ATYA: Design with Figma
Desmond's All That You Are (ATYA) - Design with Figma was an insightful ZOOM session. Figma is a User Interface(UI) design tool used commonly to design screens of digital mobile and web based applications. Being a UI Designer with the CPF board, Desmond has a wealth of experience and knowledge using Figma which he was able to share with us during the event.
In the first half, he taught us the basic functions of Figma, introducing concepts such as assets, layers, shapes, components etc. The tool seemed user friendly and I think those who have had experience in graphic design tools like Adobe Photoshop would have no problem using Figma. Even a design newbie like me who only uses PowerPoint found it easy to understand. It was good to know that Figma is also free to download and use. Can't wait to try my hands at it once I find some free time!
The second half of the session was even more eye opening. In a short span of 30 mins, Desmond showed us how to replicate the home screen of Netflix's mobile app on Figma. Working his magic, a near carbon copy of Netflix's appeared before our eyes. It was amazing how simple Desmond made it to be. A few pictures copied from Google Images, some shapes and touch up using Figma was all it took. Of course Desmond's skillful hands made the process look seamless. Watching a UI Designer at work was truly breathtaking!
To round off the lesson, Desmond showed us how to present the UI screen designs as a prototype in Figma. We were able to see Figma demonstrate how the design would function like a real app. It is a useful Figma feature for UI Designers to share and refine their ideas with stakeholders before the actual coding work to develop the app begins.
In the Q&A, Desmond shared that we could read up on Gestalt Design Principles to learn more about design best practices. He also listed other UI design tools that we could explore like Sketch and Adobe XD.
With the digitization of products and services being a major trend, UI Designers would definitely be in great demand for a long time to come. A big thank you to Desmond for spending time to share his knowledge and experiences. Much appreciation to the Youth Department for organizing this session, giving us a quick glimpse of what it is like to be a UI Designer and how to use Figma. Looking forward to the installment of ATYA!