“I can’t tell you how scary design is for designers”: Why Figma’s new UI is a major event

We’re back in San Francisco for Config, Figma’s annual conference “for people who build products.” As always, the company announced a number of new tools and features for Figma itself, including a slew of AI features and Figma Slides, a brand new tool for creating presentations. But perhaps the most daunting announcement for the company came in the form of UI3, the third significant overhaul of Figma since the product launched.

Designed to deliver “a more streamlined and adaptable interface,” UI3 includes resizable panels, optional labels in the properties panel, and clearer iconography. And, unsurprisingly given the simultaneous announcement of Figma’s first native AI features, these feature prominently in the new UI. (If you’re new to web design, check out our Figma review.)

“I can’t tell you how scary it is to design a new UI for Figma. For “Designers,” said CEO Dylan Field, acknowledging the irony of redesigning the UI of the tool used to create the UI itself. But the irony doesn’t end there. “I also can’t tell you how meta it is to design a new Figma editor inside the old Figma editor.” (While UI 3 is being phased in, UI 2 will continue to be usable.)