Responsive Design Made Easy with Anima's Figma Plugin
Figma is a well-known tool for design that many designers and teams use to make attractive user interfaces and prototypes. Meanwhile, Anima is a platform that assists designers in transforming Figma designs into websites that are responsive and interactive without requiring any coding skills.
What is Anima?
Anima makes it easier for designers and developers to collaborate by streamlining the process from design to development. It offers a full UI library that allows designers to build prototypes that are very accurate visually without needing to write any code, resembling the final product closely. Developers are then able to take the designs and transform them into React or HTML code swiftly, without concern for the time-consuming manual work needed for creating layouts. This allows them more time to improve logic and architecture.
Anima offers an advanced plugin that lets designers set up designs simply and quickly. These designs can be shared safely with your team using Anima's internet platform. All members can talk about the prototype at the same time and access useful specifications or materials. What makes this platform different is that it gives developers code that is already made, so they can start working quickly.
What is Figma?
This strong design software assists you in creating various things, like websites, apps, and logos. Additionally, by becoming comfortable with the user interface and how it works for people using it, you are preparing yourself well to create a very good portfolio or even start a new business that does well.
How to Use Anima with Figma
To make your Figma designs into working websites using Anima's plugin for Figma, you should do these actions:
- The first step is to put the Anima plugin into Figma. You go to the website of Figma Community or their plugins page, look for Anima, and then press the button that says install. Once installed, the plugin will be available in your Figma workspace.
- Open the design file in Figma that you wish to turn into a website. Confirm your design is finished and every element is well arranged on layers and artboards within Figma.
- To use the Anima Plugin, please click the icon that you find in the Figma plugins list. When you do this, a new window will open, and then it will ask which frames or artwork from Figma you would like to export.
- After you pick the frames or artboards, in the Anima plugin window, there is a possibility to select different options for exporting. You have the ability to choose how you want your export file type, make it responsive, and decide on other interactive parts that should be part of your website.
- Begin the export. After selecting your export preferences, press "Export" to initiate. Anima will transform your Figma design into a website that adjusts and interacts effectively.
- After exporting is finished, Anima will give you a link to your website. You can check how it works on various screen sizes by interacting with it. You can make changes to the design and export it more times until you are happy with how it looks.
Why should you use Anima with Figma?
Responsive Prototypes
As someone who designs, you must send your beautiful works to different individuals who use many kinds of devices. These range from strong desktop computers and iPhones to tablets that run on Android—it's not simple! What if there existed a single solution that simplified this process? A unique link for every visitor, adapting flawlessly to their screen size. Make this vision come true by constructing prototypes tailored for each device.
Anima helps your digital designs become more noticeable. It has strong breakpoints that let you create a smooth experience for the user, changing and adapting to different screen sizes, big or small. With Anima, give users an exceptional experience they won’t forget.
Live forms in Prototypes
Do you find it exhausting to guide your testers on the right way to use forms in user testing? Anima offers a live form feature that lets users input and send their details straight away, removing the need for additional directions. Additionally, it comes with built-in validation. No need to stress over instructing where to click or tap; Anima takes care of the tough tasks.
Share HTML, CSS, or React for your Prototype
With Anima, designers and developers work together to make excellent projects quickly. You don't need to begin from scratch; in just a few easy steps, your team can prepare code for any design. Release all the effort you have put into your designs by using Anima to transform these concepts into vibrant reality.
How Anima transfers your code components
Anima moves your production elements from Storybook to Figma by itself. If you don't possess a Storybook, Anima's group will create one using the component library in your GitHub.
From Storybook to Figma
If you possess a component library within Storybook, Anima can transform it into a native Figma library with just one click. Anima changes properties to Figma variants, converts responsive CSS to Auto Layout specifications and keeps all the naming conventions from the original code. Designers get a notification when there is a change in a Storybook component, and they have the choice to update this in Figma by themselves; because of this, keeping everything synchronized becomes very simple.
From GitHub to Storybook to Figma
If you lack a Storybook, Anima is capable of creating one using the code components found on GitHub. After it's done, you can change this fresh Storybook into a Figma library that directly corresponds with your system and includes all variations and auto-layout features specified within your code. And with automatic updates in Figma, you’ll stay synced with your code base.
Great tips for using Anima
Export Vue/React Codes for Production
Having trouble preparing your website for launch? Anima helps you complete your project quickly, so you can start operating soon. You will have immediate entry to the design codes for Vue/React, which provides a solid base for fast checks of elements before or during production. The HTML/CSS code is created on its own when you sync from Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD, so after a swift look at how it seems in the browser view, only one click is needed and it becomes live.
Work on Live Drafts
Projects with mobile applications and website development can experience a big delay because of the long time needed for small changes. Small adjustments might take hours or even days, which stops advancement. At the same time, development teams scramble to keep up with changes.
By collaborating with Anima, you and your group are able to make a seamless change from the design phase into the building stage. The person who makes designs has the ability to fast-synchronize updates made in applications like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD right into our project control panel. It eliminates waiting times, enabling a steady work process; this way, nothing is misunderstood, and it also saves time.
Code Conversion
Anima is a very good tool for developers who want to change their designs into code quickly and in the right way. It can convert to many languages, like Vue, React, CSS, Sass, and HTML, so it offers lots of different choices for conversion. Additionally, it lets you review your edits while keeping images of the programming code in its space; this makes modifying things simpler than before. Also, there is news that Anima will soon offer conversions for Swift, React Native, and Angular.
Create High-Fidelity Prototypes
By using the Anima plugin, it becomes faster to make your designs interactive. You can preview the appearance of a website or application directly inside Adobe XD, Figma, and Sketch without needing any coding skills. Create a prototype that is very accurate and includes all the different screen sizes, so it functions well on devices from big desktops to smaller mobile phones. Make adjustments carefully until everything appears just right before you ask for others' opinions; simply press refresh each time you change something; this gives you great control.
Real-Time Comments for Collaboration
If you have to talk with many individuals regarding a project for design or development, Anima simplifies this process. Rather than take time to write many emails, it is better to make immediate comments on the project itself. When we see updates like this, everyone can easily understand what others are thinking and save a lot of time. It also helps avoid possible disagreements.
Conclusion
When you combine Anima with Figma, it makes a smooth connection between designing and building things. You can make working websites straight from your designs in Figma, and you don't have to write any code at all. This strong combination makes the way you design better and cuts down on how much time you spend developing.
If you are looking to transform your designs from Figma into websites that work, consider trying the Anima plugin for Figma.
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