Overview
Figma is a browser-native vector design and prototyping tool founded in 2012 by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace and publicly launched in 2016. Its revolutionary multiplayer real-time collaboration quickly displaced Sketch and Adobe XD, making Figma the de facto standard tool for UI/UX design globally. Adobe announced a $20 billion acquisition in 2022, which was terminated in 2023 due to regulatory scrutiny. Figma now serves over 4 million active users, with customers including Google, Microsoft, Uber, Airbnb and nearly every major tech company.
Core Features
Multiplayer Editing
Multiple designers edit the same file simultaneously with live cursors, like Google Docs for design
Components & Design Systems
Powerful components, variants and Auto Layout make it the top choice for enterprise design systems
Prototyping
Build clickable, animated high-fidelity prototypes by wiring frames — no code required
Dev Mode
Developer view showing sizes, colors, CSS snippets and asset exports for handoff
FigJam Whiteboard
Free online whiteboard for brainstorming, user journeys and flowchart collaboration
Plugin Ecosystem
Thousands of plugins covering icons, translation, AI generation, code export and more
How to Use
Sign Up
Sign up at figma.com with email or Google account. Accessible in China but with variable speed
Create Team
Free tier allows 3 design files and 1 team project; Professional is $15/mo per editor
Explore Templates
Browse Figma Community to get thousands of free UI kits, icon libraries and design system templates
Invite Collaborators
Click 'Share' in the top-right to invite teammates or clients with view or edit permissions
Founding Story
Figma was co-founded in 2012 by Brown University classmates Dylan Field and Evan Wallace. Dylan dropped out with support from the Peter Thiel Fellowship, while Evan was a WebGL graphics expert; together they bet on the then-heretical idea that a browser could host a professional design tool. After four years of development, Figma launched in September 2016, and its multiplayer collaboration transformed the design industry. In September 2022, Adobe announced a $20 billion cash-and-stock acquisition, which triggered global antitrust scrutiny and was terminated in December 2023 with a $1 billion breakup fee. Figma remained independent, launching Dev Mode and AI-assisted design in 2024.