Figma accounts at VA

Requesting access

A Figma Professional account is available for VFS Teams to use. This account doesn’t include FigJam. You can request access to the Figma account by submitting a Figma access request ticket. Viewer-restricted seats are recommended for most people. Our limited number of editor seats are reserved for designers who create and edit files. See below for actions available for each type of role.

Roles

A person's role determines which activities they can do in design files.

Viewer-restricted

Viewer-restricted seats are for anyone on a team that builds on VA.gov or the mobile app. The following chart lists some of the activities you can do with this type of seat.

Role	Actions
Everyone	Open and view design files
	Add, reply to, or resolve comments
Researcher	View and interact with prototypes and presentations
Product Manager	View the version history of a file, then duplicate or share links to specific versions
Developer*	Select layers in the left sidebar or canvas
	Measure distances between layers in design files
	Use the properties panel in the right sidebar to inspect layer properties and view code output
	Export frames, layers, and assets in design files

*Dev Mode will only be available until the end of 2023. Many of the basic features of inspecting design files, including the ability to view code output, will be available with viewer-restricted permissions in the right sidebar in the properties tab.

Editor

Editor seats are for designers who use the design library to create mock-ups and prototypes.

Role	Actions
Designer	All of the above
	Create and edit files
	Create and share libraries with the team or organization
	Insert components from libraries
	Use styles from libraries
	Create or edit prototype connections

Permissions

Permissions determine what team-level actions a member can take. For example: the ability to move or delete team files, or invite others to the team. All teams support the same permissions: can view and can edit. Learn more about Professional plan permissions.

Browser vs. Desktop app

Figma offers both a desktop app and a web version. The desktop app is available for Windows and macOS, while the web version can be accessed through any browser.

See the advantages of each below:

Desktop app

Can work offline and sync changes when reconnected to the internet
It’s generally faster and more responsive
Can use advanced features like keyboard shortcuts and plugins

Browser

Built for collaboration
Can use on any device with an internet connection
Will always be the latest version

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