What is Figma?
A design tool that lives in the browser. The whole team can work in the same file at once. It overtook Sketch almost overnight.
Figma is a design tool that runs directly in the browser and is used to sketch how websites, apps and other digital interfaces should look — before a single line of code is written. It is the designer's drawing board, where buttons, colours, text and layouts are shaped and tested.
What made Figma special is that several people can work in the same file at once, live — much like a Google Doc. The designer draws, you as the client watch in real time and can leave comments directly on the mock-up — no back-and-forth emails with screenshots. That feature is what let Figma overtake rival Sketch almost overnight.
In Figma you often build interactive prototypes — clickable mock-ups that feel like a real app even though nothing behind them is built yet. That lets you experience the flow and get a feel for the design before development even starts.
Why does Figma matter for your business?
Figma lets you see and give feedback on how your website or app will look and feel before it is built. That saves both time and money, because it is much cheaper to move a button in a mock-up than to rebuild finished code.
You also become involved in a clear way: you can point, comment and approve the design step by step, so the end result is what you actually wanted.
Figma in practice
Say you commission a new website from ZORC. Before we build anything, we sketch the pages in Figma and share a link with you. You click around the interactive prototype as if it were a real site, comment directly in the file — "can the heading be bigger?" — and we adjust. Only when you are happy with how everything looks do we start building. No expensive surprises along the way.
Common questions about Figma
What does Figma mean?
Figma is a design tool that runs in the browser and is used to sketch how websites and apps should look before they are built. Several people can work in the same file at once and comment in real time.
What is Figma used for?
Figma is used to design interfaces such as websites and apps, and to create clickable prototypes that show how the finished product will feel. That lets clients see and approve the design before development starts.
Is Figma free?
Figma has a free tier that goes a long way for smaller projects, but there are also paid plans with more features for teams and businesses. As a client, it is usually your agency that provides the tool.
Related terms
CI/CD
Continuous Integration / Deployment — automated testing and release. Code goes live in minutes, not days.
CMS
The engine that lets you edit your website without coding. Like a word processor for your site.
Docker
Packages your app with everything it needs in a container. 'It worked on my machine' is no longer an excuse.
Git
Version control for code. Think of a magic undo system with unlimited levels. A lifesaver since 2005.
GitHub
Where code lives. Version control, collaboration, and the world's largest code library. Microsoft owns it now.
Low-code
A little code, lots of drag-and-drop. A middle ground between no-code and full development. Fast — but with limits.