How we use data | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma uses data in two broad ways: functional data to provide its service and analytics data to improve the product. The company emphasizes collecting only the information necessary to operate Figma, while using aggregated usage insights and experiments to guide product decisions. Examples include improving file sharing and identifying performance problems in the iOS app.

Functional Data

• Functional data supports core account and product operations.
• Figma collects a relatively small amount of information at signup:
  • Email address
  • Name
  • Role
• This information enables usernames, password-reset messages, file creation, and collaboration.
• Figma generally does not require sensitive information such as identity documents or verification.
• Payment information for paid plans is collected and processed by Stripe.

Analytics Data

• Analytics data describes how users access and use Figma.
• It helps teams understand:
  • Which features users adopt
  • Which features they ignore
  • Where users encounter difficulties
  • How usage varies across platforms
• Data scientists analyze these signals alongside user research, product intuition, and direct feedback.

Improving Features Through Experiments

• A/B testing is a central part of Figma’s product-development process.
• Experiments test hypotheses and measure how proposed changes affect user behavior.
• In one study, Figma examined its file-sharing modal, where users invite collaborators, manage permissions, and publish work.
• Research showed that:
  • Only 20% of users opened the share modal during their first month.
  • Only half of those users successfully shared a file.
• Figma simplified the interface and moved secondary functions into separate tabs.
• The change produced:
  • A 2% increase in users sending invitations
  • A 2% increase in users invited to each file
  • No observed decline in users publishing work to Figma Community

Identifying Performance Issues

• Figma uses data to monitor application performance across platforms and prioritize improvements.
• After launching the beta iOS app, the data team analyzed crashes by platform, scenario, and timing.
• The analysis found that prototypes were a major source of iOS crashes.
• About 25% of prototype crashes occurred within the first 10 seconds of loading.

Figma’s approach combines minimal functional data collection with analytics, experimentation, and performance monitoring. The practical goal is to use data selectively to improve usability, reliability, and collaboration while limiting the amount of sensitive information required from users.