7.3 - Building Symbols, Components, and Styles

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Interactive Audio Lesson

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Creating Components

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Teacher
Teacher

Today, we're going to explore how to create components in Figma. Can anyone tell me what a component is?

Student 1
Student 1

Is it a reusable design element?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Components allow us to maintain consistency in our designs. Let's say you have a button; if you create it as a component, any changes made to the main component will automatically update all instances of that button. Can you think of a situation where this would be helpful?

Student 2
Student 2

If I need to change the color of buttons across every artboard, I wouldn't have to do it manually for each one!

Teacher
Teacher

Great example! This is why we emphasize building components! Remember, components can also have variants for different states - like 'hover' or 'pressed'. What would be a good memory aid to remember the importance of using components?

Student 3
Student 3

Maybe 'C for Consistency'? Since components help keep designs consistent?

Teacher
Teacher

Perfect! 'C for Consistency' it is! Let's move on to how we can manage these components.

Building Variants

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Teacher
Teacher

Now that we've established what components are, let's talk about how to create variants. Why might we want variants for our components?

Student 4
Student 4

To represent different states or styles without having to create entirely new components, right?

Teacher
Teacher

Absolutely right! This saves time and helps maintain a clean workspace. For example, a button can have different variants for its normal, hover, and inactive states. Can someone suggest a button design where using variants would be beneficial?

Student 2
Student 2

Maybe a form submission button? It could change color or text when the user hovers over it or after it's clicked!

Teacher
Teacher

Great example! Now, remember to group these variants together by using the properties feature in Figma. Any thoughts on a good mnemonic for remembering to create different states?

Student 1
Student 1

How about 'V for Variants'? They remind us to think of different states.

Teacher
Teacher

Excellent idea! 'V for Variants' will help us remember!

Applying Shared Styles

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0:00
Teacher
Teacher

Next, let's discuss shared styles in Figma. Who can tell me what shared styles are?

Student 3
Student 3

I think they are predefined text and color styles that we can apply to different components?

Teacher
Teacher

That's correct! Shared styles help maintain consistency across typography and colors. Instead of selecting colors manually every time, we can use shared styles designed for our project. Why is this important in a team setting?

Student 4
Student 4

It helps everyone on the team use the same styles, so our designs aren't inconsistent!

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Having consistency increases professionalism. Can anyone suggest a rhyme or memory trick to remember shared styles?

Student 2
Student 2

How about 'Share to Style'? It sounds catchy and emphasizes the sharing aspect.

Teacher
Teacher

I love it! 'Share to Style' will remind us of the importance of these shared styles. Great job everyone!

Introduction & Overview

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Quick Overview

This section focuses on creating reusable design elements like symbols and components to enhance design efficiency and consistency.

Standard

In this section, you will learn how to build symbols and components in Figma, creating variants for different states and applying shared styles for typography and colors to ensure design consistency across projects. This process not only streamlines workflow but also enhances collaborative efforts in team environments.

Detailed

Building Symbols, Components, and Styles

In digital design, efficiency and consistency are vital for producing high-quality prototypes, especially when working in collaborative environments. This section delves into the creation and management of symbols and components in Figma, which serve as reusable design elements that can significantly streamline the design process.

Key Concepts Covered:

  • Components: Emphasizes the importance of creating main components and their variants to represent different states (such as default, hover, active) effectively. Components help maintain uniformity across different artboards and reduce the time spent on repetitive design tasks.
  • Shared Styles: Covers the establishment of text styles, color swatches, and effect styles (like shadows and blurs), allowing designers to enforce cohesive branding and visual consistency throughout projects. By defining these styles, designers can easily apply them across multiple design elements, streamline workflows, and enhance collaboration, ensuring that every team member is on the same page with design specifications.

Ultimately, mastering these techniques leads to more polished and professional prototypes, as designers leverage standardized elements that enhance user experience while simplifying their design and iteration processes.

Audio Book

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Creating Components in Figma

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Components (Figma)

  • Create main component (Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + K), then variants for states (default, hover, active).

Detailed Explanation

In Figma, components are reusable elements that allow you to maintain consistency across your designs. To create a component, you start by selecting the design element you want to reuse, such as a button. Then you can use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl + Alt + K to make it a main component. After creating a main component, you can add variations, like different states of the button (normal, hover, pressed), so that each variant reflects a different interaction or state.

Examples & Analogies

Think of components like the templates for cookies. Once you create a cookie template (the main component), you can make different types by changing the toppings or icing (the variants), but they all maintain the same basic cookie shape.

Understanding Shared Styles

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Shared Styles

  • Text styles, color swatches, effect (shadow, blur) styles for consistency.

Detailed Explanation

Shared styles in Figma are a way to create consistent text, colors, and effects across your design. Instead of setting colors or fonts individually for each element, you define these styles once. For instance, you might create a text style named 'Heading 1' with specific font settings. Then, whenever you need to use this heading style, you apply it, ensuring consistency in appearance. Additionally, you can create shared color swatches for your brand palette, making it easy to maintain brand identity throughout your designs.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine you are an artist painting a mural. Instead of mixing colors each time you need a specific shade, you prepare a palette with all your base colors. This way, any time you want the same color, you can quickly grab it from your palette without fussing with mixing, ensuring a uniform look across the mural.

Definitions & Key Concepts

Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.

Key Concepts

  • Components: Emphasizes the importance of creating main components and their variants to represent different states (such as default, hover, active) effectively. Components help maintain uniformity across different artboards and reduce the time spent on repetitive design tasks.

  • Shared Styles: Covers the establishment of text styles, color swatches, and effect styles (like shadows and blurs), allowing designers to enforce cohesive branding and visual consistency throughout projects. By defining these styles, designers can easily apply them across multiple design elements, streamline workflows, and enhance collaboration, ensuring that every team member is on the same page with design specifications.

  • Ultimately, mastering these techniques leads to more polished and professional prototypes, as designers leverage standardized elements that enhance user experience while simplifying their design and iteration processes.

Examples & Real-Life Applications

See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.

Examples

  • Creating a button component that changes color when hovered over.

  • Defining typography styles for headings and body text in a project.

Memory Aids

Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.

๐ŸŽต Rhymes Time

  • To keep your design in a perfect state, use components, it's never late!

๐Ÿ“– Fascinating Stories

  • Imagine a chef who makes the same dish perfectly every time using a secret recipe (component). Every time he needs to serve a different course, he tweaks the spices (variants) but always uses the main recipe that keeps everything consistent (shared styles).

๐Ÿง  Other Memory Gems

  • C for Components, V for Variants, S for Shared styles - use them to ensure a consistent build!

๐ŸŽฏ Super Acronyms

CVS - Components, Variants, Styles. Remember to use CVS to keep your designs healthy!

Flash Cards

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Glossary of Terms

Review the Definitions for terms.

  • Term: Components

    Definition:

    Reusable design elements that can represent various states and styles in Figma, ensuring consistency across designs.

  • Term: Variants

    Definition:

    Different states of a component that can represent various interactions, such as hover or pressed states.

  • Term: Shared Styles

    Definition:

    Predefined styles for typography and colors that can be applied across different components to maintain design consistency.