Dylan Field, the CEO of Figma, has announced that the company will be temporarily disabling its “Make Design” AI feature. Concerns about similarities between the feature’s designs and Apple’s Weather app prompted this decision. The problem was initially spotted by Andy Allen, the founder of NotBoring Software, a company that develops a range of apps, including a highly customisable weather app and other useful tools. Allen initially identified the problem. discovered that Figma’s tool consistently replicated the design of Apple’s Weather app.
Allen expressed his concerns on X, formerly Twitter, about Figma’s tool heavily relying on existing apps for training. However, Field has now denied these accusations.
The Make Design feature is readily accessible in Figma’s software, allowing for the automatic generation of UI layouts and components based on text prompts. The company launched the feature, explaining that all you need to do is describe your needs, and it will provide you with a first draft.
The concept was for developers to use the feature in order to quickly jot down their ideas and start exploring various design possibilities, ultimately reaching a solution more efficiently, according to Figma.
Last week, Figma’s Config conference unveiled the feature. The company clarified during the event that it did not receive training using Figma content, community files, or app designs. This is noted in Field’s response to X.
“The allegations regarding data training in this tweet are completely untrue,” he stated.
However, it appears that it may have neglected the necessary quality assurance work that should accompany these additions in its eagerness to introduce new AI features and stay ahead of the competition.
Similar to concerns raised in other industries, certain designers quickly raised objections to Figma’s AI tools, such as Make Design, suggesting that they could lead to job losses by making digital design accessible to the general public. On the other hand, some designers argued that AI would primarily assist in reducing the number of repetitive tasks involved in design, thereby enabling more innovative ideas to surface. 
Allen’s realisation that Figma appeared to be imitating other apps sparked growing worry within the design community.
“I wanted to give a friendly reminder to all designers using the new Make Designs feature to carefully review existing apps or make significant modifications to the results. This will help you avoid any potential legal issues,” Allen cautioned others on X.
Field clarified that Make Design uses pre-existing large language models as well as custom systems developed specifically for him; this approach has too little variability.
As soon as we saw Allen’s tweet, we swiftly identified the issue, connecting it to the developed underlying design systems, Field said on Twitter. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with me for not prioritising a more rigorous QA process for this project and motivating our team to meet the configuration deadline.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment. Figma cited Field’s tweets as its official response.
According to Field, Figma has decided to temporarily disable the Make Design feature. The team has made this decision to guarantee their full support and commitment to the output of this feature. Starting on Tuesday, we will temporarily disable the feature until Figma thoroughly tests the underlying design system.
