Book “Designing in Figma”

Hi, I’m Eugene 👋

A few years ago, I decided to switch to Figma. Learning by poking around is limiting and inefficient, so I looked for a short guide to quickly get at least as efficient as I was before. I found nothing but a few long video courses, which are not my preferred format. Instead, I began reading everything I could find on Figma and, well, poking around and experimenting.

In 2019, I started a regular newsletter so I can share things I learned about Figma. That research became a foundation for this book, as I recorded and organized the best tips and recommendations. Even if you’ve been using the app for a while, chances are you’ll learn a few things and save time in the future.

Look at the Table of Contents below. Every topic was thoroughly researched and explained in-depth:

Learn the power of shapes and Vector Networks.
Create resizable layouts that adapt to changes.
Construct intricate Components based on a few core principles.
Keep projects consistent by reusing Styles.
Use real data in your design mockups.
Export assets and avoid surprises with SVG.

Get the most out of Figma, and enjoy the book!

Getting Started
1. State of Design Tools
2. Why Switch to Figma?
3. Browser vs. Desktop App
4. Interface
5. Color Spaces
Basic Elements
1. Move Tools
2. Shape Tools
  Sample Section: Place Image
  What is Corner Smoothing?
3. Vector Editing Toolset
4. Boolean Groups
5. Masks
6. Fill, Stroke, and Effects
7. Text
8. Exports

Creating Layouts
1. Tidying Up and Smart Selection
2. Groups and Frames
3. Constraints
4. Layout Grid
  Sample Section: Layout Grid and Constraints
5. Rulers and Guides
6. Auto Layout
7. Pages
8. Links
Building a Design System
1. Components Updated with Variants
2. Styles
3. Team Library
4. Version History
Working With Data

Recommends essential plugins:

What readers are saying?

As someone who spends all day in Figma, I was surprised to learn a good dozen things from Designing in Figma. This all encompassing guide is practically the 2020 Figma Bible. It’s a must-read for both experts and hesitant users wanting to dip their toes in the Figma world. Eugene delightfully teaches the reader both design and development fundamentals, from squircles to code smell, he’s crammed it all in concise 150 pages. Read it now and learn from one of the most consistent content wranglers in the Figma community.

Brendan Miller
Design Director at Cloud City Development

If you’re looking to get started in Figma, look no further than: figmabook.com by @efedorenko.

Femke
Product designer at Uber

With Designing In Figma, Eugene has drawn on years of his own experience to put together this “missing manual” for Figma. It’s a concise and approachable book, clearly written for anyone who wants to learn about this wonderful design tool.

Adam Brock
Founder of Figmatic

Why learn Figma from me?

A few things prepared me for writing this book:

I write Figmalion, a regular newsletter about Figma. It sums up what happened in a world of Figma, so I read all new articles, follow Twitter threads, listen to podcasts, and watch videos before deciding if they should be included.

Here is what Dylan Field, CEO of Figma, says about it:

Dylan Field @zoink

Continue to be impressed by the @figmanewsletter by @efedorenko. Great roundup of everything happening in the @figmadesign community!

1:20 PM · Jan 20, 2020

While preparing the newsletter, I collected recommendations and tricks for this book for a year. I read all Figma’s help articles and blog posts as well, just so you don’t have to.

I built two plugins for Figma — Typographer and Proper Title Case. Over five thousand people have used them so far.

I was an early adopter of both Sketch and Figma. First tried Figma during the invite-only beta in 2016, completely switched in 2018.

I’ve been designing and developing for 20 years. During my time at Wildbit, I worked on multiple successful products built for other developers and designers.

I love reading manuals. I read manuals to my car, camera, and dishwasher. Sadly, most apps now write help articles instead of a comprehensive manual. A mistake that should be fixed.

Designing in Figma

Get the most out of Figma. Create future-proof layouts and design systems at scale.

Table of Contents

Recommends essential plugins:

What’s inside?

What readers are saying?

Why learn Figma from me?

Buy the “Designing in Figma” book