Overview
At its Config 2024 conference, Figma unveiled ‘Make Designs,’ a generative AI tool meant to quickly mock up app interfaces. Soon after, designers reported that the tool’s outputs looked almost identical to Apple’s Weather app. Figma CEO Dylan Field acknowledged the problem and suspended the feature, saying he had pushed the team to meet a deadline and that the tool was in beta. Figma’s CTO Kris Rasmussen explained that the company hadn’t trained the AI models; instead, Make Designs relied on third‑party models and a bespoke design system that lacked sufficient variation. Field emphasized that the feature was not trained on Figma community files or app designs and that low variability in the design system was the root cause.
What Went Wrong
Figma’s Make Design feature used off‑the‑shelf models and a commissioned design system with low variation. Without adequate safeguards or testing, the tool generated UIs that closely replicated Apple’s Weather app, raising legal and ethical concerns. Figma had no process to detect or prevent such copycat outputs before launch.
How It Was Fixed
Dylan Field removed the Make Design feature and took responsibility, saying the launch was rushed. Figma is reviewing its bespoke design system to ensure greater variation and quality, and will only re‑enable the tool once it meets the company’s standards. The company clarified that its models were not trained on Figma content or existing app designs and blamed the issue on third‑party models and the design system. Figma also introduced AI‑training policies giving users the option to opt‑out of training and said future fine‑tuning would focus on general design patterns rather than copying existing apps.