Figma best practices

Figma-Best-Practices.md

Best Practices for a Designer Using Figma

As a solo designer, maintaining an organized, efficient, and consistent workflow in Figma is key to producing high-quality designs. Below are best practices to optimize your personal design process.

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1. File Structure

• Clear Naming: Name files descriptively (e.g., Portfolio_v1, AppFlow_Draft).
• Use Pages: Split your work into pages like Sketches, Final Designs, Components, and Old Versions.

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2. Layer Habits

• Name Everything: Label layers specifically (e.g., Card_Title, Icon_Search) instead of generic names.
• Group Logically: Use frames or groups to keep related elements together (e.g., all footer items in one frame).
• Hide Clutter: Turn off visibility for unused layers or move them to an Old Versions page.

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3. Reusable Elements

• Build Components: Turn repeating items (e.g., buttons, headers) into components for quick reuse.
• Add Variants: Create variations (e.g., Button_Default, Button_Hover) to stay consistent.
• Set Styles: Define text styles (e.g., Heading_Large, Body) and color styles (e.g., Blue_Main, Gray_Light).

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4. Personal Design System

• Centralize Basics: Keep core components, colors, and typography on a Components page.
• Stick to a Grid: Use an 8pt or 10pt grid for spacing and alignment.
• Track Changes: Use version history with notes (e.g., "Updated Navbar - 03/18/25").

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5. Artboard Setup

• Consistent Sizes: Use standard artboard dimensions (e.g., 1440px for desktop, 375px for mobile).
• Label Clearly: Name artboards like Home_v1, Profile_Mobile for easy navigation.
• Auto-Layout: Apply auto-layout to elements that need to resize dynamically.

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6. Prototyping

• Simple Flows: Link screens to test basic navigation or interactions.
• Light Animations: Use subtle transitions (e.g., fade, slide) to keep it clean.
• Separate Space: Keep prototypes on their own page to avoid mixing with static designs.

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7. Asset Handling

• Export Ready: Set up export options (e.g., PNG@2x, SVG) for your needs.
• Vectors First: Use vector shapes for scalability where possible.
• Light Files: Compress images before importing to keep your file lean.

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8. Workflow Efficiency

• Limit Bloat: Split large projects into multiple files if they get slow.
• Reuse Instances: Use component instances instead of duplicating elements.
• Clean Up: Periodically delete unused styles or layers.

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9. Quick Tips

• Shortcuts: Learn Figma shortcuts (e.g., Cmd + G to group, K for scale) to save time.
• Plugins: Try plugins like Unsplash or Iconify to speed up asset gathering.
• Review Yourself: Step back and test your prototypes to catch issues early.

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These practices will help you stay organized, work faster, and maintain a polished personal design process in Figma.

Last updated: March 18, 2025

Mac MCP:
{
"mcpServers": {
"TalkToFigma": {
"command": "bun",
"args": [
"/path/to/cursor-talk-to-figma-mcp/src/talk_to_figma_mcp/server.ts"
]
}
}
}

Windows MCP:
{
"mcpServers": {
"TalkToFigma": {
"command": "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe",
"args": [
"/c",
"cd [Add your own path to the folder]\cursor-talk-to-figma-mcp-main\cursor-talk-to-figma-mcp-main\src\talk_to_figma_mcp && bun start"
]
}
}
}

Thanks!