Figma, a design company, has unveiled a series of new features today. These include AI-powered tools for creating websites and web applications, methods for marketers to generate assets in bulk, and an entirely new drawing tool. With this release, Figma is challenging other creative solutions like Canva and Adobe, as well as AI-driven website and prototyping platforms such as WordPress, Wix, Hostinger, and Replit.
The company's new website creation tool is called Figma Sites. According to the startup, designers often prototype websites within Figma. With the new AI-powered tool, they can effortlessly create and publish websites. Once a site is generated, collaborators can easily modify elements through the editor without needing specific prompts.
Users have the option to add transitions, animations, and scrolling effects to make their websites responsive. Figma is also introducing the ability to generate blog posts directly from its platform. This indicates that Sites will come equipped with a built-in content management system (CMS), allowing users to edit articles within their blog designs and manage other assets like thumbnails and URLs.
For interactive components like stock tickers, users can either insert custom code or use AI to generate it automatically.
On the other hand, Figma Make is an AI-assisted tool focused more on ideation and prototyping. Users can input prompts to create web applications. These prototypes are collaborative, enabling users to request the assistant to alter or add certain elements. Additionally, if developers are part of the team, they can directly tweak the code to make necessary changes.
Users can also create small interactive components, such as clocks, and embed them into pages published via Figma Sites.
Yuhki Yamashita, Figma’s Chief Product Officer, stated that these two products share many functionalities and underlying technologies.
"We aim to enable high-fidelity prototyping through Figma, especially with Figma Make. Users can incorporate more data and test how feasible an idea is when implemented. Meanwhile, Figma Sites benefits marketing and design teams who want full control over how their websites should look," explained Yamashita while describing the distinctions between the products.
Companies across various industries are exploring ways to utilize AI for creating interactive experiences. Website hosting providers such as Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, and Hostinger have already launched tools that allow users to easily build websites using AI. Meanwhile, platforms like Replit and Lovable are empowering users to create apps or prototypes without coding knowledge. Last month, even Canva introduced a way to create interactive experiences in its designs through Canva Code.
However, this isn't Figma's first venture into prototyping. Last year, it released a feature called Make Design, which was later withdrawn after users criticized the company for extensively training the tool based on existing applications.
In addition, Figma has introduced a new tool for marketers named Figma Buzz. Using these tools, marketers can easily employ brand-specific design templates created by designers to produce new creatives. They can also insert AI-generated images or change backgrounds of certain assets. Marketers are further able to batch-create assets using data from sources like spreadsheets.
The startup has also launched a tool called Figma Draw for vector editing and illustrations. Yamashita stated that designers typically need to export their vector designs outside of Figma for editing. The company is now adding features like text on paths, pattern fills, brushes, multi-vector editing, noise and texture addition, and lasso selection to its Draw product.
Figma launched its Slides tool last year for creating presentations. With the introduction of new asset creation and drawing tools, the company is now directly competing with creative suites like Adobe and Canva. However, Yamashita denied that Figma is directly competing with these tools. He emphasized that Figma’s business revolves around building digital products, and one-third of its users are developers thanks to tools like Dev Mode.
The company announced a new plan called Content Seats, starting at $8 per month, providing users access to Figma Buzz, Slides, FigJam, and the Sites CMS.
