Figma's Config 2021: New Tools for a Collaborative Design Workflow

Figma used today's Config 2021 conference to announce a wave of updates aimed at making design collaboration more inclusive and integrated. The announcements focus on expanding the design process beyond the core editing task—covering brainstorming, iteration, feedback, and review—with tools designed for everyone on a team, not just interface designers.

  • FigJam: A purpose-built whiteboard space for brainstorming and ideation, now in open beta.
  • Branching: A new workflow for creating file variations and safely testing ideas before merging.
  • A new mobile app: An updated iOS and Android experience for viewing files and prototypes on the go.
  • Audio: Built-in voice chat in the editor for live design critiques and collaborative sessions.
  • Higher user limits: Multiplayer sessions expand to support hundreds of concurrent users.
  • Community publishing: Opening up the Figma Community so all users can share their work publicly.

FigJam: A dedicated space for early-stage ideation

While Figma has served as an open canvas for many teams, it wasn't explicitly designed to support the free-form, early-stage work of brainstorming. FigJam is a new, standalone whiteboard space that addresses this by offering a venue for activities like diagramming user journeys or group ideation. To foster a sense of presence and connection in a digital space, it introduces expressive features like emotes and chat. The open beta launches free until February 2022, after which it will convert to a paid model with plans at $8 and $15 per editor/month.

Branching for safer iteration

To support larger teams and more complex workflows, Figma is introducing branching. This feature allows users to create a separate copy, or branch, of a file to explore variations without disrupting the main project. You can collaborate with others—called multiplayer in this context—on a branch and then, once the changes are deemed good, merge them back to the main file with a few clicks. This creates a designated, safe space for iteration and experimentation. The beta is available to users on the Organization plan.

New mobile app for design review

Figma's new mobile app is now in beta for both iOS and Android. The app is designed to address two primary needs: seeing how designs perform on an actual device through mirrored playback, and offering faster, more accessible ways to share work and view files and prototypes with stakeholders no matter where they are. The beta will be followed by a public release soon.

Audio conversations in the editor

Live communication will soon be woven directly into the editor via an audio feature. Users will be able to start an instant call to discuss edits in real-time, whether that means talking through a critique on a specific design file in Figma or managing a brainstorm in FigJam. The feature is set to arrive for users on Professional and Organization plans shortly.

Higher collaboration ceilings

The company is also lifting restrictions on how many people can work in the same file concurrently. Figma will now support 500 simultaneous users (100 editors and 400 viewers). In a few weeks, this limit will increase to 1,000 simultaneous users (200 editors and 800 viewers) for both Figma and FigJam. This change is meant to enable larger presentations, workshops, and classroom activities, and potentially open new use cases for team work in a shared file.

Figma Community open to publishing

Finally, the Figma Community is opening its doors to everyone. Alongside access to existing user-created files, such as new FigJam templates, all users can now publish and share their own work, helpful layouts, or handy tips with the broader community. With these tools, Figma intends for teams to engage across the entire design process—brainstorming, iterating, and building—together in its platform.