Figma Disables AI Design Tool After Generating Copies of Existing Apps

Shortly after launching Make Designs in limited beta, Figma learned that an issue with the feature’s underlying design system resulted in mocks that resembled existing apps:

• New components and example screens added to the design system prior to the launch were not vetted carefully enough, with some assets being similar to aspects of real-world applications.
• When prompted for certain apps, such as a weather app, Make Designs generated designs that felt very similar to existing first-party apps due to these problematic assets.

Figma’s response: Upon identifying the problem was with the underlying design systems, Figma took swift action:

• The assets that were the source of the similarities were removed from the design system.
• Make Designs was disabled while the team works on an improved QA process before re-enabling the feature.

Looking ahead: Figma remains committed to getting AI-assisted design right and sees great potential for the technology to uplevel designers’ work:

• The original vision for Make Designs, nicknamed “First Draft” internally, was always to provide a starting point that designers could then craft into meaningful experiences.
• By eventually connecting Make Designs to companies’ own design systems, Figma hopes to help designers spend less time on menial tasks and more time solving problems.
• User feedback will be key as Figma works to build the right AI-powered tools and features to augment the design process.

Analyzing deeper: While this misstep with Make Designs highlights the challenges of developing AI-assisted design tools, it also underscores Figma’s commitment to thoughtfully integrating AI in a way that empowers designers rather than replacing them. How Figma learns from this experience and refines its approach will be critical to striking the right balance with AI going forward. The key will be leveraging AI to handle the more rote, time-consuming aspects of design while still leaving ample room for designers to apply their unique craft and problem-solving skills to create exceptional user experiences.