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When Should You Use Auto Layout in Figma?

Last updated on November 26, 2022 @ 2:25 pm

Auto Layout is a powerful feature in Figma that lets you control the position and size of elements on your canvas. It’s great for creating responsive designs that look good on all screen sizes. Here are some tips on when to use Auto Layout in your design projects.

1. When you want to create a responsive design

If you’re designing a web page or app interface that needs to look good on different screen sizes, Auto Layout is the way to go. With Auto Layout, you can specify how elements should resize and reposition themselves when the canvas is resized. This ensures that your design will look good no matter what size screen it’s viewed on.

2. When you need to position elements accurately

Auto Layout lets you position elements precisely on the canvas. This is handy when you’re aligning elements or spacing them out evenly. You can also use Auto Layout to create grids, which can be helpful for laying out content.

PRO TIP: If you are not familiar with Figma’s Auto Layout feature, we recommend that you avoid using it until you have a better understanding of how it works. Auto Layout can be tricky to use and can often result in unexpected results.

3. When you want to animate element properties

Auto Layout makes it easy to animate element properties in Figma. For example, you can create an animation that makes an element grow larger as you hover over it with your mouse.
Or, you can make an element slide into view from off-canvas when a button is clicked. The possibilities are endless!

Conclusion:

Auto Layout is a powerful tool that can be used in a variety of situations. If you’re designing something that needs to be responsive, or if you need precise control over element positioning, Auto Layout is a great option. Additionally, if you want to animate element properties, Auto Layout makes it easy to do so.

Dale Leydon

Dale Leydon

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