How Do You Use Smart Animation in Figma?

Smart animation is a powerful feature in Figma that allows you to bring your designs to life. With its intuitive interface and extensive animation options, Figma makes it easy to create visually engaging and interactive prototypes. In this tutorial, we will explore how to use smart animation in Figma to enhance your designs.

Getting Started

To begin using smart animation in Figma, you need to have a basic understanding of the tool's interface. Figma provides a simple and user-friendly interface that allows you to design and animate with ease.

Creating Artboards

In Figma, artboards serve as containers for your designs. You can think of them as frames that hold different components of your project. To create an artboard, simply click on the "Insert" menu at the top and select "Artboard" from the dropdown menu.

Adding Elements

Once you have your artboard ready, it's time to add elements to it. Figma offers a wide range of tools and options for designing your interfaces. You can add shapes, text, images, icons, and more by selecting the appropriate tools from the toolbar on the left side of the screen.

Animating Elements

Now that we have our design elements in place, let's dive into animating them using smart animation in Figma.

Selecting an Element

To apply animation to an element, start by selecting it on the artboard. You can do this by clicking on the element directly or by selecting it from the layers panel on the left side of the screen.

Applying Animation

With your element selected, navigate to the right-hand panel where you will find various options for editing its properties. Look for the "Prototype" tab and click on it to reveal the animation options.

Here, you'll find a dropdown menu that allows you to choose from different animation types like "Slide In," "Fade In," or "Scale." Pick the animation type that best suits your design and desired effect.

Configuring Animation

After selecting an animation type, you can further customize it by adjusting parameters such as duration, easing, and delay. These options allow you to control how your animation behaves and how long it takes to complete.

Creating Transitions

In addition to animating individual elements, Figma also lets you create transitions between different artboards. Transitions add a seamless flow to your design by animating the entire screen or specific elements when navigating between artboards.

Linking Artboards

To create transitions, start by linking your artboards together. Select an element on the first artboard that will trigger the transition, such as a button or an icon. In the right-hand panel under the "Prototype" tab, click on the "+" icon next to "Interaction." Select the Target artboard from the dropdown menu.

Defining Transition Animation

Once you've linked your artboards, you can define how the transition should animate. Figma provides options like "Slide Left," "Dissolve," or "Push." Experiment with different animations to find one that enhances your design and user experience.

Previewing Your Prototype

With all your animations in place, it's time to preview your prototype and see how it all comes together. Figma offers a built-in preview mode that allows you to interact with your design just like a user would.

To enter preview mode, simply click on the "Play" button at the top of the screen. This will open a new window where you can interact with your prototype and test how your animations look and feel.

Conclusion

Smart animation in Figma provides a powerful way to bring your designs to life. By utilizing the various animation options and transitions available, you can create engaging and interactive prototypes that showcase your vision.

Remember to experiment with different animation types, durations, and easing options to find what works best for your design. With practice, you'll become proficient in using smart animation in Figma and elevate your design skills to new heights.