Figma announces new features to define how agents work on its platform

Design platform Figma unveiled a range of new features to help users define and manage their design language on its platform. At the company's inaugural Config event in India, Figma introduced a new Markdown-based editor called Figma Specs. This editor allows users to define design rules in a simple, text-based format that can serve as a reference for teams and AI-powered agents.

Figma Specs can exist as a standalone file within Figma or co-exist on the canvas, and can reference other elements such as diagrams, code layers, and designs.

In addition to Figma Specs, Figma also announced an expanded agent functionality on its canvas. This tool aims to provide a framework for agents to follow brand design rules while creating with AI. The company is offering tools to steer AI towards more predictable outcomes, given the non-deterministic nature of AI models. Figma also revealed a code layers feature that allows users to embed coding directly onto the canvas, enabling more interactive prototypes.

This feature was previously available only in private beta and is now being made available in public beta.

Figma's chief design officer, Loredana Crisan, highlighted the importance of AI in the design process, stating that there are significantly more lines of code being produced today than in the past. However, a smaller percentage of those are actually being released. Crisan emphasized that Figma is where software teams come to decide what they build and ship, and AI has made it easier to build prototypes and iterate on designs.

Figma recently acquired the open-source headless CMS Payload and is now integrating it with its Figma Make product to generate dynamic websites and manage content. The company reported a sixfold increase in Payload's downloads over the past year. India has emerged as Figma's biggest market outside the United States, with the platform being used by 40% of India's top 100 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.