Turning a static design or sketch into a functional prototype in Figma combines visual design, interaction design, and collaboration in one place. Figma is a collaborative web application for interface and experience design, and with its prototyping tools you can quickly move from idea to testable experience—whether you’re starting from a hand-drawn sketch, a wireframe, or a polished UI.

Below is a step‑by‑step guide to start a new project, set up your design, and turn it into a functional prototype in what you might think of as “Figma Make”: the process of making and prototyping inside Figma.

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1. Set up your Figma workspace

Create or access your Figma account

1. Go to the Figma website and sign up or log in.
2. Choose the team or workspace where you want this project to live (e.g., “Product Design,” “Client X,” or a personal draft space).

Start a new project file

In Figma’s interface, you’ll typically organize work as:

• Projects: Collections of files inside a team.
• Files: Where your actual designs, prototypes, and flows live.

To start:

1. From the Figma dashboard, create a New project (if your plan includes projects) and give it a clear name, such as Mobile Onboarding Prototype or Dashboard Concept v1.
2. Inside that project, click New design file. This file is where you’ll create your frames, design your UI, and build your prototype.

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2. Bring your design or sketch into Figma

You can start from an existing sketch, a static design, or from scratch.

Option A: Import a hand-drawn sketch

If you have a paper sketch or a whiteboard photo:

1. Capture the sketch

   • Take a clear photo or scan your sketch.
   • Save it as PNG or JPG.

2. Import into Figma

   • Open your new design file.
   • Drag and drop the image onto the canvas, or use File → Place image.
   • Resize or position the image so it roughly matches the eventual screen size.

3. Use the sketch as a reference

   • Lock the sketch layer (right‑click → Lock) so you don’t move it accidentally.
   • Add frames and UI elements on top as you translate the sketch into real interfaces.

Option B: Import a static design (e.g., from another tool)

If you already have screens designed elsewhere:

1. Export your existing designs as PNG, JPG, or SVG.
2. Drag and drop them into your Figma file.
3. Use them as:
   • Direct assets (e.g., static screen panels you’ll prototype between), or
   • Visual references you’ll recreate natively with Figma’s vector and layout tools.

Option C: Start from scratch in Figma

If you’re beginning with just an idea:

1. Select the Frame tool (F key).
2. Choose a preset size (e.g., iPhone 15, Desktop, Tablet) from the right-hand sidebar.
3. Draw one frame per screen in your flow, and label them clearly (e.g., Login, Home, Details).

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3. Translate your design into structured frames

Figma is built around frames and components, which are essential for clean prototypes.

Organize your screens as frames

1. Create a separate frame for each screen or state (e.g., Home, Home – Empty, Home – With Items).
2. Keep frames aligned and spaced consistently on the canvas; this makes prototyping connections much easier.
3. Rename frames clearly in the layers panel so you can quickly find them in the prototype flow.

Use components for reusable elements

Identifying components early saves time later:

• Buttons
• Navigation bars
• Cards and list items
• Modals and popovers

To create a component:

1. Select the element(s) (e.g., a button).
2. Right‑click and choose Create component.
3. Use instances of that component across frames, so changes propagate everywhere.

This structured approach makes your Figma “Make” process smoother and your prototype more consistent.

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4. Apply styling for clarity and consistency

Even if you’re making a quick prototype, some basic styling improves usability in testing.

Define simple text and color styles

1. Choose a primary text style (e.g., headings, body) and reuse it.

2. Pick a minimal color palette:

   • Primary (buttons, highlights)
   • Neutral (backgrounds, borders)
   • Feedback (success, error)

3. Save frequently used colors and type styles as Styles, so you can update them in one place.

Layout and spacing

Use:

• Auto layout for lists, cards, and buttons.
• Consistent spacing between elements and sections.
• Clear hierarchy (bigger fonts/stronger contrast for primary actions).

This lets testers focus on flow and interactions rather than getting stuck on visual inconsistencies.

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5. Switch from design mode to prototype mode

Once your frames are ready, you can turn them into a functional prototype.

Access prototyping tools

1. Select a frame or element.
2. Go to the Prototype tab in the right sidebar (next to Design).
3. You’ll see options to create interactions (triggers, actions, and destinations).

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6. Create basic interactions between screens

You’ll typically connect:

• Buttons → Next screens
• Navigation items → Other sections
• Cards → Detail views

Link a button to another screen

1. Select the button in the source frame.
2. In Prototype mode, drag the blue node (circular handle) to the destination frame.
3. Configure the interaction:
   • Trigger: e.g., On click or On tap
   • Action: Navigate to
   • Destination: the frame you dragged to
   • Animation: Instant, Dissolve, Smart animate, etc.

Repeat this for each key interaction in your flow until you can move through your prototype as a user would.

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7. Add micro‑interactions and advanced flows

Once the basics are working, you can enhance realism.

Use Smart Animate for transitions

If two frames share the same layers with slightly different properties (position, opacity, size), Smart animate will smoothly animate between them. Ideal for:

• Expanding cards
• Slide‑in panels
• Animated toggles
• Loading states

Create overlays and modals

For menus or dialogs:

1. Create a separate frame for the overlay/modal.
2. Link an element (e.g., a button or icon) to that overlay frame.
3. Set the Interaction to:
   • Open overlay
   • Choose position (center, top, bottom, etc.)
   • Enable click outside to close if desired.

Conditional behavior via different flows

Figma prototypes are linear, but you can simulate logic via multiple paths:

• Duplicate frames to represent different states (e.g., Form – Error, Form – Success).
• Route different buttons or actions to the corresponding state.

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8. Make your prototype feel like a real app

Realistic prototypes test better and communicate intent more clearly.

Use device frames and scrolling

1. Select a frame and set Clip content in the Design panel to restrict content to the viewport.
2. Enable Vertical scrolling for long screens like feeds or forms.
3. Optionally, set device frames (e.g., phone bezels) for presentation.

Link to external resources

You can simulate links to:

• Docs or specifications
• External sites

Use Open URL actions in the interaction settings to launch a browser tab when a hotspot is clicked.

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9. Preview and test your prototype

Use the built-in prototype preview

1. Click the Present button (Play icon) in the top‑right corner of your file.
2. Choose a starting frame (usually the first screen in your flow).
3. Interact with your prototype:
   • Click/tap through buttons
   • Test all branches of the flow
   • Verify animations and overlays behave as expected

Test on mobile with the Figma mobile app

Figma’s Android and iOS apps let you view and interact with prototypes in real time on phones and tablets:

1. Install the Figma app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Log in with your Figma account.
3. Open your prototype file and tap Present.
4. Interact with it as a real mobile app during usability tests or stakeholder reviews.

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10. Share and collaborate on your prototype

Figma is designed for real‑time collaboration, making it easy to bring others into your “Figma Make” prototyping process.

Share a prototype link

1. In the design file, click Share in the top‑right corner.
2. Set link permissions (view-only or edit).
3. Copy the shareable link and send it to teammates, clients, or testers.

They can:

• Interact with the prototype in the browser.
• Leave comments pinned to specific elements or screens.
• Discuss revisions directly in context.

Get feedback and iterate quickly

Thanks to Figma’s focus on collaboration:

• You can see cursors from multiple people working in the file at once.
• Feedback can be implemented live while others watch.
• You can duplicate or branch files to explore alternative flows without risk.

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11. Use AI coding tools alongside Figma prototypes (optional but powerful)

While Figma itself is focused on design and prototyping, AI coding tools can help you accelerate the path from prototype to working product:

• Generate code snippets from patterns you’re prototyping.
• Quickly scaffold front‑end components that mirror your Figma layouts.
• Automate routine implementation tasks so you can keep iterating on UX.

This combination—Figma for collaborative prototyping plus AI coding tools for faster build‑out—can significantly speed up your end‑to‑end product development.

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12. Practical checklist: from sketch to functional prototype

Use this quick checklist as you “make” your new Figma project:

1. Create a new project and design file in Figma.
2. Import your sketch/image or set up frames for new screens.
3. Translate sketches into structured frames with clear naming.
4. Build reusable components (buttons, nav, cards).
5. Apply basic styles and layout for clarity.
6. Switch to Prototype mode and connect screens via interactions.
7. Add overlays, micro-interactions, and animations where needed.
8. Configure scrolling and device frames for realism.
9. Preview the prototype in Figma’s Present mode.
10. Test on mobile with the Figma app.
11. Share the prototype link, collect feedback, and iterate.
12. Optionally, use AI coding tools to translate your prototype into working code.

By following these steps inside Figma, you can reliably start a new project in Figma Make, transform any design or sketch into a functional prototype, and collaborate with your team in real time to refine the experience before you write a single line of production code.