applications. Using vector graphics design tools, teams of designers can build complicated wireframe layouts for websites that can be resized to be optimized for screens of any given size. In addition, users can add interactive elements such as scrolling and hovering functionalities to their designs, letting them make sure that their webpages look and feel like modern designs. This lets users produce working prototypes of their webpages that can be easily tested, allowing designers to receive feedback quickly. Figma even allows users to export some amount of code from the prototype designs to hand off to developers once the prototype has been perfected.

In addition, because Figma is such a potent collaboration tool, there is a massive community of designers and developers constantly creating new plug-ins, templates, and widgets for public consumption. Through Figma’s website and other forums, users can share new designs, provide feedback on templates, and improve on the functionality of interactive interface elements. Every day, more and more new Figma resources are being developed. The resources that are being developed can help users modify and re-purpose existing resources to fit their needs better. Thanks to the Figma community, users aren’t just able to collaborate with their team on a web design; they can collaborate with the entire community of Figma designers and developers on their web designs.

Average Time it Takes to Learn Figma

Learning the basics of Figma will only take most users a few days of focused practice. The program’s user-friendly interface provides users with the tools they need to start experimenting. In addition, because of its large community of designers and developers, there are many free resources to help ease students into learning Figma. A more comprehensive understanding of the program can take just a few weeks of focused study.

Other Factors

A few other factors can shape the time it takes to learn Figma. It is easier to learn if you have experience with other graphic design tools, particularly vector graphic tools like Illustrator or Adobe XD. It is also easier to learn if you have experience with community design and development since user-created plug-ins, widgets, and templates are quite common.

Prior Graphic Design Experience

Like most skills, users who have some experience using similar tools to Figma will be able to learn Figma more quickly. Illustrator and XD are similar tools. Illustrator training gives students a background in using vector graphic design software, and XD gives users a background in navigating user interface design software.

Community Assistance

Due to its large community of developers and designers, Figma offers new users many tools to optimize their work and help them become more familiar with the platform. Users who have experience or are comfortable navigating these community forums and modifying their device will find it much easier to unlock the full potential of Figma.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost

Figma is a relatively beginner-friendly program for beginning Web Designers to learn. This is because the program is easily accessible, the tools are straightforward, and Figma offers users a limited free version of the software without a built-in time limit. These two factors mean that students will have plenty of opportunities to experiment with Figma and take advantage of free tutorials as they learn the program's basics.

The free trial is limited in its functionality in the number of files that free trial users can work on at once and the number of editors that can work on any given design. Once teams get large enough to expand the number of people or workboards operating at any given time, subscriptions for teams, organizations, and schools are available.

There are no formal prerequisites to learning Figma, though users note that experience with other graphic design software like Photoshop and Illustrator can help significantly speed up the learning process. However, even students with no prior design experience can boot up Figma and start experimenting with the program in only a few hours.

Read about how difficult it is to learn Figma.

Watch a Free Figma Online Course

Free tutorials might be a good place to start for students who want to learn Figma but are unsure if they want to jump right into a professional training course. These free tutorials are an ideal place to start learning the basics of the application. Still, they can’t replace professional training for users aspiring to work as Web Designers.

Noble offers a few free seminars that can be useful for Figma students. Noble provides an Intro to Figma recording and an Intro to UI Design course on their seminars page. Noble also provides students with a course that offers an overview seminar detailing the differences between Figma and the other major web design platforms, Sketch and Adobe XD. These tutorials may benefit students who want to learn more about web design but are unfamiliar with these programs. Figma also provides users with many free resources to explore and experiment with on their website. Some of these may seem initially overwhelming, but they are good tools for exploring the platform's capabilities.

Read about more free Figma videos and online tutorials.

Learn Figma with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers students a wide range of options for learning how to master web design using Figma. Figma courses are available both in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus and online from the comfort of your home. Experienced instructors teach these courses, and even the online courses have small class sizes that allow students to receive focused attention to their learning needs in real-time. Almost all of Noble’s courses come with tech support, with in-person learners using in-house computers and distance learners receiving set-up assistance to ensure everyone is on the same page. Plus, these courses come with the option for a free retake within one year. During this retake, students can refine their skills, make up the work they missed, or simply gain some extra practice with Figma.

Students looking to learn the intricacies of Figma may consider enrolling in Noble’s Figma Bootcamp. This course will teach students how to build web designs using Figma independently and as part of a collaborative team. Students will learn the basics of the program, such as how to create and resize vector illustrations, optimize their designs for different-sized screens, and export their designs for prototyping or demonstration. Then, students will collaborate on advanced designs, including features such as hovers, scrolling elements, or web assets. At the end of the course, students will know how to use Figma to build professional quality web designs.

For students looking to strike out into a new career as a Web Designer, Noble offers many professional training options for students hoping to learn Figma. The UX & UI Design Certificate program teaches students in-depth user experience design practices, allowing them to test and research user behavior to make informed decisions about the interfaces they are designing in Figma. This assures that their webpages will be more accessible and easy to navigate.

Noble’s Web Development Certificate program teaches students the technical side of webpage design. After learning how to build a layout in Figma, students will learn how to use HTML/CSS, Flex, Bootstrap, and JavaScript to turn that design into a functioning webpage or user interface. More creatively oriented students may look towards Noble’s Digital Design Certificate program. This course, aimed at aspiring Graphic Designers, will teach students how to build assets for web interfaces using Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, before teaching them how to import those designs into Figma to serve as templates or plug-ins for later use.

Regardless of why a student wants to learn Figma, Noble has a course offering that fits their needs.

Key Insights

• Figma is a browser-based user experience design tool that lets users build vibrant, interactive working prototypes of webpages and interfaces for mobile applications.
• Figma is a relatively user-accessible platform for web design, and users can learn to use the program's basic features in a few days of study.
• Learning complementary skills like Illustrator or XD and taking advantage of community resources and free tutorials can speed up the time it takes to learn Figma.
• Another alternative to quickly learning Figma is taking advantage of the live online and in-person training courses Noble Desktop offers.