If you’ve landed here, you’re ready to take your Figma skills to the next level. In this article, we’re going to dive deep into 10 advanced Figma hacks that will transform how you design in 2024. Make sure to download the exercise files linked below so you can follow along step by step. Ready? Let’s go!

Figma is already a powerhouse for UI/UX design, but what if I told you there are some hidden tricks to make it even more powerful? Whether you’re designing for a website, an app, or a design system, these advanced hacks will help you streamline your workflow, improve collaboration, and make your designs cleaner and more organized.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the hacks and set you on the path to becoming a Figma pro.

1. Use a Status Kit to Organize Your Projects

Keeping track of your project’s progress can be chaotic, especially with larger teams. Enter the Status Kit.

Step by Step:

1. Import a Status Kit into your Figma file (you can find one online or make your own).
2. Go to Assets > Status Kit, and drag a status onto your artboard.
3. Adjust the size and location as needed (maybe at the top of each section for easy visibility).
4. Turn on or off specific elements (like descriptions or indicators).
5. Set the status to reflect the current progress—whether it’s in development, in review, or finalized.

This not only keeps everything organized but also ensures all stakeholders are aware of the project’s progress. Plus, it’s a nice way to show off your “I have everything under control” persona.

2. Annotations for Better Documentation

As a designer, you’ve probably had those moments where the developers come back asking, “What’s this supposed to do again?” Avoid that nightmare with annotations.

Step by Step:

1. Create or import annotation cards.
2. Place your annotation near the elements you need to explain.
3. Head to the Properties panel to customize. Add titles, directions, or even turn off backgrounds to make them less intrusive.
4. Annotate every interaction so your dev team knows exactly what you intend.

Like breadcrumbs for developers, these annotations will guide them (and you) through your design intent.

3. Arrows for Nested Items

Who knew arrows could save your sanity? When your design components get complex, use arrows to show what’s nested where.

Step by Step:

1. Select a component that has nested elements (like a date picker with a calendar).
2. Use the arrow tool to point to which elements are connected.
3. For pages, use nested arrows to organize related content like archived designs.

Arrows: keeping chaos at bay since… forever.

4. Min-width / Max-width Magic

Responsive design is the bread and butter of any modern design system. Keep your designs from breaking with min-width and max-width settings.

Step by Step:

1. Select the element you want to control (e.g., feature boxes on a landing page).
2. Go to Auto Layout and under Fill, set the min-width to 300px (or your preferred value).
3. Test the responsiveness by shrinking the page. The boxes will stop collapsing once they hit the defined width.
4. Set a max-width to prevent your elements from stretching too far on larger screens.

This will keep your designs as tight as your favorite pair of jeans—no more breaking layouts!

5. Variable Breakpoints for Consistency

Tired of manually resizing everything? Variable breakpoints are your new best friend.

Step by Step:

1. Go to Local Variables in your Figma file and create variables for common breakpoints (e.g., tablet, desktop, widescreen).
2. Apply these variables to your design’s width.
3. Adjust the width using variables like 768px for tablets, and your design will adjust automatically.

This hack works like magic, ensuring your designs scale smoothly across devices.

6. FigJam Connectors Inside Figma

Did you know you can bring FigJam connectors into Figma? Now your wireframes can be interactive and visually cohesive.

Step by Step:

1. Open a FigJam file, select a connector, and copy it.
2. Paste it into your Figma file.
3. Use the connector to link different frames or sections, just like in FigJam.

Link ‘em up, Figma-style.

7. Make Icons Searchable with Tags

Ever spent ages looking for that one icon in your massive collection? Simplify your life with searchable tags.

Step by Step:

1. Select an icon.
2. In the Component Configuration panel, add descriptive tags (e.g., music, sound, audio).
3. Now when you use Command+/ to search, typing “music” will bring up all related icons—even if you forgot the exact name.

Find what you need without that “where the heck is it?” frustration.

8. Auto Layout Your Parent Frames

This one’s a lifesaver when moving sections around. Auto layout your parent frame to easily realign your design.

Step by Step:

1. Select your parent container.
2. Hit Shift + A to apply auto layout.
3. Now, use your arrow keys to adjust the layout effortlessly.

Moving parts of your design should feel as easy as shifting your playlist to “next.”

9. Looping Variables for Dynamic Elements

Here’s one for the advanced crowd: looping variables. Perfect for animating elements like progress bars that change over time.

Step by Step:

Create a Progress Bar

• First, draw two rectangles: one for the background and one for the progress.
• The background should be a fixed width, such as 200 pixels.
• The progress bar starts small (e.g., 20 pixels wide).
• Color the background a light color (like gray) and the progress bar something distinct (like blue).

Set Up Local Variables

Open Variables: Go to your design panel, click on Local Variables, and create a new collection. Call this collection something like Progress Control.

Create Variables:

• For Width: Create a number variable to control the width of the progress bar, e.g., progress Width.
• For Color: Create a color variable to dynamically change the color of the progress bar once it completes, e.g., progress Color.

Link Variables to the Progress Bar

Assign the Width Variable:

• Select the progress bar (the blue rectangle), and in the right-hand properties panel, under width, click the dropdown to select Apply Variable.
• Assign the progress Width variable to the width.

Assign the Color Variable:

• Go to the fill property and select Apply Variable under color.
• Assign the progress Color variable to control the bar’s color as it fills up.

Create an Interactive Component Set

Now, we need to set up an interactive component that loops through a set of states to make the progress bar increase over time.

Create Two Rectangles: These represent the starting and ending states of the progress bar. One will be the “default” (low progress), and the other will be “full” (complete progress).

Turn Them into a Component Set:

• Select both rectangles, right-click, and choose Create Component Set.
• You’ll now have a default state and a variant that we’ll animate between.

Add Prototype Interactions

We will now link the two states to create the looping effect:

Initial Interaction:

• Select the first rectangle (the default state).
• Go to the Prototype tab, and drag a connection to the second rectangle.
• Set the interaction to After Delay (500ms for a half-second increment).
• Add an action to Set Variable: Set the progress Width to progress Width + 20. This will add 20 pixels to the width every half second.

Looping Interaction:

• Now, connect the second rectangle back to the first.
• Set the interaction to After Delay (1ms) and ensure the animation is set to Instant.
• This will allow the system to check and update the width repeatedly until it reaches the desired width.

Conditional Check for Completion

• We need to add a conditional check to see when the progress bar hits 200 pixels (the full width).
• Select the first rectangle (default state).
• In the Prototype panel, add a condition that checks if progress Width is less than 200.
• If true, the interaction continues to add 20 pixels to the progress bar.
• If progress Width equals or exceeds 200, change the color of the progress bar to green by setting the progress Color variable to green.

Testing and Fine-tuning

Place the Interactive Component: Drag the newly created component set into your frame. Start the prototype preview, and you should see the progress bar fill over time, changing color once it reaches full width.

Adjust Timing: You can adjust the After Delay timing for faster or slower progress.

This hack may seem complex, but it’s like setting up a slow cooker—do it once and let it run.

10. User Variables for Personalized Prototypes

If you’re running user tests, make them even more relevant by applying user-specific variables.

Step by Step:

1. Create a collection of user variables (like names or roles) in Local Variables.
2. Apply these variables to relevant text layers.
3. Test your prototypes with personalized data for each user.

No more generic user flows—let each test participant feel like it’s built just for them.

Final Thoughts

Figma is an endlessly powerful tool, but it’s these advanced hacks that really make the difference between a good design workflow and a great one. Whether you’re working with a team or flying solo, these tricks will help you get more done, faster, and with fewer headaches.

So, next time you’re deep into a Figma project, don’t forget to try out these hacks! And, of course, if you found this helpful, hit that like button and stay tuned for more design tips.

Feeling like a Figma wizard yet? Keep experimenting, and before long, you’ll be crafting designs that are as smooth as your favorite coffee.

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