Config 2024 In Review | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma’s Config 2024 announcements focus on making design more exploratory, efficient, and connected to development. The company introduced Figma AI, a redesigned UI3 interface, Figma Slides, major Dev Mode improvements, and quality-of-life updates. Figma argues that as AI makes software creation easier, thoughtful design will become an even stronger differentiator.

Figma AI: Faster exploration and production

• Visual Search lets users find similar designs across accessible team files using a screenshot, selected frame, image, or sketch.
• Improved Asset Search understands the context of queries, even when search terms do not match asset names.
• New AI-powered efficiency features can:
  • Generate realistic images and copy
  • Rewrite, translate, or vary text
  • Automatically create prototype connections
  • Rename layers
• Make Designs, available through the Actions panel, generates initial UI layouts and component options from text prompts.
• Figma says these tools are built around practical user needs rather than AI hype, using large language models to reduce tedious work and help designers explore more possibilities.

Other major Config announcements

• UI3 redesigns the Figma interface.
• Figma Slides introduces a dedicated environment for building, collaborating on, and presenting presentations.
• Dev Mode updates aim to move teams from designs being merely “design ready” to being fully “dev complete.”
• Additional improvements target Auto Layout, UI kits, and the prototype viewer.

Availability

• Figma AI and UI3 were announced as limited betas with gradual rollout.
• Users can join the waitlist through Figma’s help menu by selecting “Join UI3 + AI waitlist.”

Figma’s overall direction is to support the full path from idea generation through design, presentation, and development, while using AI to automate routine tasks and expand creative exploration.