Organize photo galleries, slides and more with Smart Selection 2D | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma’s Smart Selection 2D extends the original Smart Selection feature from simple lists to both horizontal and vertical layouts. It lets designers quickly tidy, reorder, and adjust spacing in grids and lists, reducing tedious manual repositioning. The feature is especially useful for photo galleries, presentation slides, and other repeated layouts.

Extending Smart Selection

• The original Smart Selection launched three months earlier and helped users rearrange lists with the Tidy Up button.
• Designers reported saving significant time by avoiding manual alignment and spacing adjustments.
• Based on the positive response, Figma expanded the feature into Smart Selection 2D.

Organizing Lists and Grids

• Smart Selection 2D works in two dimensions:
  • Horizontally for rows and lists
  • Vertically for columns and grids
• Users can adjust spacing and reorganize multiple elements more efficiently.
• The feature supports layouts such as:
  • Photo galleries
  • Presentation slides
  • Other collections of repeated design elements

Example Use Cases

• Photo galleries can be quickly reordered into a preferred arrangement.
• Presentation slides can be rearranged without manually repositioning every slide.
• Designers can spend more time on content and less time maintaining layout consistency.
• Figma shared demonstrations on Twitter to show how the feature could streamline common design tasks.

Smart Selection 2D is recommended for any Figma workflow involving repeated elements or structured layouts, as it automates much of the spacing, alignment, and reordering work.