An Update on our Make Designs Feature | Figma Blog

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the launch and temporary rollback of Figma's new AI-powered design feature called "Make Designs", which allows users to generate UI design drafts based on design system components and a simple prompt. The article explains the technical details of how the feature works, the issues that were encountered, and Figma's plans to improve the feature going forward.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Figma's "Make Designs" AI Feature

1. What is the "Make Designs" feature in Figma?

• "Make Designs" is a new Figma AI feature that allows users to generate a first draft of a UI design based on design systems and a simple prompt.
• The feature uses a combination of off-the-shelf AI models, a curated design system with hundreds of components, and examples of how those components can be assembled.
• The AI model then assembles a subset of the design system components, inspired by the examples, into fully parameterized designs.

2. What issue was encountered with the "Make Designs" feature?

• After launching the feature in limited beta, Figma learned that an issue with the underlying design system resulted in generated designs that resembled existing apps.
• Certain new components and example screens that were added to the design system were too similar to real-world applications, causing the generated designs to feel like copies of those apps.

3. How did Figma respond to the issue?

• Figma immediately stopped the "Make Designs" feature, removed the problematic assets from the design system, and is now working on an improved QA process before re-enabling the feature.
• Figma is committed to getting this right and is seeking feedback from users to ensure they build the right solution.

4. What is Figma's vision for the "Make Designs" feature?

• Figma's original vision was for "Make Designs" to be a "First Draft" feature - a jumping off point for designers to then craft a meaningful experience.
• The goal is for the feature to help designers spend less time finding, assembling, and configuring components, and more time solving problems.
• Figma believes that while AI can offer a starting point, only designers can create a truly great software experience.