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Coming together at Config 2021 | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

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Figma’s Config 2021 announcements focus on making design more collaborative and accessible to broader teams. The company introduced tools for brainstorming, safe experimentation, mobile review, live discussion, and large-scale participation. Together, these updates reflect Figma’s shift from a specialized interface-design tool toward a broader collaborative workspace.

FigJam for Brainstorming

  • FigJam is a new whiteboard space for brainstorming, diagramming user journeys, and exploring ideas.
  • It includes features such as emotes and chats to recreate some of the spontaneity of in-person collaboration.
  • Released in open beta, it was initially free through February 2022, with planned free and paid tiers afterward.

Branching for Safer Iteration

  • Branching lets users create independent versions of a file to explore ideas without changing the main design.
  • Teams can collaborate within branches using Figma’s multiplayer tools.
  • Completed work can be merged back into the main branch.
  • The feature is available in beta for Organization-plan customers and is intended to support design-system contributions and large-team workflows.

Mobile Access and Review

  • New iOS and Android apps make files and prototypes easier to access from anywhere.
  • The apps improve the mirrored playback experience, helping designers preview how work appears on actual devices.
  • The mobile app was launched in beta, with a broader release planned.

Audio Collaboration

  • Audio allows teammates to start calls directly inside Figma or FigJam.
  • It supports live design critiques, group brainstorming, and discussions without leaving the editor.
  • The feature was planned for Professional and Organization plans.

Larger Multiplayer Sessions

  • Figma increased its limit to 500 concurrent users: 100 editors and 400 viewers.
  • The company planned to raise the limit to 1,000 users across Figma and FigJam, with 200 editors and 800 viewers.
  • These limits support large presentations, workshops, classrooms, and other emerging collaborative uses.

Publishing to the Figma Community

  • Everyone can publish files, templates, techniques, and other resources to the Figma Community.
  • Users can both discover work from others and share their own contributions.
  • FigJam templates were highlighted as an early example of this expanded community ecosystem.

Figma’s Config 2021 updates recommend a broader model of design collaboration: teams can ideate in FigJam, experiment through branching, review work on mobile, communicate through audio, and share results with the wider community.