Comments and feedback in Figma - Deep Dive

Overview - Comments and feedback

What is it?

Comments and feedback in Figma are tools that let people share thoughts, suggestions, and questions directly on design files. They help teams communicate clearly about design changes or ideas without leaving the workspace. Anyone with access can add, reply to, or resolve comments to keep track of discussions.

Why it matters

Without comments and feedback, teams would struggle to collaborate smoothly on designs. Important ideas or problems might get lost in emails or chats, causing delays and confusion. Comments keep conversations tied to specific parts of the design, making it easier to understand and act on feedback quickly.

Where it fits

Before learning comments and feedback, you should know how to navigate and edit Figma design files. After mastering comments, you can explore advanced collaboration features like version history and team libraries to manage design changes and reuse components efficiently.

Mental Model

Core Idea

Comments and feedback in Figma are like sticky notes on a shared whiteboard, letting everyone add thoughts exactly where they matter in the design.

Think of it like...

Imagine a group working on a big poster together. Instead of shouting across the room, each person sticks a note on the exact spot they want to talk about. Others can read, reply, or remove the notes once the issue is fixed.

┌───────────────────────────────┐
│          Figma File           │
│ ┌───────────────┐             │
│ │ Design Canvas │             │
│ └───────────────┘             │
│   ▲           ▲               │
│   │           │               │
│ Comment 1   Comment 2         │
│  (sticky)   (sticky)          │
│   │           │               │
│  Replies    Replies           │
└───────────────────────────────┘

Build-Up - 7 Steps

1

Foundation

What are comments in Figma

Concept: Introduce the basic idea of comments as notes attached to designs.

In Figma, comments are messages you can leave on any part of a design file. They help you ask questions, suggest changes, or highlight issues. You add a comment by clicking the comment tool and then clicking where you want the note to appear.

Result

You create a visible note on the design that others can see and respond to.

Understanding that comments are tied to specific spots in the design helps keep feedback clear and organized.

2

Foundation

How to add and reply to comments

Concept: Learn the steps to create and respond to comments in Figma.

To add a comment, select the comment tool, click on the design, type your message, and post it. To reply, click on an existing comment and type your response. This creates a conversation thread linked to that spot.

Result

A threaded discussion forms, making it easy to follow feedback and conversations.

Knowing how to reply keeps communication flowing and prevents feedback from getting lost.

3

Intermediate

Using comment resolution to track progress

🤔Before reading on: do you think resolving a comment deletes it or just hides it? Commit to your answer.

Concept: Introduce the idea of resolving comments to mark feedback as addressed without losing history.

When a comment's issue is fixed, you can resolve it. This hides the comment from the main view but keeps it in the file's history. You can reopen resolved comments if needed.

Result

The design looks cleaner, showing only active feedback, while past discussions remain accessible.

Understanding resolution helps teams track what feedback is done and what still needs attention.

4

Intermediate

Assigning comments to team members

🤔Before reading on: do you think comments can be assigned to specific people or only general notes? Commit to your answer.

Concept: Learn how to assign comments to individuals to clarify responsibility.

You can assign a comment to a team member by typing '@' followed by their name in the comment. This sends them a notification and makes it clear who should act on the feedback.

Result

Team members know exactly which comments they need to address, improving accountability.

Assigning comments reduces confusion about who handles what, speeding up collaboration.

5

Intermediate

Navigating comments with filters and search

Concept: Explore how to find and manage comments efficiently in large files.

Figma lets you filter comments by status (open or resolved) and search by keywords or user names. This helps you quickly find relevant feedback without scrolling through everything.

Result

You save time and focus on the most important or recent comments.

Efficient navigation prevents feedback overload and keeps teams focused.

6

Advanced

Integrating comments with project workflows

🤔Before reading on: do you think Figma comments can connect to external tools like task managers? Commit to your answer.

Concept: Understand how comments can link to broader project management systems.

Many teams connect Figma comments to tools like Jira or Trello using plugins or integrations. This syncs design feedback with tasks, ensuring nothing is missed and progress is tracked across platforms.

Result

Design feedback becomes part of the overall project workflow, improving coordination.

Knowing this integration helps teams bridge design and development work smoothly.

7

Expert

Managing comment overload in large teams

🤔Before reading on: do you think more comments always improve collaboration? Commit to your answer.

Concept: Learn strategies to handle many comments without losing clarity or slowing down work.

In big projects, too many comments can overwhelm. Experts use clear guidelines on when and how to comment, prioritize critical feedback, and regularly resolve or archive old comments. They also train teams to write clear, actionable comments.

Result

Teams maintain productive communication without getting bogged down by noise.

Understanding comment management prevents collaboration from becoming a bottleneck.

Under the Hood

Figma stores comments as linked objects attached to specific coordinates or layers in the design file. Each comment has metadata like author, timestamp, status (open/resolved), and replies. When users add or reply to comments, Figma updates this data in real time across all collaborators using cloud syncing.

Why designed this way?

Comments were designed to be context-specific to avoid confusion common in email or chat feedback. Linking comments to exact design spots keeps discussions relevant and actionable. Real-time syncing supports smooth collaboration without manual refreshes, reflecting modern remote teamwork needs.

┌───────────────┐       ┌───────────────┐
│ User A adds   │──────▶│ Comment stored │
│ comment at X │       │ with location  │
└───────────────┘       └───────────────┘
         │                      │
         ▼                      ▼
┌───────────────┐       ┌───────────────┐
│ Figma server  │◀─────▶│ Other users   │
│ syncs comment │       │ see comment   │
└───────────────┘       └───────────────┘

Myth Busters - 3 Common Misconceptions

Quick: Do you think resolving a comment deletes it permanently? Commit yes or no.

Common Belief: Resolving a comment removes it completely from the file.

Reality: Resolving only hides the comment from the main view but keeps it in the file's history for later review.

Why it matters: Deleting comments would lose valuable feedback history and context, making it harder to track past decisions.

Quick: Can anyone edit or delete comments made by others? Commit yes or no.

Common Belief: All team members can edit or delete any comment in the file.

Reality: Only the comment author or file owner can edit or delete a comment; others can only reply or resolve.

Why it matters: This preserves accountability and prevents accidental or unauthorized changes to feedback.

Quick: Do you think adding many comments always improves team communication? Commit yes or no.

Common Belief: More comments always mean better collaboration and clearer feedback.

Reality: Too many comments can overwhelm and confuse teams, causing important feedback to be missed.

Why it matters: Knowing when to comment and how to prioritize prevents communication overload and keeps teams productive.

Expert Zone

1

Comments linked to specific layers can become orphaned if those layers are deleted or renamed, requiring careful file management.

2

Notifications from assigned comments can be customized per user to avoid alert fatigue in large teams.

3

Using comment threads strategically to separate design feedback from technical questions improves clarity and speeds resolution.

When NOT to use

Comments are not ideal for detailed project planning or task tracking; use dedicated project management tools like Jira or Asana instead. For quick informal chats, integrated chat apps may be better.

Production Patterns

In professional teams, comments are used alongside version control and design systems. Designers assign comments to developers for implementation, resolve feedback after fixes, and link comments to tickets in external tools to maintain traceability.

Connections

Version Control

Builds-on

Understanding comments helps grasp how feedback ties into version history, showing why changes were made.

Agile Project Management

Builds-on

Comments in design files connect directly to agile workflows by linking feedback to user stories and tasks.

Collaborative Writing Tools

Same pattern

Comments in Figma work like comments in Google Docs, showing a universal pattern for in-context feedback across fields.

Common Pitfalls

#1 Leaving comments vague or unclear.

Wrong approach:

Comment: "This looks off, fix it."

Correct approach:

Comment: "The button color doesn't match the brand palette; please update it to #0055FF."

Root cause:

Not specifying what exactly is wrong or how to fix it causes confusion and delays.

#2 Ignoring resolved comments and leaving issues open.

Wrong approach:

Never clicking 'Resolve' after fixing feedback, so comments pile up.

Correct approach:

After fixing the issue, click 'Resolve' to mark the comment as done and keep the workspace clean.

Root cause:

Not understanding the purpose of resolution leads to clutter and missed progress tracking.

#3 Assigning comments without notifying the right person.

Wrong approach:

Comment: "@John, please check this" but misspelling the name or not using '@' so no notification is sent.

Correct approach:

Comment: "@John Doe, please check this" with correct tagging to notify the person.

Root cause:

Lack of attention to tagging syntax causes feedback to be missed by responsible team members.

Key Takeaways

Comments in Figma let teams share feedback directly on designs, keeping communication clear and focused.

Replying and resolving comments helps track conversations and progress without losing history.

Assigning comments to team members improves accountability and speeds up collaboration.

Too many unclear comments can overwhelm teams, so clear, actionable feedback is essential.

Integrating comments with project tools connects design feedback to broader workflows, enhancing team coordination.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of using comments in Figma during a design project?

easy

A. To communicate directly on designs and share feedback

B. To change the colors of design elements

C. To export the design files

D. To create new design layers

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of comments in Figma

   Comments are used to communicate and give feedback directly on design elements.

2. Step 2: Identify the correct purpose

   Changing colors, exporting files, or creating layers are not related to comments.

3. Final Answer:

   To communicate directly on designs and share feedback -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Comments = Communication and feedback [OK]

Hint: Comments = direct feedback on designs [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing comments with editing tools
• Thinking comments change design elements
• Mixing comments with exporting features

2. Which of the following is the correct way to add a comment in Figma?

easy

A. Right-click and select 'Delete Comment'

B. Double-click a layer to add a comment

C. Click the Comment tool and click on the design to place a comment

D. Use the Text tool to write comments directly on the canvas

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall how to add comments in Figma

   Comments are added by selecting the Comment tool and clicking on the design area.

2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect options

   Right-click 'Delete Comment' removes comments, double-clicking a layer edits it, and Text tool adds text, not comments.

3. Final Answer:

   Click the Comment tool and click on the design to place a comment -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Add comment = Comment tool + click [OK]

Hint: Use Comment tool to add comments [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing comment adding with deleting
• Using Text tool instead of Comment tool
• Trying to add comments by double-clicking layers

3. In Figma, if a team member replies to a comment and then marks it as resolved, what happens to that comment thread?

medium

A. The comment thread is deleted permanently

B. The comment thread is hidden but can be viewed later

C. The comment thread is duplicated for record

D. The comment thread is locked and cannot be replied to

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the resolve feature in Figma comments

   Resolving a comment hides the thread from the main view but keeps it accessible for later review.

2. Step 2: Compare options with this behavior

   Comments are not deleted, duplicated, or locked; they are hidden but retrievable.

3. Final Answer:

   The comment thread is hidden but can be viewed later -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Resolve comment = hide thread, not delete [OK]

Hint: Resolve hides comments, doesn't delete [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking resolved comments are deleted
• Assuming comments get duplicated
• Believing resolved comments cannot be reopened

4. You try to reply to a comment in Figma but the reply box does not appear. What is the most likely reason?

medium

A. Your internet connection is too fast

B. The design file is corrupted

C. You are using the wrong tool to add comments

D. You do not have permission to comment on this file

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify common reasons for reply issues

   Permission issues often prevent replying to comments in shared files.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   File corruption is rare and would cause bigger issues; wrong tool would not allow adding comments at all; internet speed does not block replies.

3. Final Answer:

   You do not have permission to comment on this file -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Permission needed to reply to comments [OK]

Hint: Check permissions if reply box missing [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Blaming file corruption
• Confusing tool usage with permissions
• Ignoring permission settings

5. A project manager wants to keep the design feedback organized by showing only unresolved comments on the dashboard. Which Figma feature should they use to achieve this?

hard

A. Filter comments to show only unresolved threads

B. Delete all resolved comments permanently

C. Export comments to a separate file

D. Use the Text tool to highlight unresolved comments

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify how to manage comment visibility in Figma

   Figma allows filtering comments to show only unresolved ones, keeping feedback organized.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Deleting comments loses history, exporting is not for filtering, and Text tool does not manage comments.

3. Final Answer:

   Filter comments to show only unresolved threads -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Filter = show unresolved comments only [OK]

Hint: Use comment filter for unresolved only [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Deleting comments instead of filtering
• Using Text tool for comment management
• Exporting comments instead of filtering