FigJam
Figma's whiteboarding tool for collaborative ideation and synthesis—seamlessly integrated with your design files.
What is FigJam?
FigJam is Figma’s answer to collaborative whiteboarding. It’s built into Figma, meaning you can jump from a design file to a whiteboard without leaving the app. It supports real-time collaboration, voting, sticky notes, drawing, and infinite canvas.
Unlike Miro (a standalone tool), FigJam lives inside Figma. If your design system is in Figma, your ideation can happen in FigJam right next to it. Switching between design and thinking is seamless.
One sentence punch: FigJam is Miro, but integrated with Figma so design and ideation live in the same workspace.**
Why Designers Use FigJam
- Seamless Integration — Start a design in Figma, ideate in FigJam, jump back to design. One app, one workspace.
- Familiar Interface — If you use Figma, FigJam feels native. Same left panel, similar tools.
- Version History — FigJam keeps version history. You can revert changes or see how ideation evolved.
- Real-Time Multiplayer — Multiple people edit simultaneously. See cursors and selections in real-time.
- Embeddable in Designs — Create a FigJam board and embed it in your design presentation. Context is preserved.
Common Uses for Designers
- Design Reviews — Brainstorm feedback asynchronously. Team members add sticky notes to a FigJam board.
- Critique Sessions — Facilitator shares a design. Team comments and votes on aspects.
- User Journey Sketching — Sketch journey flows. No need to leave Figma.
- Preference Voting — Show three design directions. Team votes. Winners emerge visually.
- Feedback Synthesis — Paste research quotes onto a FigJam board. Group into themes.
- Design System Planning — Map out component structure. Organize atoms and molecules.
FigJam Tools
- Sticky Notes — Colored notes. Infinite quantity. Useful for brainstorming.
- Drawing — Freehand drawing with brush tool. Sketch ideas quickly.
- Shapes — Rectangles, circles, lines. Draw structured diagrams.
- Text — Add labels and titles.
- Stamps — Pre-made emoji and icons for quick communication.
- Dot Voting — Click to vote. See voting results visually.
- Timer — Set a timer for timebox sessions (5 min brainstorm, etc).
- Reactions — React to ideas with emoji. Show agreement without comments.
FigJam vs Miro
| FigJam | Miro |
|---|---|
| Integrated with Figma | Standalone tool |
| Simpler interface | More features |
| Better for design teams already in Figma | Better for mixed disciplines |
| Smaller community/ecosystem | Larger ecosystem, more templates |
| Free tier available | Free tier available |
Use FigJam if your team lives in Figma. Use Miro if you need more features or your team isn’t Figma-centric.
Mentor Tips
- First tip: FigJam is best for synchronous sessions. Real-time collaboration is FigJam’s strength. Asynchronous feedback works but feels less dynamic.
- Use FigJam for quick ideation. Long brainstorms or synthesis work better in Miro (more space, more features). FigJam excels at 30-minute rapid ideation.
- Timebox FigJam sessions. Without time limits, sessions sprawl. “Brainstorm for 30 minutes. Share results. Done.”
- Export and archive. After a FigJam session, export to image or PDF. Archive for reference. FigJam boards can get cluttered over time.
Resources and Tools
- Books: “Facilitating Design Workshops” for session structure
- Tools: FigJam built into Figma, integrations with Figma files
- Articles: FigJam tips on Figma blog, whiteboarding techniques on UX Collective