Introducing: Design Dictionary from Figma | Figma Blog

Figma introduced its Design Dictionary to make design terminology more accessible and improve communication across teams. The resource addresses the field’s dense vocabulary, which can confuse newcomers and hinder collaboration between designers, engineers, product managers, copy editors, and stakeholders. Launched with 70 terms and open to community contributions, the dictionary is intended to evolve alongside the design industry.

Design’s Specialized Language

• Design terminology draws from art, printmaking, publishing, usability, and typography.
• Terms help experts discuss detailed concepts precisely.
• The same vocabulary can intimidate people who are new to design or work alongside designers.

The Need for Cross-Functional Understanding

• Modern digital products involve many roles in design work:
  • Engineers translate designs into production code.
  • Copy editors add and refine content.
  • Stakeholders review and approve designs.
  • Product managers coordinate the broader process.
• Collaboration becomes harder when teams use design terms inconsistently or do not understand them.
• Figma experienced this challenge after hiring employees from business, analytics, support, engineering, and other non-design backgrounds.

The Design Dictionary

• Figma created the dictionary as a practical glossary for learning core design terminology.
• The initial release included 70 terms.
• It was open-sourced so the wider design community could benefit from and contribute to it.
• The resource was expected to expand as design practices and industry language evolved.

Community Contributions

• Figma invited readers to suggest terms that cause confusion in their organizations.
• Examples included “White Space,” “Stroke,” and “Lorem Ipsum.”
• Users could submit new ideas and corrections through a link in the dictionary.

Figma’s Design Dictionary is recommended as a shared reference for teams working across design and product development. Its broader goal is to create a common language that makes cross-functional design collaboration clearer and more effective.