How to Organize Projects in Figma: Part 1
Hello! I’m Rushan, and welcome to the first part of our series on how to organize projects in Figma. :)
After reviewing dozens of portfolios from budding designers, I’ve observed a crucial oversight — many fail to recognize that the organization within a Figma file is just as scrutinized as the project itself, revealing much about the designer’s professionalism.
Here are some essential tips to keep your projects looking tidy:
1. File Structure
Organizing content into pages and sections is highly beneficial. It simplifies navigation and makes the workflow more logical.
2. Naming Screens and Layers
Once you’ve divided the content, it’s important to consider how you name your screens. What does the name ‘Frame 1323123’ tell you? If renamed to ‘Registration: Login Error,’ it instantly becomes more informative.
But why rename layers? With deeply nested frames, numerical names offer little insight. You might waste time clicking through to remember how elements were grouped. Another note: the Smart Animate feature in prototyping identifies elements by their names. Neglecting this can lead to unnatural component behaviors in prototypes.
3. Use Only Frames and Auto-Layouts
These tools demonstrate your grasp of layout principles and streamline the development process. Avoid using the Group container for layer nesting in interfaces.
4. Screen Segmentation by Scenarios
Familiarize yourself with the Z-pattern — people typically scan content from left to right and top to bottom. Therefore, the entry point or scenario start should be at the top left of the page.
5. Navigation and Transitions with Arrows
It’s not always clear how one navigates to a specific screen. This can be clarified with arrows pointing from a button to the target screen. These can be sourced from FigJam or community plugins.
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