How to Review Website Designs in Figma: A Guide for Business Owners

Many agencies and freelance designers now share website designs through Figma, a browser-based design tool. Instead of receiving static images by email, you get a link to the live design file where you can view pages, click through prototypes and leave comments directly on the design.

For business owners who have never used it, Figma can feel unfamiliar at first. This guide explains the basics so you can review designs confidently and give feedback your designer can act on.

Opening and navigating a design file

When your designer shares a Figma link, you can usually open it in a web browser without installing anything. You may need to create a free account to leave comments. Once inside, you will typically see:

• A canvas: the large central area showing the designs, often several pages laid out side by side
• A pages list: on the left, separating sections such as homepage, service pages or mobile versions
• Zoom controls: use your trackpad, mouse wheel or keyboard shortcuts to zoom in and out
• Frames: each screen design sits inside a frame, usually labelled with its name

Ask your designer which frames you should review. Design files often contain explorations, older versions and component libraries that are not meant for client review. A clear label such as "For review" saves confusion.

Use prototype mode to experience the flow

Static frames show what a page looks like, but prototypes show how it works. If your designer has linked the screens, you can click the play button to open a presentation view. Here you can:

1. Click buttons and links to move between screens
2. See how menus open or how a booking flow progresses
3. View the design at the size of a phone or desktop screen
4. Share the prototype link with colleagues who do not need edit access

Try to use the prototype as a customer would. Can you find prices? Is it obvious how to contact the business? Viewing the mobile prototype on your actual phone gives a more realistic impression than viewing it on a large monitor.

Tip: review the mobile design first. Most of your visitors will see that version, yet it often gets less attention in review meetings than the desktop layout.

Leave clear, useful comments

Figma lets you place comments directly on the part of the design you are discussing. This is far clearer than a long email. To make comments helpful:

• Click the exact element you are commenting on, such as a headline or button
• Describe the problem rather than prescribing the solution, for example "Customers might not understand this term" rather than "Make it blue"
• Explain the reason behind your comment, especially if it relates to your customers or business rules
• Keep one topic per comment so each can be resolved separately
• Mark comments as resolved once they are addressed

Collect feedback from your team before commenting, or agree that one person consolidates everything. Conflicting comments from different managers slow projects down. Our guide on how to give design feedback your agency can use has more tips.

What to check during a review

Focus on the things only you can judge well:

• Accuracy: are services, prices, names and claims correct?
• Priorities: is the most important information prominent?
• Customer understanding: would a typical customer understand every label and headline?
• Calls to action: is the next step clear on every page?
• Brand fit: does it feel like your business?
• Content gaps: is anything missing that customers often ask about?

Leave detailed visual decisions, such as exact spacing or icon styles, mostly to your designer unless something clearly feels wrong.

Approving designs with confidence

Before giving final approval, confirm that all comments are resolved and that you have reviewed both mobile and desktop versions. Ask your designer to summarise what changed in the latest round. Approval should be clear and in writing, even if it is a short message, so everyone knows the design is ready for development.

Remember that changes become more expensive once development starts. Take the time to review carefully at the design stage. Our post on approval workflows that stop endless revision loops explains how to structure approvals.

FAQ

Do I need a paid Figma account to review designs?

Usually not. Viewing and commenting on shared files is commonly possible with a free account, depending on how the file is shared.

Can I accidentally change the design?

If you have view or comment access, you cannot edit the design. Ask your designer to share with view or comment access if you are worried.

What if the design looks different on the live website?

Small differences can occur, but the build should match the approved design closely. Raise significant differences with your developer.

Figma makes design reviews more collaborative and transparent, as long as you know your way around. Learn to navigate the file, experience the prototype as a customer would, leave clear comments on specific elements and approve deliberately. Your feedback will be faster to act on and your website better for it.