Figma has become the industry standard for collaborative web design because it is a browser-based tool that allows entire teams—designers, developers, and product managers—to work together on the same file in real-time. Its core strengths are its multiplayer collaboration, shareable interactive prototypes, and seamless designer-to-developer handoff.
The Shift from Silos to Collaboration
Before Figma, the design process was often siloed. A designer would work on a file in an offline tool like Sketch or Adobe XD, save it, and then email or upload it for a developer to inspect. This created constant version control problems (“Is this design_final_v2_final.sketch the right one?”) and a slow feedback loop.
Figma changed everything by bringing the design process to the cloud.
Figma’s Key Collaborative Features
1. Real-Time “Multiplayer” Editing
This is Figma’s killer feature. It’s like Google Docs for design. Multiple team members can be in the same design file at the same time, and you can see their cursors moving on the screen. This allows designers to work together, developers to ask questions in context, and product managers to leave feedback directly on the canvas.
2. A Single Source of Truth
Because Figma is cloud-based, there is only one version of the design file. There is no confusion about which version is the most up-to-date. This ensures that everyone, from the newest designer to the lead developer, is looking at the same thing.
3. Shareable Interactive Prototypes
Designers can link different screens and components together within Figma to create a clickable, interactive prototype that simulates a real website or app. This prototype can be shared with a simple URL. Stakeholders can click through the user flow on their own phones or computers and provide feedback before a single line of code is written.
4. Seamless Developer Handoff
Figma makes the handoff process from design to development incredibly smooth. A developer doesn’t need a paid license to access the file. They can open the design in their browser, click on any element, and the right-hand panel will show them all the CSS properties, dimensions, colors, and assets they need to build the component perfectly.
Step 2: Offer Next Step
The article on using Figma is now complete. The next topic on our list is about how to choose the right font for your website. Shall I prepare that for you?