Figma: The workshop covers prototyping basics in Figma, focusing on creating interactive designs using frames, components, and scrolling features.
Figma - Figma for Edu: Making your first Figma prototype
The workshop introduces the fundamentals of prototyping in Figma, emphasizing the importance of frames as the foundation for any prototype. It explains how prototypes allow designers to test and demonstrate ideas interactively. The session covers creating reusable components, which are essential for maintaining consistency and efficiency in design. Participants learn to create simple components using shapes, text, and images, and how to convert these into components for reuse across different designs. The workshop also delves into scrolling features, both vertical and horizontal, and how to set up frames to allow content to scroll, enhancing the interactive experience. Additionally, the session touches on responsive design, explaining the use of constraints and auto layout to adapt designs to different device sizes. Practical examples include creating a directory app with interactive profiles and setting up transitions between frames to simulate user interactions. The workshop concludes with tips on sharing prototypes and incorporating feedback through comments.
Key Points:
- Prototypes require at least one frame and are used for testing and demonstrating ideas interactively.
- Components are reusable elements that ensure consistency and efficiency in design; they can be created from shapes, text, and images.
- Scrolling features can be set up for both vertical and horizontal navigation, enhancing the interactive experience.
- Responsive design involves using constraints and auto layout to adapt designs to different device sizes.
- Prototypes can be shared with others for feedback, and comments can be added to improve design.
Details:
1. 🎨 Welcome & Overview of Figma Workshop
- The workshop aims to introduce participants to the core principles of prototyping using Figma, led by experts Miggi and Alex.
- The Figma Design Editor features a central canvas area, which is essential for creating and editing designs.
- The pages section in Figma allows users to navigate through different pages within a project efficiently, contributing to streamlined workflow management.
- The layers panel tracks all elements within the project and is crucial for managing and organizing project components effectively.
2. 🖼️ Navigating the Figma Design Editor
2.1. Effective Navigation Tips in Figma
2.2. Prototyping Essentials in Figma
3. 🔗 Prototyping Fundamentals & Frame Interactions
- Prototypes include designed interactions visualized as lines connecting elements, aiding in previewing and interaction testing.
- Flow start points, or flags, mark where prototype interactions begin, and clicking 'play' allows for prototype previewing, enabling scrolling and interaction with objects.
- Components are reusable elements that include text, graphics, and imagery, ensuring consistency and persistence across designs.
- Interactive elements, known as hotspots, are crucial for prototyping ideas and effectively telling a story through interactive design.
- Prototypes serve to describe, demonstrate, or test ideas before development, offering significant value in educational settings and various activities.
- Prototyping tools such as Figma or Adobe XD facilitate the creation of interactive prototypes, allowing designers to simulate user experiences and refine interactions before final development.
- Specific techniques like wireframing, user flow mapping, and usability testing are integral to the prototyping process, ensuring that designs meet user needs and functional requirements.
4. 📐 Crafting & Utilizing Components
- Components in Figma are reusable elements, enhancing design consistency and efficiency.
- Primitive objects (shapes, text, images) are used within frames to create components.
- Creating a component involves framing and adding text or shapes, serving as a reusable template.
- The process involves using tools like the frame tool (F key) and type tool (T key) to construct the component.
- Using the rectangle tool with corner radius adjustments can efficiently create circular shapes.
- Components are distinguished by a four-diamond icon, indicating they are main components controlling all instances.
- Instances are copies of the main component, crucial for prototyping to avoid recreating each object.
- Using shortcuts like Command C, Command V, or Command D facilitates duplication of components.
- Editing the main component automatically updates all instances, saving time and ensuring consistency.
- Naming components (e.g., 'directory listing') aids in organizing and managing design elements.
5. 📱 Designing for Mobile Devices with Figma
5.1. Creating Reusable Components
5.2. Image Fills in Components
5.3. Building Mobile Device Frames
6. 🔧 Implementing Responsive Design Techniques
6.1. Device Frame Setup
6.2. Frame and Component Design
6.3. Component Creation
6.4. Duplication and Layer Management
6.5. Populating and Styling Directory
6.6. Prototype and Scroll Behavior
7. 🔍 Previewing Prototypes & Interaction Adjustments
7.1. Prototype Interaction and Settings
7.2. Auto Layout and Constraints
8. 📏 Advanced Scrolling & Constraints
- Constraints allow designers to define how objects behave when a frame resizes, ensuring consistent design across different device sizes.
- When using constraints, components can be set to adjust their position, such as moving from right to center, when the parent frame resizes.
- Designers should consider the specific device type for each prototype page to ensure that components behave correctly when resized.
- Utilizing constraints effectively can result in a more adaptable design process, where components align correctly across various layouts and devices.
9. 🔄 Crafting Responsive Prototypes
- Use left and right constraints to ensure design adaptability across different screen sizes, enhancing device responsiveness.
- Utilize present mode for responsive prototypes that adapt dynamically to window size changes, maintaining design integrity.
- Focus on designing one device per page initially to streamline prototype settings and avoid frequent adjustments.
- Ensure components grow and contract with frame width; leverage constraints to manage layout changes effectively.
- In presentation mode, designs match current window width, providing a seamless experience on varying screen sizes.
10. 📜 Creating Complex Interactions & Flows
- To create horizontal scrolling interactions, duplicate elements with specific pixel spacing (e.g., 16 pixels) to mimic features like social media stories.
- Use components for reusable design elements; for example, a 'story' component can be used across multiple projects.
- Adjust component bounding boxes with command/control keys to avoid squishing elements during scrolling interactions.
- Implement horizontal scrolling by selecting the frame and choosing the horizontal scroll option in the prototype panel.
- Use the 'Place image' function to populate components with images, such as animal photos, to enhance visual content.
- Establish flow starting points in prototypes to determine the initial viewable area, ensuring correct presentation in prototype viewers.
- Utilize 'scroll with parent' and 'fixed' positioning to control element movement during scrolling; 'fixed' keeps elements static.
- Ensure components are resized correctly to allow scrolling functionality by extending content beyond the frame size.
- Incorporate detailed examples and case studies to illustrate the implementation of complex interactions and flows effectively.
11. 🔗 Linking Pages & Navigation Techniques
11.1. Creating Frames
11.2. Utilizing Components
11.3. Setting Up Vertical Scrolling
11.4. Auto Layout Components
11.5. Image and Component Placement
11.6. Prototyping and Interactions
11.7. Navigation and Interaction Design
11.8. Final Considerations
12. 🔗 Sharing Prototypes & Gathering Feedback
- Prototypes can be shared via link or embed code, allowing integration with platforms like Notion or web pages.
- Access to shared prototypes can be controlled by setting permissions or adding a password, enhancing security and collaboration.
- Feedback can be provided directly on the prototype through comments, which can be read by the author, facilitating iterative design improvements.
