Figma is a popular collaborative design tool that allows multiple team members to work together on design files in real-time. One of the most useful features of Figma for collaboration is the ability to add comments directly on design files.
Table of Contents
Why Comments are Important in Figma
- Allow team members to provide feedback and suggestions on specific parts of a design
- Facilitate discussions and decision-making around design elements
- Create an audit trail documenting design changes and rationale
- Organize feedback and tasks in one place tied to designs
How to Enter Comment Mode in Figma
There are two main ways to enter comment mode in Figma:
- Click the comment icon in the toolbar (it looks like a speech bubble icon)
- Press “C” on your keyboard
Once in comment mode, your cursor will change to a “+” symbol.
Adding Comments in Figma
To add a comment in Figma:
- Enter comment mode
- Click on any part of the canvas where you want to leave a comment. This could be a specific design element, artboard, or general area.
- A comment box will appear where you can type your comment
- Press Enter to post the comment
Your comment will now be pinned to that location on the canvas.
Commenting on Specific Layers
To leave a comment on a specific layer rather than a general area:
- Enter comment mode
- Select the specific layer, component, or group you want to comment on
- The comment box will appear, allowing you to add your comment
This ties your feedback directly to that layer or component.
Replying to Comments
You can reply to existing comments in Figma too:
- In comment mode, click on the comment you want to reply to
- The comment will open and you can type your reply
- Press Enter to post your reply
Replies are indented, allowing you to have threaded conversations.
Mentions
You can also mention team members in Figma comments using the @ symbol plus their name. This sends them a notification so they see your comment.
Best Practices for Comments in Figma
Here are some tips for working with comments effectively in Figma:
- Pin comments to specific layers or artboards whenever possible
- Be clear and concise – avoid long blocks of text
- Use mentions to notify team members of comments requiring their input
- Reply to comments rather than posting new ones to keep conversations organized
- Mark comments resolved once addressed to keep things tidy
- Filter comments by status to focus on open items
Other Features to Aid Collaboration
Along with comments, Figma has other features to facilitate collaboration:
- Version history – view previous design iterations
- Multiplayer mode – work together in real-time
- View-only links – get feedback from stakeholders
- Design libraries – create reusable components
Integrations with tools like Jira and GitHub also allow connecting Figma designs to external workflows.
Summary
- Comments in Figma enable team members to provide targeted feedback tied directly to designs
- Enter comment mode by clicking the comment icon or pressing “C”
- Click on any part of the canvas to leave pinned comments
- Reply to comments to maintain discussion threads
- Mention team members with @ to notify them
- Use best practices like pinning and marking resolved to stay organized
With its flexible commenting capabilities along with other collaboration features, Figma empowers teams to design, iterate, and make decisions together – leading to better quality and consistency in design output.
