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Do You Use Auto Layout in Figma?

Last updated on September 29, 2022 @ 9:33 am

Auto Layout in Figma is one of the most powerful features that help you design responsive interfaces. It is a flexible system that allows you to specify how elements should resize and reposition themselves on the screen. You can use Auto Layout to create fixed-width or fluid-width layouts, and even mix and match these approaches in the same design.

When you use Auto Layout in Figma, you can be confident that your designs will look great on any screen size. This is because Auto Layout takes care of all the complex calculations needed to make sure your elements are positioned correctly. All you need to do is specify some simple rules, and Figma will do the rest.

There are two ways to use Auto Layout in Figma: by creating Constraints or by using the Resize options.

Constraints are the simplest way to use Auto Layout. You can add Constraints between any two objects, and they will automatically resize and reposition themselves when the screen size changes. For example, you could add a Constraint between a button and a text field, so that the button always stays next to the text field.

PRO TIP: If you use Auto Layout in Figma, be aware that your design may not display correctly on different devices or screen sizes. Auto Layout is best used for simple designs that don’t need to be responsive.

The Resize options let you specify how an object should resize when the screen size changes. For example, you could set an object to always stay at 50% width, no matter how wide the screen is.

Or you could set an object to resize itself based on the width of another object. This is useful for creating things like column layouts, where one column resizes itself based on the width of the other column.

You can use either Constraints or Resize options on their own, or mix and match them to create more complex layouts.

Auto Layout is a powerful tool that can help you create responsive interfaces quickly and easily. If you haven’t tried it yet, I recommend giving it a go!

Dale Leydon

Dale Leydon

Sysadmin turned Javascript developer. Owner of 20+ apps graveyard, and a couple of successful ones.