Designing the Same Screen in Adobe XD and Figma: A Comparison

In this article, you will learn:

• Which tool offers a better user experience for design.
• Which provides more creative possibilities and flexibility.
• Which one is better for prototyping.

Let's dive into the details!

Adobe XD: Getting Started

I started with Adobe XD, where I recreated an existing screen. Here are a few observations:

• Quick access to elements: Elements and icons are easily accessible in Adobe XD, speeding up the design process.
• Easy styling management: The right-side panel allows for easy styling adjustments, essential for precise design.
• Component usage: Adobe XD allows for creating and managing components, although placement can sometimes be tricky.

Throughout the design process, I found Adobe XD to be very user-friendly and intuitive, especially for quick tasks.

Figma: Second Round

After finishing the design in Adobe XD, I switched to Figma. Here are some notable points:

• Frames usage: Figma relies heavily on frames, which can be advantageous for managing complex designs.
• Auto Layout: One of Figma's significant benefits is the Auto Layout feature, which automatically applies the set spacing and sizes, saving time and ensuring consistency.
• Icon management: A challenge with Figma is the lack of good icon plugins, which can complicate the design process if pre-made icons are not available.

While using Figma, I noticed that although some things work differently than in Adobe XD, the frames and Auto Layout features make the workflow much more organized.

Prototyping

Both tools offer excellent prototyping capabilities, but there are some differences:

Adobe XD

Adobe XD has stronger visual capabilities, such as handling transformations, which can be useful for creating complex animations.

Figma

Prototyping in Figma is simpler and more intuitive, especially due to the use of frames and components.

Summary

Both Adobe XD and Figma are excellent tools, and the choice largely depends on the type of projects you're working on and the features you prefer.

The three key takeaways:

• Adobe XD provides a quick and intuitive design process.
• Figma's frames and Auto Layout features help manage more complex projects.
• Prototyping is effective with both tools, but they have different strengths.