figmaJul 27, 2021

30 updates: recent features and fixes in Figma | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma’s July 2021 update roundup highlights 30 small improvements designed to make everyday design work faster and less disruptive. The changes span vector editing, typography, images, collaboration, navigation, accessibility, browser behavior, and keyboard shortcuts. Together, they reduce friction across common workflows rather than introducing one major feature. ## Vector, Stroke, and Drawing Improvements - Redesigned the stroke panel with easier controls for end caps and connector properties, including connectors copied from FigJam. - Added math operations for changing properties with mixed values. - The Pencil and Pen tools now remember selected stroke settings for future use. - Added hover states for frame presets and improved grid property drag handles. - New rulers are automatically selected after creation, allowing immediate keyboard adjustment or deletion. ## Image and Export Workflow - Added browser support for **Copy as PNG**, using `⌘+Shift+C` or `Ctrl+Shift+C`. - Holding `⌘`/`Ctrl` while resizing an image immediately crops it. - Image adjustment sliders can now be used without an extra click. - Export settings now include an “include bounding box” option, with the corresponding Plugin API setting `use_absolute_bounds`. - Renamed “Contents only” export to “Ignore overlapping layers.” - Pasting an image during text editing now exits text mode and pastes the image normally. ## Typography and Fonts - A second fill added to an object is now a solid color instead of a gradient. - Text export behavior was improved with more precise bounds controls. - Copying text with a missing font now activates the global missing-font indicator. - The missing-font dialog lets users click directly to identify affected layers. - Removed the “+” option for text nodes with mixed styles, making it easier to override them with a new style or color. - Renaming a file no longer produces an unnecessarily tall selected-text background. ## Collaboration and FigJam Integration - Preferences now sync automatically across open tabs without requiring a reload. - Stickies copied from FigJam as text are ordered according to their layout. - Zooming with “Z” no longer shows a selection rectangle to other collaborators. - Layer-panel icons update faster to reflect their corresponding objects. - The layers panel now scrolls to the selected layer when selection keyboard shortcuts are used. ## Navigation, Menus, and Interaction - The “Move to project” dialog can be dismissed by clicking outside it or pressing Esc. - Increased the clickable area for the top-menu chevron. - Middle-clicking selected links opens them. - Alignment and repositioning buttons remain active while editing text. - Users can pan across links without triggering disruptive link pop-ups. - The redesigned cursor hand is less intrusive. - Toolbar dropdowns now work correctly in View Only mode. ## Browser and Safari Fixes - Safari users can scrub fields by holding `⌥` and moving the mouse. - Right-click menus remain open more reliably in Safari. - Various interaction and menu behaviors were refined to make browser-based Figma more consistent. Figma presents these updates as an ongoing effort to remove small sources of friction from design workflows. Users can review the changes in the associated Figma Community file and follow the “What’s New” page for weekly fixes and improvements.

safarifigmafigjamtypography+2

figmaMay 5, 2021

Q&A with Robyn Kanner | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Robyn Kanner’s Config 2021 interview presents design as an active, collaborative practice rather than a fixed professional identity. Alongside her work as Creative Director for the Biden-Harris campaign, her answers emphasize persistence, teamwork, cultural awareness, and making things without being constrained by titles or tools. Her central advice is to stay present, keep creating, and define success through meaningful impact. ## Designing the Biden-Harris Campaign - Kanner led the Biden-Harris design team during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. - The team created a wide range of campaign materials, from JoeBiden.com to the campaign plane, working together in one Figma file. - She identifies helping elect Joe Biden as the greatest accomplishment of her career. - Her Config 2021 keynote provides a deeper account of the campaign and its creative process. ## A Relentless and Unrestricted Creative Practice - Kanner describes her creative process as “relentless.” - She does her best work early in the morning and late at night. - She rejects the idea of perfect design, saying there is “nothing perfect.” - Her advice to young designers is not to limit themselves to a job title—or even think of themselves primarily as designers—but simply to make things and let the rest develop naturally. - Her definition of design is immediate and action-oriented: “‘NOW.’” ## Collaboration and Team Culture - Good collaborators create space for the people around them. - Teams become genuine teams by “going through shit together.” - Kanner’s answers suggest that shared pressure, trust, and mutual support matter more than formal processes. - When asked whom she would want in a design critique, she chooses Michael Jordan, reflecting an interest in high-performance perspectives beyond design. ## Influences, Tastes, and Perspective - Her favorite UI typefaces are Decimal and Mercury, and she values type, color, and multiple color systems equally. - She admires her parents for shaping who she is. - She considers sociology underrated and code overrated within the design world. - Outside design, she highlights Jeff Buckley, BROCKHAMPTON’s “BUZZCUT,” and the video game Madden as sources of enjoyment and decompression. - She dismisses comparisons with other designers, emphasizing that everyone has their own path. ## Tools, Constraints, and Figma - Kanner dislikes being limited by tools, particularly Safari’s handling of animations. - She praises Figma as having “revolutionized creating.” - Her favorite Figma feature is Shift+H, though she jokingly says she likes all of them. - Her ambition to “put gradients on Mars” captures her playful, expansive approach to design. The interview ultimately recommends a broad and practical view of creativity: make meaningful work, support the people around you, resist restrictive labels, and focus on the present rather than chasing perfection or comparison.

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