Tips for using Constraints in your workflow (opens in new tab)
Figma’s constraints feature helps designers build layouts that adapt across different screen sizes and contexts. By anchoring elements to edges, centers, or grids, designs can remain structurally consistent instead of requiring separate manual adjustments. The post presents five practical applications, from simple button placement to flexible navigation bars, table cells, and playful illustrations.
Pinning Buttons to Corners
- Set an action button’s constraints to the bottom and right sides of its parent frame.
- This keeps floating action buttons in a consistent location as the screen expands.
Combining Components and Constraints
- Constrain important elements within a frame, then convert the frame into a reusable component.
- Duplicate the component for different screen sizes.
- Changes to the original—such as colors or text sizes—propagate to all instances, making responsive variations easier to manage.
Building Flexible Navigation Bars with Grids
- Nest a navigation bar frame at the bottom of a phone-screen frame.
- Set its constraints to left & right and bottom so it stretches with the screen.
- Apply a layout grid with the stretch type.
- Place buttons in grid columns and center-constrain them so they reposition as the screen changes.
Creating Reusable Table Cells
- Group related content, such as an avatar and text, and constrain it to the center-left of the cell.
- Group action text and a rounded rectangle into a button, then constrain it to the center-right.
- The cell’s contents remain attached to their intended sides across different frame widths.
Experimenting with Illustrations
- Horizontal and vertical constraints can also be applied creatively to illustrations.
- Stretching constrained artwork can produce humorous distortions and playful effects.
Constraints are most useful when combined with components and grids. Setting them thoughtfully allows one design to adapt across many screen sizes while reducing repetitive layout work.