Can you make a full website with Figma

This article will answer your main question: “Is it possible to craft a fully functional and visually appealing website with Figma?”

Right from the outset, we say YES, but from now on, we are going to prove it with solid facts.

Many guys think about creating a website from design to coding and then publishing it. We will compare the functionality with other services to answer your question, and explain when it's possible and when impossible.

Let’s get started!

Before you start

Let's start with what you need to create a website on Figma. 

First of all, download Figma on your computer to be able to work offline. While the platform is available in browsers, I remember when I was on a train somewhere in Europe, my browser kept freezing due to uneven internet coverage, causing some elements to remain unsaved. The same issue can occur if you work on Google Docs.

A common piece of professional advice in many enterprises is to use cloud services to avoid losing content. However, when network stability is uncertain, it is advisable to switch to native services.

Still, Figma synchronizes perfectly with its cloud ☁️.

What do I need to start working on Figma?

Create a new design file, and here is where the most interesting part begins. You can read and watch a lot, but until you literally touch every tool of the program, you will never understand how it works. This is because you need to be one or two steps ahead to know where the chosen tool will lead you.

We suggest you read our article related to two major competitors in web design. There, we discuss important aspects of choosing the best platform for crafting digital art. This is because many people confuse the definition of web design and design, sometimes thinking they need to study this for social media marketing, or they believe they can create a website on Canva (what can be true for only 50%) 👉 Figma VS. Canva

Why people choose Figma for websites?

Many people agree that Figma has surpassed almost all its competitors. Since 2022, it has been the fastest-growing platform.

In 2012, it was developed as an app for editing images. Today, we are able to create banners, draw icons, develop marketing strategies, create websites, and more.

A couple of years ago, this platform lagged behind everyone, while today it leads the pack. The coolest thing is that the functionality and settings allow you to craft something professional for ZERO dollars.

Is Figma good for a full-stack website?

Figma is primarily a design and prototyping tool. Creating a template of your future website is easy. People who are interested in UX/UI usually work in this environment. 

We’ve already prepared an article about it, click here 👉 UX/UI .

The platform allows you to create an unlimited number of frames, meaning you can create frames for various screens in the same file.

Did you know that this platform has a Dev Mode at the right top of the screen? This is a feature that allows designers to inspect and extract CSS code directly from their designs. While this feature facilitates collaboration between designers and developers by providing CSS properties, it does not enable the creation of a fully functional website within Figma itself.

So, here’s the answer 👉 if you are thinking of making a full-stack website here, NO, you can’t. Sometimes this code is not good; it only describes how a particular element can look, but if we are talking about the efficiency of the code, it’s impossible.

What is available with this mode 👇

• • Colors 
• • Typography 
• • Spacing 
• • Positioning directly from Figma’s interface

Do you know why only these things? They are the most sensitive ones. For example, color is coded, and we have different screen ratios. It can look different on every screen. The general visual design is something every programmer is able to replicate. The same applies to animations (a bit later).

What about Java Script? 🙂 Lol

The Code mode does not generate HTML markup or JavaScript code. Developers still need to use web development tools and languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, same for additional libraries to create the actual website based on the design created in Figma.

It’s a useful feature for collaboration.

Responsiveness

Use Figma’s Auto Layout feature to make your elements responsive, ensuring they stay in the right position and extend properly when you resize the frame. Select a frame or a group of elements, right-click, and choose “Add Auto Layout”. This allows your design to adjust dynamically as the frame size changes.

In Figma, you also have the Constraints feature. With this feature, you can decide how elements should behave when the frame is resized. 

For example 👉 you can pin elements to the left, right, or center of the frame, or set them to stretch. This can be done from the right-hand panel under the 'Constraints' section.

For various screens, you create different main frames that you tailor to each environment.

What about images in Figma?

The only drawback about images is the limited editor. The only available adjustments are exposure, contrast, saturation, temperature, tint, highlights, shadows, and some shadow effects by superimposing shapes and adjusting their gradient.

What about icons in Figma?

It is the easiest thing because they are all made with vector geometry, so when you set up the responsiveness of your website layout, it doesn't lose its quality.

This platform has a button at the bottom left of the screen, “Explore Community 🌐”, where you can find some prototypes of icons and copy & paste them directly into your project. If you would like to find something online, remember to download it in SVG format. The same applies if you draw icons in Figma and would like to sell them online; remember to use the SVG format because this format doesn't spoil any quality.

Typography in Figma

The same goes for this. Don’t worry about the quality. If you take fonts from legal and verified sources, they are all vector-based. 

Animations in Figma

Figma provides robust tools for creating animations and interactive prototypes. 

• Creating prototypes

Linking Frames: connect different frames to simulate navigation and interaction. Select an element, click the “Prototype” tab, and drag the connector to the target frame.

⬇️ Choose transition effects: 

• • Instant
• • Dissolve
• • Move In
• • Move Out
• • Push
• • Slide

Suitable for buttons, icons and other small elements as well as for more dynamic transitions by pushing or sliding the current screen out of view as the new screen slides in.

• Use smart animate

If you need to create smooth transitions between frames. Figma automatically animates the changes in properties like position, size, and opacity.

☝️ Ensure that layers between frames have the same name for Smart Animate to work effectively.

Suitable for fade in/fade out, scale up/scale down animations as well as sliding effects, color changes and some hover effects.

• Interactive components

Create different states of a component (e.g., default, hover, active) using variants. Define interactions between these states.

⬇️ Set up interactions like hover effects, button clicks, and more. Go to the “Prototype” tab, select an interaction, and choose the desired action.

Suitable for button clicks and hover effects more than smart animata because it gives you full customization if needed. 

• Advanced animations

Create overlays that slide or fade in when triggered by an interaction.

⬇️ Use drag interactions to create carousels or swipable elements. Define the drag direction and limits.

Suitable for animated charts, graphs, or infographics using techniques like data-driven animations. Particle effects, or game mechanics like collision detection and physics simulations as well as basic animations from all previous parts. 

Almost all of these tools can be used for basic animations. Just find the most convenient options. It’s not obligatory to implement complex animations; sometimes, they create an effect of congestion.

Preview in Figma

Use the play button in the upper-right corner to preview your animations and see how interactions and transitions work in real-time.

Handoff to Developers ❗

Animation Details: provide detailed notes for developers, including transition types, durations, and easing functions.

While Figma itself doesn’t export animation code, you can translate the animations into CSS using keyframes and transition properties.

Conclusion

While you can create a general look of your website and make responsive design for, keep in mind that Figma itself does not generate HTML, CSS, or JavaScript code for a fully functional website. You will need to collaborate with developers to translate your design into code and ensure it is fully responsive and accessible across different devices and browsers.

– Got questions? 

Our team of 27 Digital Butlers is here to serve 💪! You can be a new hero of web development! 

Our name reflects our dedication to serving our employers. We serve their goals, much like Alfred serves Batman, which is why we use the term “employer” instead of “client”. Our expertise will definitely benefit both you and your developers!

Reach out to us anytime for expert assistance and let us be your digital concierge! 

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