What to Learn After Figma

Figma is a browser-based user experience design tool that allows users to collaborate on digital layout designs from any device. With an array of tools for modifying text, images, and graphics, users can build interactive prototypes of web layouts to test and modify. If you know how to use Figma, you might consider learning more advanced user experience design skills and front end web development coding languages. We’ll cover these topics in more detail below, so you clearly understand what skill you want to tackle next.

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.

User Experience Design

One skill vital for any Web Designer is understanding how and why users behave in specific ways when interacting with webpages. User Experience (UX) Designers are tasked with testing and researching user behavior to give Web Designers the knowledge they need to make more informed decisions about the kinds of sites they build to assure that those pages are navigable, accessible, and memorable. Figma users will be able to design web layouts in Figma, transform them into working prototypes that they can test using their UX design skills, and then return to Figma to modify those designs with the results of their user testing.

Graphic Design

As a graphic design tool, it can be helpful for Figma users to know how to build digital assets using other graphic design programs. Noble offers courses to help students learn how to use programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. These are valuable tools for Graphic Designers who want to include their digital assets in a Figma layout. Since Figma is also a vector graphics design tool, these skills are especially complementary for aspiring Graphic Designers who want to work in a multitude of mediums.

Front End Web Development

Although Figma lets users export some of the code used to generate prototypes, the designs will still need to be handed off to a Web Developer to be fully programmed and coded. Users who want to streamline this process or make themselves more valuable to their employers may wish to consider learning skills such as HTML/CSS, JavaScript, or another front end coding language to help them build the websites they’ve designed. Figma users, in particular, may find it helpful to understand front end web development as it will allow them to better participate in collaborative design and take advantage of the resources made available to them through the Figma developer community.

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

• Once a student has mastered Figma, they can acquire several additional skills to open up new career paths and optimize their Figma designs.
• Some Figma designers may consider learning more about the research methods that underscore user experience design to make more informed decisions about how they design their interfaces.
• Other Figma users may want to learn a few graphic design programs to give themselves more control over the illustrations they use to build webpages.
• Finally, some Figma users might want to learn front end programming languages like HTML/CSS and JavaScript so that they may turn their prototypes into working webpages.
• Regardless of what skills a Figma user wants to learn, they can find immersive live online and in-person training courses offered by Noble Desktop.