Figma's new Make Design is an artificial intelligence tool that allows users to generate app mockups quickly. However, it was temporarily disabled after its designs were accused of being similar to Apple's iOS weather app.
In a social media post on Tuesday, July 2, CEO Dylan Field detailed the tool's removal, took responsibility for rushing the team to reach a deadline, and defended the firm's development of its AI technologies.
(1) As we shared at Config last week - as well as on our blog, our website, and many other touchpoints - the Make Design feature is not trained on Figma content, community files or app designs. In other words, the accusations around data training in this tweet are false. https://t.co/jlfmroPPhm
— Dylan Field (@zoink) July 2, 2024
Similar to Apple's Weather App?
Andy Allen, proprietor of NotBoring Software who makes several useful applications like a skinnable weather app, was the first to notice the issue, according to TechCrunch. Through his testing, he discovered that using Figma's tool as a design aid would often replicate Apple's Weather app.
On Monday, July 1, Allen posted on X to warn users of the Make Design tool to carefully review their work or significantly alter the final products to avoid inadvertently breaking the law.
What Is Make Design?
Figma's Make Design tool can produce user interface (UI) layouts and components from text prompts. According to Figma, the functionality was created so developers may more rapidly jot down their ideas, test several design paths, and ultimately find a solution.
Field said on X that the tool was launched at last week's Figma Config conference, where the firm clarified that it was not trained on Figma content, community files, or app designs. He said Allen's claims about data training are false.
The CEO said the Make Design function will be temporarily disabled in Figma until the team can handle the output and has finished testing the design system that supports it.
Join the Conversation