How to Get Started with Figma
Step-by-step guide to getting started with Figma. Create an account, learn the interface, and design your first screen in under 15 minutes.
Step-by-step
How to Get Started with Figma
Create your Figma account
Go to figma.com and sign up with your email or Google account. The free Starter plan includes 3 Figma files and 3 FigJam files — enough to learn the tool. No software installation required; Figma runs in your browser.
Learn the interface
The left panel shows layers and pages. The center is your canvas. The right panel shows properties for selected elements. The toolbar at the top has your tools: Frame (F), Rectangle (R), Text (T), Pen (P), and Hand (H) for panning.
Create your first frame
Press F to select the Frame tool, then choose a preset (iPhone 16, Desktop 1440, etc.) from the right panel, or draw a custom frame on the canvas. Frames are Figma's equivalent of artboards — they define your screen boundaries and enable prototyping.
Add elements and explore properties
Add rectangles (R), text (T), and images (drag from your desktop). Select any element to see its properties in the right panel — size, position, color, corner radius, effects. Try auto layout: select multiple elements and press Shift+A to arrange them with consistent spacing.
Tips
Pro tips
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Download the Figma desktop app for better performance — it's the same editor as the browser version but runs faster on large files
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Learn these shortcuts early: V (select), F (frame), R (rectangle), T (text), Shift+A (auto layout), Ctrl/Cmd+D (duplicate)
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Explore Figma Community (figma.com/community) for free templates, UI kits, and plugins to accelerate your learning
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Use Ctrl/Cmd+Click to select nested elements deep inside groups and frames without clicking through each layer
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