Figma's New Finger Tips | Figma Blog

Figma’s redesigned keyboard shortcut panel is inspired by Douglas Engelbart’s 1968 demonstration of fluid, two-handed computer interaction. The post argues that combining mouse control with practiced keyboard shortcuts lets designers work through motor memory and enter a state of flow. Figma’s new panel aims to make shortcuts easier and more enjoyable to discover and learn.

Engelbart’s Two-Handed Computing

• Douglas Engelbart’s landmark demo presented computers as tools for personal work and collaboration, not merely corporate calculation.
• He used a mouse in one hand and a chorded “keyset” in the other:
  • The mouse selected objects.
  • The keyset issued commands, such as deleting a word while moving toward it.
• This combination made his interaction appear remarkably fluid—like “dealing lightning with both hands.”
• The effect depended on motor memory: repeated physical actions become instinctive, allowing users to focus on their goals rather than the mechanics of the tool.

Keyboard Shortcuts and Creative Flow

• Skilled Figma users similarly move across the canvas, restyle objects, and create designs without looking at their hands.
• A mouse is relatively easy for beginners to learn, while keyboard shortcuts require deliberate practice before becoming automatic.
• Mastering both devices can help designers work faster and maintain focus on the problems they are solving.

Figma’s Redesigned Shortcut Panel

• The old shortcut panel was difficult to scan and occupied much of the screen, interfering with learning through experimentation.
• The new panel appears beneath the canvas and can be opened through the help menu or with Ctrl+Shift+?.
• Shortcuts are organized into categories based on the user’s work:
  • Shape and vector tools
  • Typography
  • Two-handed mouse-and-keyboard combinations
  • Beginner-friendly shortcuts
• Examples include using Alt while moving the mouse to measure objects and ⌘+\ to hide interface chrome.
• The panel highlights shortcuts as they are pressed and remembers them, encouraging users to reflect on and expand their shortcut habits.

Figma’s approach treats shortcut learning as a gradual path toward fluency: provide relevant suggestions, reinforce what users already use, and reveal powerful combinations that can eventually become second nature.