How an adaptive onboarding experience could empower designers and accelerate their growth
Illustration by Author
Imagine opening Figma for the first time — you’re eager to start designing, but as soon as the interface loads, you’re confronted with a dense array of tools and hidden features — layers, components, auto layout, prototyping options, and plugins. That initial excitement quickly turns into hesitation.
Where do you even start?
As a university-level instructor teaching design software, I see this struggle often. And it’s not just Figma — this is a universal challenge for those using professional design tools for the first time.
Overloaded interfaces can overwhelm, while minimalist UIs can be just as frustrating, with essential features buried in obscure menus. In both cases, the cognitive load shifts from creating to simply figuring out how to navigate the software.
But what if onboarding felt less like trial and error and more like guided discovery? Imagine unlocking tools gradually, earning achievements as you master features — like leveling up in a game.
Instead of a blank slate and an overwhelming toolbar, novice designers could follow a structured, gamified learning path that builds confidence while keeping the sense of discovery alive.
Figma’s Current Onboarding
Before diving into gamification, it’s worth noting Figma’s current onboarding process. It primarily relies on a short introductory tour, fundamental tutorials, in-app tooltips, and, of course, the Figma community. While helpful for some, these methods often fall short for designers seeking a structured learning path.
https://medium.com/media/6eaa2f5c898f5f1f3faadb8dae3cb1ee/href
Designers are often left to explore and learn at their own pace, which can lead to frustration when facing complex features. This unstructured approach highlights the potential for a more guided onboarding experience.
Gamified Progression for Figma Users
Rather than presenting every tool upfront, what if Figma offered an adaptive UI — one that progressively introduces features based on how designers interact with the software?
Envision a system integrating:
Progressive UI Mode — Advanced tools like Variants and Interactive Components remain hidden until designers opt in or naturally reach a point where they need them, keeping the interface focused.Feature Unlocks by Interaction — Key tools like Auto Layout and Components become available as designers successfully work with foundational elements like frames and text, ensuring a smooth learning curve.Skill Progression & Rewards — Progress indicators and achievement badges track mastery of core tools, providing motivation while keeping the experience streamlined. Designers can optionally share milestones with the Figma community or teammates.Guided, Hands-on Learning — Interactive challenges and guided prototypes reinforce feature discovery directly within real Figma files, allowing designers to learn by doing.
This wouldn’t be a restrictive gamification model. Instead, it would align complexity with a designer’s skill level, rewarding proficiency with deeper functionality.
While progress indicators and achievements aren’t new in software tools, their value comes from being thoughtfully integrated into the workflow. By aligning feature access with proficiency, Figma can enhance usability, retention, and mastery.
A similar, though less gamified, onboarding method is used with production software like AutoCAD (tailored workspaces), Blender (gradual tool introduction through tutorials), and Notion (progressive feature disclosure).
Even design tools like Adobe offer customizable workspaces. However, their UIs do not dynamically evolve based on user skill level or achievements.
Adobe Illustrator workspace options
By combining gamification with progressive feature unlocks, Figma could create a UI that adapts with the designer — surfacing tools at the right time to optimize both learning and efficiency.
The Power of Gamification
Research shows that gamification boosts engagement, knowledge retention, and learning outcomes through game-like elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards.
Some critics warn that gamification, while effective for engagement, can sometimes encourage compulsive behavior, where users become more focused on earning points or badges rather than developing meaningful skills.
Nonetheless, many studies indicate that structured learning paths, progressive feature unlocks, and gamification elements help novice users by providing clear guidance — making skill development more intuitive, and adding an element of enjoyment to the learning process.
Image source: https://raccoongang.com/blog/designing-efficient-elearning-gamification/
While specific, public data on Figma’s onboarding satisfaction is limited, anecdotal evidence from online forums and design communities consistently points to the challenges of learning complex features without sufficient guidance.
Gamification in Professional Platforms
Gamification isn’t just for consumer apps such as Duolingo or Fitbit — many professional platforms already use it to encourage learning:
Salesforce Trailhead: Interactive modules reward users with badges and skill progressions, while still keeping all features accessible.Microsoft Learn: Structured learning paths use points and achievements to encourage engagement.HubSpot Academy: Certification models guide users through complex tools in a structured manor.
These approaches don’t restrict access but instead create pathways for users to engage at their own pace.
Image source: https://medium.com/trailhead/what-is-trailhead-79595b07e549
Balancing Control and Exploration
Of course, any structured or gamified onboarding system must avoid feeling like a limitation. In my experience teaching design software, some students thrive with step-by-step guidance, while others prefer immediate, unfiltered access.
A hybrid approach could strike the right balance — an optional, guided learning path with achievements and unlocks for those who want structure, while keeping the full feature set immediately available for those who don’t.
It is also important to consider edge cases, and ensure that should a user need a hidden feature immediately, that they have a clear path to access it.
Image source: https://www.appsflyer.com/blog/trends-insights/app-gamification/
Learning That Feels Like Progress
Ultimately, the goal of professional software, especially design tools, isn’t to restrict but to empower users at every skill level. A well-designed onboarding system that incorporates gamification and progressive access wouldn’t replace organic learning but instead provide supportive scaffolding that users can step away from when they feel ready.
What do you think? Would a tiered gamification system make Figma more accessible, or do you prefer full access from the start?
When you first started using Figma, how did you learn — trial and error, tutorials, or something else?
Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Should Figma utilize gamification to help designers level up? was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
