I have a confession to make, Reader: I am not a design software power user.

I don't know all the tips and tricks to work super speedily. I don't master complex functionality and do things you didn't even know was possible in the tool.

No, I'm more of a "learn the basics and seek tutorials when the need arises" kind of gal.

I find it overwhelming to learn everything about a piece of software at once, and honestly a workflow only ever sticks with me if I use it on a real-life project. Can you relate?

That said, I've clocked a lot of hours in Figma recently working on my next digital product and during the process I learned a few new things that I wanted to share with you in case they're useful for improving your workflow too!

In this issue you'll get:

• Three little tips and tools to improve your Figma workflow
• Three fun color tests you can take to test your "design eye"
• Another sneak peek at my upcoming digital product...

Dive in!

Three tips to improve your workflow in Figma

​Rename It plugin by Rodrigo Soares​

Let's not get into the layer naming debate right now (though Femke and I recorded our 2 cents on it for an episode of the Design Life podcast that will be released soon), but if you want to make layer naming easier, this plugin will definitely come in handy!

I used it in the creation of my soon-to-be-launched digital product to select about 50 different arrow vectors and give them all the name 'arrow' at once. A huge time saver!

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​A better way to build Auto Layout components, by Joey Banks​

If Auto Layout still breaks your brain (or your components...) a little bit, then this advice and super clear explanation from Joey about a better way to go about setting it up is golden ✨

It helped me to make friends with Auto Layout, and turn it into a useful feature rather than a confusing hassle. It's a quick read so check it out and apply it to your process.

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​Gifmock plugin by Steven Fabre​

I needed to make a few quick promotional assets for my product and this plugin made it super easy. You just create your frames then adjust the timing of each one in the Gifmock settings window and hit export. Boom! A gif.

If you create marketing assets, this is a handy plugin to have as it'll help you turn your static assets into ones with some slight movement to make them more engaging.

Keep on reading to see one of the gifs I created in a sneak preview at the end!

Do you know your color IQ?

When I saw my friend Ian Barnard tweet about some color games designers should play, I HAD to test my 👀design eye👀 and see for myself what my "color IQ" was. How did I do? Watch the video to find out!

Ready to take them for yourself?

• ​Color Method: Matching the color as closely as possible with a color wheel
• ​Kolor: Quickly choosing the color that is shown on screen from a selection of closely matched colors
• ​X Rite Hue Test: Re-order shades of one color into the right order

I’d love to know how you do on these color tests. Try them out and let me know in the comments of the video! Also just a quick note to say that if you do badly, your results of these tests are definitely not a reflection of your worth as a designer. I know several colorblind designers who are awesome! 🎨

Alright, ready to see that gif I created in Figma? Here it is!

Fun, huh?

I'm so proud of how this vector component library is coming together! It'll be ready for purchase in just a few weeks, for the cheap-as-chips (is that a saying outside of NZ??) price of $5.

Have a good week!

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Enjoy this issue? Click the heart to let me know.

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