Figma
208 bites tagged Figma — interview questions with model answers, and 60-second explainers.
Translate Figma Auto Layout padding, direction, and spacing to Flexbox
Tests your ability to bridge design tools and CSS layout mechanics. Match direction to flex-direction, padding to gap or container padding, space-between to justify-content, and hug/fill to flex-grow or flex-shrink.
How do you export and optimize a Figma SVG for web?
This tests your design-to-code workflow. A strong answer covers: selecting the vector layer, adding an SVG export in the right sidebar, and running the output through SVGO to strip metadata and flatten transforms.
Walk me through inspecting a component's styling in Figma Dev Mode
Press Shift+D; find the ready-for-dev frame in the left sidebar; click to center it; inspect colors, typography, and spacing. Dev Mode handoff workflow vs Design Mode. Staying in Design Mode or editing the file.
How do you indicate sort state accessibly in a data table?
Use shape-differentiated icons, annotate aria-sort on the active header, and maximize the button click target. Communicating sort state without relying on color alone.
How do you enforce WCAG touch target minimums in Figma?
Tests WCAG 2.2 SC 2.5.8 and design-system governance. A strong answer cites the 24x24 CSS pixel minimum and spacing exception, then covers Figma component constraints and linting. A red flag is dumping accessibility on developers without design guardrails.
Minimum WCAG AA contrast for normal vs large text and Figma checks
This tests WCAG AA contrast thresholds and Figma operationalization. A strong answer states 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, then describes using Figma's native contrast panel or Stark to audit color pairs.
What is the accessibility problem with color-only status and two fixes?
This tests WCAG 1.4.1 Use of Color: red-green status is invisible to many colorblind users. A strong answer names two non-color cues like icons or text labels. A red flag is claiming high contrast alone fixes the problem without a secondary visual indicator.
How do you migrate a breaking change in a mature design system?
This tests organizational change management at scale, not just code changes. A strong answer covers SemVer major versioning, beta testing with key consumers, phased deprecation timelines, and automated file audits.
How do you handle versioning and breaking changes in a shared library?
This tests bridging design and engineering workflows. A strong answer covers semantic versioning, a protected main file with branching, a visible changelog, and release alignment with code.
Steps to publish color and text styles to a Figma shared library
Open Publish in the right panel, select color and text styles, add a version note, publish; teammates enable the library. Figma shared-library mechanics. Manual copy-paste instead of publish-subscribe.
How would you prototype fixed header, footer, and scrollable content?
Make content taller than frame, enable Clip content and vertical overflow, then fix header and footer. Figma overflow controls for fixed header and footer. Multiple frames or manual drag instead of native overflow.
Build a reusable checkbox with unchecked, checked, and hover states
Tests Figma interactive components. Answer: create a component set with unchecked, checked, and hover variants; wire them with Change to actions using On click and While hovering triggers.
Explain Figma Smart Animate's core principle and layer matching requirements
Tests Figma's layer-matching logic for prototyping. Great answers cover: name-based matching between frames, compatible layer types, and interpolated properties like position and size.
Make a Figma button navigate from Frame A to Frame B
Tests hands-on Figma prototype workflow. Good answer: enter Prototype mode, select the Login button, drag the interaction noodle to Frame B, set trigger to On Click and action to Navigate To.
What is the most efficient way to update a brand color globally?
This tests Figma variables versus styles for design system maintenance. Store the brand color as a variable, apply it across components, and edit the value once for global propagation. Red flag: manual updates or using a color style for a single raw value.
Create a button component with default, hover, and disabled variants
This tests Figma component variants and prototyping. A good answer: create a component set with a State property, build default, hover, and disabled variants, wire Change to with While hovering. Red flag: separate components instead of one variant set.
Build a responsive feature grid with nested Auto Layout and component properties
This tests nested Auto Layout fluency for responsive grids. Strong answer: vertical section frame with wrapping horizontal row, cards with 280 px min widths, and component properties to swap content. Red flag: duplicating static artboards per breakpoint.
Structure a responsive nav bar using variants and Auto Layout
One component set with desktop/mobile variants; horizontal Auto Layout with wrap for links, then hamburger and vertical overlay. Tests component architecture and responsive layout. Using separate components instead of variant-driven states.
How would you configure a wrapping filter tag container and its properties?
This tests horizontal wrap vs grid and tuning container and child resizing. Set the container to horizontal auto layout with wrap, adjust spacing and padding, and set tags to hug contents. Red flag: confusing wrap with grid or suggesting manual breaks.
When would you use absolute position in an Auto Layout frame?
Absolute position lets badges float without pushing siblings; standard flow stacks sequentially and prevents overlap. When to escape Auto Layout flow for overlaps. Using spacer hacks instead of the absolute toggle.
How do Hug, Fill, and Fixed resizing behaviors interact?
This tests constraint-based size propagation. Define Hug as shrink-wrapping, Fill as stretching to the parent, and Fixed as explicit; note a Hug parent expands for Fixed or Hug children, but Fill needs a defined parent size.
Difference between 'Space between' and fixed spacing in Auto Layout
Tests your grasp of distribution logic versus fixed gaps. Fixed spacing sets a constant pixel gap; Space between splits free space to push items to edges. Use fixed spacing for lists, Space between for wide toolbars. Red flag: calling them interchangeable.
How would you use Auto Layout for a button with optional icon?
This tests Figma Auto Layout for responsive components. Answer: apply horizontal auto layout, set fixed padding and spacing, set text to hug contents, and set the frame to hug so it resizes when text changes. Red flag: using fixed widths or manual resizing.
How would you structure Figma colors for light and dark themes?
Fluency with token layers and Figma's mode-aware raw values. Use aliased color variables for semantics, switch themes via variable modes, and apply variables to styles not relying on styles for modes. Suggesting styles handle theming instead of variables.
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