WWW… Wednesday! 5 More Powerful Figma Plugins
Back in September, I wrote a piece sharing 5 Figma plugins that had caught my attention. At that time, the ability for users to create and share their own plugins for Figma was a relatively new addition. Since the publishing of that last piece, the library of user-generated plugins has grown substantially, so I felt the need to follow up with an update. Here are 5 more Figma plugins worth checking out.
First up, we have Clean Document. When inspiration strikes and we are rushing to get an idea down, the last thing we’re worrying about is cleanliness. However, come time to hand our work off to a team member, navigating our messy work can be a nightmare. Fortunately, Clean Document can help to reduce our mess by eliminating redundancies and making our file as presentable as possible. That means less headaches and happier team members. You can find Clean Document.
When creating app prototypes, context is everything. In order for our work to be believable, we need context to show how it will be used. Whether you’re making an app for maps, restaurants, or social media, you’re going to need some assets to show context. There are a number of great resources for photos, but what about text fields? Lorem Ipsum is exactly what you think it is. Rather than leave your design space to use a copy generator, just use the Lorem Ipsum plugin right within the app for all of your nonsense copy needs. You can find Lorem Ipsum here.
Tags are an incredibly useful means of organization. Whether for social media, or the notes on our phones, tags allow us to quickly find the content we’re looking for. But what about in our design software. We’ve long been able to group layers, or code them with colors, but what about tags? Similayer is a Figma plugin designed to do just that. It allows you to create a series of tags you can use to organize your layers, adding a great deal of functionality to the already robust software. You can find Similayer here.
As I mentioned before, context is key for communicating the usability of an app prototype. Having high-quality assets is essential. But assets extend beyond just photos. What about the fun shapes and icons we’re accustomed to seeing in apps? If graphic design isn’t your forte, why not give Content Reel a shot? It features text strings, avatars, and icons, all ready to be placed into your design. Plus, it’s made by Microsoft so you know the assets are high-quality. You can find Content Reel here.
Last but not least, we have Viewports. While the form factor of most smartphones is more or less the same, the exact dimensions of their screens still vary from one manufacturer to the next. Responsive designs allow for layouts to work across the large variety of devices available, but can sometimes change the proportions in less than desirable ways. Viewports allows users to test their prototypes for their intended markets, ensuring their work is viewed in the best light possible. You can find Viewports here.
Figma is a vastly powerful piece of software and thanks to the efforts of its dedicated community, its utility continues to grow. Hopefully, you’ve found something on this list to be of use.
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