Talk it out in Figma and FigJam

Today, we launched audio and cursor chat, introducing two new ways to communicate without leaving Figma and FigJam. Now, you can quickly add a question to your cursor or hop on a call to chat with your teammates while you’re working together in the same file. And if you’re jamming in FigJam, you can even high-five.

Since day one, Figma has opened the doors for teammates to work in the same file together. But working together sometimes requires more than just being in the same digital space. Like everyone, we’ve encountered our fair share of challenges when it comes to remote collaboration. We experienced the pain of switching between tools to ask that quick question or clarify one key point. So, we set out to solve those challenges, while bringing back the serendipity of in-person interactions.

We are introducing audio and cursor chat to recreate those magical moments—a spontaneous brainstorm at a teammate’s desk or a quick chair swivel to catch-up with a co-worker—directly in Figma and FigJam. And for those moments of joy when you figure something out in a jam session, you can even high five in FigJam.

The magic of in-person, in the file

When we started building audio and cursor chat, top of mind was creating a single space for users to interact with each other, so they don’t have to toggle between other tools. This additional level of collaboration needed to be fast and low-friction; teams shouldn’t need to download something, configure settings, or add an additional step like dialing a phone number or sending out a calendar invite.

Above all, we want to complement—not replace—existing workflows. While these new ways to communicate in a file are built to enable synchronous collaboration, we know that some collaboration will be asynchronous, requiring teammates to work independently before getting input from others. Whatever your workflows look like, here are a few ways audio and cursor chat can help you jam, brainstorm, and workshop—together:

In-context collaboration

If you get stuck or want to workshop something live, you can share the link to the file and talk it out. Audio and cursor chat both allow you to share thoughts and feedback in real time in Figma and FigJam.

Lightweight jam sessions

There are times when video makes meetings more human, and there are times when you just don’t need it. Rather than jumping on a video call for a brainstorm, you can use audio and cursor chat to jam together, without switching between apps. You can start with a template, set a timer, and get to work.

Spontaneous syncs

Instead of a chance encounter in the hallway, you can “run into” a colleague in a file and riff on a design, ask a quick question, or request feedback to work through a problem. Saying hello through your cursor or hopping on a quick audio call can help your team regain those lost moments of serendipity in a remote world.

Audio, cursor chat, and high fives are just the start. We want everyone in our community to be able to join the conversation. That’s why in a few weeks, we plan to launch live captions in open beta on the Figma desktop app. This will allow us to collect feedback and improve the feature as we continue to build new ways for users to communicate—and collaborate—with each other.

Cursor chat is now available to everyone in both Figma and FigJam. You can also high-five others in FigJam. Audio will start rolling out this week and be available to everyone on Figma’s education and paid plans. Stay tuned over the next few weeks when we launch live captions on our desktop app as an open beta.