Improve Wireframing Skills in Figma: 10 Steps

Contents

1. Get familiar with Figma interface
2. Learn to use basic shapes and lines
3. Create custom shapes
4. Use text effectively
5. Understand layers and frames
6. Use components and styles
7. Create interactive prototypes
8. Explore plugins for enhanced functionality
9. Practice by recreating existing designs
10. Get feedback and improve

Imagine this—you've just started working with Figma, and you're eager to improve your wireframing skills. Well, you're in the right spot! This blog will guide you through 10 practical steps for getting better at wireframing in Figma. You'll soon see your wireframes transform from good to great, one step at a time. So, let's dive right in!

Get familiar with Figma interface

The first step in your journey to getting better at wireframing in Figma is to understand the Figma interface. And no, it's not as daunting as it sounds! Here's a quick rundown of what you need to know:

• Canvas: The canvas is your playground. It's the large, blank space where you'll create your wireframes. You can pan around the canvas by holding the Space bar and dragging.
• Toolbar: The toolbar at the top contains all the tools you need for wireframing in Figma. You'll find tools for drawing shapes, adding text, and more.
• Layers Panel: On the left side, you'll find the layers panel. Here, you can see all the objects on your canvas, organized by layers. The top layer is the one you see at the front, and the bottom layer is at the back.
• Properties Panel: On the right side is the properties panel. This is where you can adjust the details of your objects, like color, size, and position.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the Figma interface, you're ready to start wireframing. The more you use these features, the more comfortable you'll get. And remember, practice makes perfect when you're getting better at wireframing in Figma!

Learn to use basic shapes and lines

Here's a truth bomb for you: you can't get better at wireframing in Figma without knowing how to use basic shapes and lines. Because guess what? These are the building blocks of wireframes!

So let's start with shapes. Figma gives you a bunch of shape tools to work with, including rectangles, ellipses, polygons, and even stars. To draw a shape, simply click on the shape tool in the toolbar, then click and drag on the canvas. To keep your shapes proportional, hold the Shift key while dragging.

• Rectangle Tool: This tool is perfect for creating boxes, cards, or any other rectangular elements.
• Ellipse Tool: Need to draw circles or ovals? The Ellipse tool has got you covered.
• Polygon and Star Tools: These can be handy for creating more complex shapes or icons.

Now, onto lines. Lines are essential for creating dividers, borders, and arrows. To draw a line, select the Line tool in the toolbar, then click and drag on the canvas. If you want your line to be perfectly horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, hold the Shift key while dragging.

With these basic tools in your arsenal, you're well on your way to getting better at wireframing in Figma. So go ahead, play around with these shapes and lines, and start bringing your wireframes to life!

Create custom shapes

Alright, we've covered the basics. Now let's step up our game a notch by creating custom shapes. This is where you can truly start to flex your creative muscles and make your wireframes stand out.

So, how do we create custom shapes in Figma? Simple — we use the Pen tool or the Boolean operations.

The Pen tool can be a bit tricky to master at first, but once you get the hang of it, you'll find it incredibly powerful. It lets you draw almost any shape you can imagine, from simple curves to complex silhouettes. To use it, just click on the Pen tool in the toolbar, then click on the canvas to set anchor points, and drag to create curves. Remember to connect the last point to the first to complete your shape.

Next, we have Boolean operations, which are basically shape builders. They allow you to combine, subtract, intersect, or exclude shapes to create new ones. Here's a quick rundown:

• Union: This combines two shapes into one.
• Subtract: This removes the area of the top shape from the one below.
• Intersect: This creates a new shape from the overlapping area of two shapes.
• Exclude Overlap: This does the opposite of Intersect and removes the overlapping area.

By understanding and mastering these tools, you're not just creating custom shapes — you're getting better at wireframing in Figma. And that's what we're here for, right?

Use text effectively

Moving forward, let's talk about text. It's one of the most crucial elements in your wireframe, and using it effectively can make a significant difference in your design.

In Figma, you have a wealth of options for text customization. You can change the font, size, color, line height, and even add some effects like bolding or italicizing. But it's not just about making your text pretty — it's about making it useful and readable as well.

For starters, always ensure your text is legible. This might sound obvious, but it's easy to get carried away with fancy fonts and end up with text that's hard to read. Stick to clean, simple fonts and keep your font size within a readable range.

Next, remember to align your text properly. Figma gives you options to align left, right, center and justify your text. Use these wisely to create a clean and organized look.

Lastly, let's not forget about hierarchy. Text hierarchy helps guide the viewer's eye and makes your content easier to understand. In Figma, you can create hierarchy by varying your text size, weight, and color. For instance, headings should be larger and bolder than body text, and less important information can be in a lighter color.

By using text effectively, you're not only improving your designs — you're getting better at wireframing in Figma. And isn't that the end goal?

Understand layers and frames

The magic of Figma truly comes to life when you begin to grasp the concept of layers and frames. Let's dive in and see how understanding these can aid you in getting better at wireframing in Figma.

First, let's tackle layers. Think of layers as the building blocks of your design. Each layer represents an element in your wireframe, such as a shape, a piece of text, or an image. By arranging these layers, you control the order in which elements are displayed. It's like stacking legos— the one at the top of the pile is what you see first.

Now, onto frames. In Figma, frames are like containers that hold these layers together. They help you organize your design and make it easier to move and resize groups of layers. Imagine a frame as a box holding your lego blocks. You can move the box around without disturbing the order of the blocks inside.

How do you get good at using layers and frames? Practice. Start by creating simple designs and gradually add more complexity. As you experiment and play around with layers and frames, you'll begin to see how they can transform your wireframing skills in Figma.

Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your Figma expertise. Keep at it, and you'll soon be creating wireframes that are nothing short of masterpieces.

Use components and styles

Consider this: You've designed a brilliant button, and you want to use it in 50 places on your wireframe. Do you really want to recreate it from scratch each time? Of course not! That's where Figma's components and styles come in.

Components in Figma are like reusable blocks of design. Once you've created a component—say, a button, a form, or a navigation bar—you can use it again and again. The beauty of components is that if you decide to tweak something, like the color or the font, the change will apply everywhere you've used that component. It's a huge time-saver.

Styles, on the other hand, are predefined sets of design attributes, like colors, fonts, and effects. Once you create a style, you can apply it to any element with a single click. This not only saves you time but also ensures consistency across your wireframe. It's like having a set of your favorite crayons that you can use to color any part of your drawing.

Mastering components and styles is a key step to getting better at wireframing in Figma. It might seem a bit tricky at first, but with practice, you'll see how they can speed up your workflow and boost your design consistency. And remember—every pro was once a beginner. Keep going!

Create interactive prototypes

Do you remember those pop-up books you adored as a child? They brought a flat story to life, didn't they? Now, imagine if you could do the same with your wireframe. That's what interactive prototyping in Figma lets you do.

Interactive prototyping makes your wireframe clickable — kind of like a real website. It allows you to link different frames together and create transitions between them. You can make a button lead to a new page, or a dropdown menu reveal more options. It's like turning your static drawings into a dynamic, interactive experience.

Creating an interactive prototype is a great way to test your design and see how it feels to use. You can even share it with others and watch them use it. It's like giving a test drive of a car that's still in the design phase.

Creating interactive prototypes is a valuable skill when getting better at wireframing in Figma. It lets you step into the shoes of your users and see your design from their perspective. So, go ahead and give life to your wireframes. You might be surprised at what you discover!

Explore plugins for enhanced functionality

You know how a superhero often has a cool sidekick who brings some extra abilities to the table? Well, plugins are like those sidekicks for Figma—they add superpowers to your wireframing toolkit that Figma doesn't have out of the box.

Think of plugins as little helper apps that help you do things faster, better, and easier. They can automate repetitive tasks, generate realistic data, create complex shapes, and much more. There's a whole universe of plugins waiting for you to explore.

For instance, there's a plugin called "Wireframer" that can create wireframes for you in a snap. How cool is that? Another one, "Figmotion," can animate your designs. There's even a plugin called "Unsplash" that lets you add beautiful images to your wireframes directly from Unsplash's vast library.

The great thing is, installing a plugin is as easy as clicking a button. Seriously, that's all it takes. And once installed, you can access them right from within Figma.

So, when you're getting better at wireframing in Figma, don't forget to explore the world of plugins. It's like having a treasure chest full of tools and tricks to make your wireframing journey more fun and productive.

Practice by recreating existing designs

Ever heard the saying "Practice makes perfect"? Well, it's true—especially when it comes to getting better at wireframing in Figma. One of the best ways to practice is to recreate existing designs.

Why existing designs, you ask? Because they've already solved certain problems. You can see how other designers arrange elements, use color, and handle typography. You can learn from their solutions, and then apply that knowledge to your own designs.

Take a website or an app that you like, and try to recreate its wireframe in Figma. Pay attention to every detail: the layout, the spacing, the navigation, the forms... everything. The goal is not to make an exact copy, but to understand the thought process behind the design.

Remember, this is practice. It's not about creating something perfect or original. It's about learning, experimenting, and improving your wireframing skills in Figma. And the more you do it, the better you'll get.

So go ahead, pick a design and start recreating. You'll be amazed at how much you can learn from this simple exercise.

Get feedback and improve

Now, let's talk about a step that's just as important as practicing—getting feedback. If you want to get better at wireframing in Figma, you can't skip this step. You might be wondering, "Why is feedback so important?" Well, let me tell you.

See, when you're working on a design, it's easy to get lost in the details. You might miss something obvious, or you might not realize that there's a better way to do something. That's where feedback comes in.

Ask a fellow designer, a mentor, or even a friend to take a look at your wireframes. Tell them to be honest. If something doesn't work, you want to know. If something could be better, you want to know. It might sting a bit at first, but remember: feedback is not a personal attack. It's a tool for improvement.

When you get feedback, listen carefully. Understand the points being made, and then think about how you can apply them to your wireframes. Don't be afraid to ask questions. The goal is to learn and improve, not to defend your design.

So go ahead, get out there and ask for feedback. You'll be surprised at how much it can help in getting better at wireframing in Figma.

If you're looking to further improve your wireframing skills in Figma, don't miss the workshop 'Bring your Product to Life using Figma' by Santiago. This workshop will provide you with practical tips and techniques to enhance your wireframing process and create exceptional user experiences in Figma.