Figma Bootcamps Philadelphia, PA

Figma is one of the most popular design tools today and a competitor of Adobe XD. UX/UI Designers, Web Developers, and Software Engineers use Figma for everything from product design to website development.

Figma, the company, is associated with its design platform but also offers additional tools like FigJam, Figma AI, and Dev Mode. While developers initially created Figma for creating prototypes, the platform now provides tools for presentation co-creation, design and development integration, and translating designs into code. Read on to learn more about their collaborative design solutions.

What Can You Do with Figma Training?

Figma is a platform for integrating design and development; however, many users consider it primarily a design tool. Figma is a browser-based tool, so how you use it depends on your role and whether you need it for design or development. Consider some differing aspects of the Figma platform:

Development

Dev Mode is the Figma product that helps development and design pros focus on their shared goals. Developers account for one-third of Figma users, and the collaborative process requires them to bring design and code closer together. With Dev Mode, you can inspect and navigate design files, mark up designs with annotations, and hand off components when they are ready for development.

Design

Figma Design is the flagship product, known by most as a powerful collaborative tool. With Figma Design, users can create designs and prototypes, streamline product development, and integrate with outside platforms like Microsoft Teams or Asana. Figma Design is the tool most people mean when they mention the Figma name, though there are many more tools and features on the platform.

Figma AI

Figma AI features give users multiple options, like searching with visuals, turning static mocks into interactive prototypes, and renaming layers automatically, to name a few. With Figma AI, designers and developers easily find the tools they need to work smarter, not harder.

What Will I Learn in a Figma Bootcamp?

Figma courses emphasize different aspects of the platform, so what you learn in one depends on how long it runs and whether it is part of a wider design or development curriculum. For example, a Figma bootcamp might be part of a UX/UI design or digital certificate program. Others may run separately, but you can save by taking a Figma bootcamp within a broader curriculum like a certificate.

Make App or Web Designs

New Figma users typically start by learning the platform interface and beginning to make app or web designs. Design creation is a top use for Figma pros, including user interface (UI), user experience (UX), or animations.

Create Components

Designers use a range of assets, including components. Figma bootcamps teach attendees how to use components—including variants—to make updating their designs easier.

Build Prototypes

Figma users build high-fidelity, interactive prototypes to share with colleagues or clients. This essential feature is a standard topic in many Figma bootcamps as users learn to save and export their prototypes.

Communication

While you might not learn communication in a bootcamp, it is one of the essential soft skills for design and development professionals—especially for those using cloud-based platforms like Figma. Other crucial soft skills include problem-solving, time management, and creativity.

What Kinds of Training Options Are Available to Learn Figma?

Many Figma courses are available in-person from respected course providers. Trainees in major metropolitan areas may have more options, but some providers host classes in numerous locations. Check provider websites to see whether they host in-person coursework at their location, your company (if requested), or both.

Other providers make their Figma courses available live online through teleconferencing. If they also host in-person training, their virtual classes typically present the same material, but attendees can learn from anywhere with a reliable internet connection. However, online learners may need to update their systems or download materials, so read hardware requirements with care.

A third option for Figma training is on-demand or asynchronous learning. Such programs usually consist of pre-recorded videos. However, many providers include additional supplementary training like written materials or a student chat group. Coursera, Skillshare, and Udemy are among the best-known on-demand providers.

Finally, some Figma novices prefer to start their education with free online resources before they commit to a paid program. These self-directed beginners may combine introductory YouTube videos with blog posts or articles as they experiment with the software. Ultimately, most benefit from enrolling in formal training.

Choosing the Right Training Method for You

Each training method has a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. Consider the following aspects of in-person, virtual, on-demand, or self-directed training before you enroll in a paid Figma program.

In-Person

In-person training offers the highest possible level of student engagement, and many prefer it to all other methods. If there is an in-person course within a reasonable distance from home, consider this as a top option. Its only potential disadvantage is the commute, a small price to pay for most students.

Live Online

Learning live online by teleconferencing platforms like Zoom is a viable option for many students, and some even prefer it. Virtual training offers engagement comparable to in-person coursework, and you can learn from the comfort of your office or home.

On-Demand/Asynchronous

While on-demand training does not offer as high a level of student engagement as live training, it can be the best option for some Figma beginners. On-demand classes typically cost less than live classes and may be the only choice for those with family obligations or who work the second or third shift.

Self-Directed

Finally, while self-teaching can be a great way to cover a few fundamentals, most Figma beginners eventually choose formal training to develop their skills. You can learn design concepts and how the Figma interface works without an instructor, but hands-on training from an expert is more efficient than self-directed learning.

How Are Bootcamps Different from Other Kinds of Classes?

Consider bootcamps a happy medium between lengthy degree programs and short seminars or workshops. Whereas a bootcamp can consist of multi-hour training modules, an individual class typically runs for a few hours or less.

Certificate programs usually consist of one or more bootcamps and training modules. These can run anywhere from a few hours to 30 or more. Certificate programs that include Figma training range from 100 to 120 hours or more, and the same is true for certification programs that prepare students to sit for a certification exam.

Lastly, a college or university degree program takes at least two to four years. A certificate program from a respected course provider can substitute for a degree requirement in many entry-level positions.

Who Will Benefit Most from a Figma Bootcamp?

The people who most benefit from Figma bootcamps are usually design or development professionals who upskill to intermediate or advanced Figma skills for their careers. Beginners also benefit but may need to learn design or development fundamentals in a course that includes Figma training within a broader curriculum.

Product Designers, UX Researchers, and Software Engineers can also require Figma expertise, depending on their industry or company. However, the professionals who get the most out of immersive Figma training typically work in UX/UI design or website or app development.

How Hard is It to Learn Figma?

As in other software platforms, the difficulty in learning Figma depends on design or development aptitude, previous experience, current skill set, and training method. Some Figma users report that familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud tools can benefit new learners, but this is by no means a requirement. Lastly, getting familiar with Figma differs from becoming an expert. While beginners can learn basics by watching YouTube videos or reading blog posts, Figma expertise requires formal training for most tech professionals.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Figma?

The most challenging parts of learning Figma depend on previous experience with design or development tools, current skill set, and aptitude. Figma novices who know Adobe XD or Sketch may or may not feel that it benefits them when learning Figma. Students who begin Figma training with no design or development experience typically report that the platform is relatively easy when taught by an expert instructor.

How Long Does It Take to Learn Figma?

The time it takes to be comfortable experimenting with Figma is less than it takes to learn Figma professionally. While you can get familiar with the Figma interface in a few hours, expect to spend at least 18 to 20 hours learning how to make responsive web designs or turn designs into clickable prototypes. As with other software tools, practical hands-on experience helps users gain proficiency.

Industries That Use Figma

Philadelphia is home to multiple industries that require intermediate to advanced Figma skills. User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are the most popular roles, but many industries need experienced Figma pros for their websites and applications. Consider the following three industries for Figma in Philly.

Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI)

Philadelphia is a well-known financial hub, and the supersector known as BFSI requires numerous professionals with intermediate to advanced Figma skills. Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo are all major Philly employers. Financial and insurance companies need tech pros with Figma expertise for their websites and mobile apps.

Life Sciences & Healthcare

Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies comprise a large segment of Philadelphia's working population, with Greater Philadelphia ranked fourth among US life sciences markets. Look for Figma jobs among biopharmaceutical giants like Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Bristol Myers Squibb, or smaller organizations like Universal Health Services or Klick Health.

Technology

Philly is a well-known tech hub, with every possible technology available and in use today: AI, ecommerce, digital health, and robotics are just a few of the many fields open to area workers. Like their BFSI colleagues, tech firms need expertly-designed responsive websites and apps, and Figma helps create them.

Figma Job Titles and Salaries

Philadelphia careers requiring Figma skills encompass UX and UI design, UX/UI development, UX research roles, and product development. Salaries range widely, depending on factors like education and industry. Consider the following roles in Philly that demand intermediate to advanced Figma proficiency.

UX Designer

Many Philadelphia Figma pros make over six figures, and the UX Designer role is no exception. These skilled professionals can expect to earn an average annual salary of around $106,000, not including additional compensation like bonuses or 401(k) plans.

UX Researcher

UX Researchers are among Philadelphia’s highest-paid Figma professionals, earning an average annual salary of about $116,000—a stunning 64% higher than the national average for comparable positions. Look for UX Researcher roles in consulting businesses, insurance companies, and IT firms.

Product Designer

Philly Product Designers do even better, with an average annual salary of around $120,000, comparable to the national average. Consider everything from gaming companies to medical software businesses for Product Designer roles in the Greater Philadelphia region.

Figma Bootcamps Near Me

Noble Desktop offers an intensive 12-hour Figma Bootcamp open to beginner-level students. You'll get hands-on Figma training from an expert instructor, concentrating on Figma for UX/UI design. Topics include animations, components, and prototypes, to name a few.

You can save on tuition by taking the bootcamp as part of the Noble Desktop Figma Masterclass, which adds six hours of advanced Figma training to the bootcamp curriculum. Subjects include conditionals, interactive prototypes, and variable collections.

Design beginners planning careers in user experience (UX), user interface (UI), or digital design can save even more by taking the Figma Bootcamp as part of Noble’s UX & UI Design Certificate or Digital Design Certificate programs. Forbes Advisor awarded the UX & UI Design Certificate its Best UI/UX Design Bootcamp award, and Fortune rated it Best UX Design Bootcamp in 2024.

Figma beginners can start online training through another respected course provider, City Lit. They offer a UI Design for Websites Using Figma course that covers topics like branding, prototyping, and wireframing, to name a few. Check the course syllabus for more details.

Portuguese speakers who want to learn Figma in their native language have multiple training options from FLAG. Their Prototyping with Figma course is available at the Lisbon and Porto locations or live online from anywhere. The class prepares UX/UI design beginners for prototype construction, production processes, and other professional challenges.

Figma Corporate Training

Corporate and onsite Figma training is a no-brainer for busy professionals and company managers. Noble Desktop provides in-person and online training and can customize a program to meet your organizational needs and preferences. Corporate and onsite training is available live online by teleconferencing, or expert Noble Desktop instructors can conduct classes at your location.

Want your employees to have more flexibility with their Figma instruction? Noble also offers discounted vouchers for its open-enrollment group classes. Employers get a discount when purchasing vouchers in bulk. To learn more about the different Figma training alternatives Noble Desktop can provide for your team, contact them at corporate@nobledesktop.com today for additional information and a free consultation.