Source: blog.jitter.video

Figma has more than 1.7 billion designs created on its platform every year. It is mind-boggling to see the number, but this also shows that Figma is growing, as the tool is being adopted by more and more companies and organizations for their design needs. With such evolution and demand being efficient and productive can be quite challenging because of how overwhelming it gets.

After using Figma intensely for over a year, I realized that plug-ins are a lifesaver. They helped me be more efficient and productive, made my workflow smoother, and helped me speed up my design process. I think what I find astounding about this is that almost all the plug-ins are absolutely free to use. And I hope it continues to remain the same because ever since Adobe took over Figma last year, anything is possible.

As Figma continues to grow in popularity, it’s important for designers to stay efficient and productive. That’s why I’ve curated a list of some of the best Figma plugins that will make your job easier in 2023. These plugins are focused on creating design systems, accessibility, and improving workflow, and they are all free to use.

1. FigDone

(download plugin)

Remote works and collaborations are now a work style that engages multiple users from across the world. This plugin is a very clean way for you and your team to keep track of design progress without cluttering your canvas.

As a way to indicate their status, FigDone adds emojis to the frame names. This system guarantees that you will never lose track of your frames again.

2. Lottie Files

(download plugin)

We may all be aware of Lottie Animation. It has a vast collection of all things animated to be integrated into our design. Initially, they had limited use and export of files, thus restricting the audience that access the files. But now, with their integration of Lottie Files for Figma, they have opened the doors for a massive audience, over 3 million active users.

This plug-in has also allowed users to be more creative, exposing them to ideas they may not have seen or known were possible. I believe it simplifies Motion Design by making it easy to Create, Edit, Test, Collaborate and Ship a Lottie. Animated files are small, high quality, scriptable, interactive, and can be manipulated in this open-source animation format at runtime.

3. Rename It

(download plugin)

This plug-in is a huge time saver. Naming the layers helps the workflow to be efficient without it having to be chaotic. This I have come to realize with experience. Unnamed layers get chaotic, especially when working on large projects.

This plugin lets you rename layers, frames, and components in bulk.

A variety of options are available to rename multiple layers at once, including sequentially renaming layers in ascending or descending order, adding widths and heights to layers, and much more.

4. A11y — Color Contrast Checker

(download plugin)

With the world advancing digitally and the everyday development of digital products, design needs to become more inclusive. This plugin ensures that your text is readable for users by adhering to WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards.

The plugin checks the color contrast ratio of all visible text in a frame and provides feedback on whether it meets WCAG’s AA and/or AAA level compliance.

It also provides color sliders that allow users to adjust the colors and understand how the corresponding contrast ratio changes in real-time. This was an interesting learning curve because it is implemented in real-time, to see how design can be inclusive, and I’m so glad for the progress we make!

5. Ruri Spline

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The plugin allows you to create high-quality splines, shapes, and spots by adding gradients along the path effect to any curve. With designs evolving every day, this small cheat can make your designs better with its presence.

I love the freedom this plugin provides, and it has a level of brilliance to it which is useful for novel designers too. With a vast collection of handcrafted and fully editable curves & colors, you have unlimited options to combine.

6. Jitter

(download plugin)

This is an easy-to-use animation tool on the web. Enable creators to design stunning animated content and interfaces, with their teams. Interactions, Motions, and Animations are the future, and this is a small step for us creatives to explore the world without much hassle.

Jitter is a modern alternative to After Effects, with no learning curve: it’s fast, easy, and collaborative, and you can export your animations as HD video (60 fps), GIF or Lottie.

7. Oblique

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With Neo Brutalism becoming a rising design style, this plugin allows you to explore the design style with ease! It embraces the Anti-Design style, which is unique, but I’m still on the edge with the design style.

Nonetheless, creating a neo-brutalist style is quite time-consuming, but with the help of this plugin, you can create oblique projections of any shape, which is useful for creating shadows, 3d depth, visual perspective, and more!