Figma Filter Chips: A Design Guide

Oct 23, 2025 by Jhon Lennon 35 views

Hey design enthusiasts! Today, we're diving deep into something super useful for your UIs: Figma filter chips. If you're looking to make your interfaces more interactive and user-friendly, understanding how to design and implement effective filter chips in Figma is a game-changer. These little guys are more than just buttons; they're interactive elements that allow users to narrow down choices, sort information, or select specific criteria within your application. Think about all those e-commerce sites where you filter by size, color, or price, or news apps where you select categories – yep, those are filter chips in action! Getting them right in Figma means your prototypes will feel more realistic and your users will have a smoother experience. We're going to break down what makes a great filter chip, how to build them efficiently in Figma, and some best practices to keep in mind. So, grab your Figma files, and let's get designing!

What Exactly Are Filter Chips?

Alright, guys, let's get crystal clear on what we're talking about when we say filter chips in Figma. Essentially, these are small, interactive UI elements that represent a single choice or criterion. They're often used in groups to allow users to select one or multiple options to filter a list or dataset. Imagine you're on a clothing website, and you want to find a specific t-shirt. You might see chips like "Size: S", "Color: Blue", "Material: Cotton", "Price: $10-$20". Clicking on "Color: Blue" would then update the displayed t-shirts to only show blue ones. Pretty neat, right? The power of filter chips lies in their clarity and ease of use. They present options in a compact and intuitive way, making complex filtering processes feel simple and manageable for the user. In the context of Figma, we're talking about designing these components so they look good, function correctly in prototypes, and are easy for developers to implement. This involves understanding their different states – like selected, unselected, and potentially disabled – and ensuring they maintain consistency across your design system. They're often designed with a clear label, sometimes an icon, and a defined clickable area. The visual feedback when a chip is selected is crucial; it needs to be obvious to the user that their choice has been registered. Designing effective filter chips requires a blend of aesthetic appeal and functional clarity. They shouldn't just look good; they need to work intuitively. This means considering spacing, typography, color contrast, and how the chips behave when a user interacts with them. We want to avoid clutter and ensure that the user can easily scan and select their desired filters. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance usability and guide the user towards their desired outcome with minimal friction. So, when you're sketching out your next interface, think about where filter chips could simplify navigation and information discovery for your users.

Why Are Filter Chips So Important?

Now, why should you even bother focusing on filter chips in your Figma designs? Well, the short answer is: user experience. In today's digital world, users expect interfaces to be intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable to use. Filter chips play a massive role in achieving this, especially when dealing with large amounts of data or complex sets of options. Think about it: if you have a product catalog with hundreds of items, how do users find what they're looking for without feeling overwhelmed? Filter chips provide a structured and visual way to slice and dice that information. They empower users to take control, allowing them to quickly narrow down their choices based on their specific needs and preferences. This reduces cognitive load – meaning users don't have to think as hard – and speeds up task completion. A user who can easily find what they need is a happy user, and a happy user is more likely to engage with your product, make a purchase, or return in the future. Beyond just usability, well-designed filter chips contribute to a cleaner and more organized interface. Instead of endless dropdowns or cluttered checkboxes, chips offer a compact and aesthetically pleasing solution. They can also guide users through a selection process, subtly educating them about the available options and attributes of the data they are interacting with. Implementing filter chips effectively in your Figma projects means you're not just designing screens; you're crafting experiences. You're building interfaces that feel smart, responsive, and considerate of the user's journey. This attention to detail can be the difference between an app that users tolerate and one they genuinely love. Plus, from a design system perspective, creating reusable filter chip components in Figma saves a ton of time and ensures consistency across your entire project. When you nail the filter chip, you're enhancing both the micro-interactions and the macro-goals of your application. It's a small element with a big impact, guys!

Designing Filter Chips in Figma: Step-by-Step

Let's get hands-on and build some filter chips in Figma! It's easier than you might think, especially if you leverage Figma's powerful component features. We'll walk through creating a basic, versatile filter chip.

1. Planning Your Chip Structure

Before you even touch Figma, think about what your filter chip needs. Typically, it will include:

Text Label: The actual filter criterion (e.g., "Electronics", "Under $50", "New Arrivals").
Container: A background shape (usually a rounded rectangle) that holds the label.
States: How it looks when unselected, selected, hovered (optional), and disabled (optional).
Interactivity: How it responds to clicks (changing state).

2. Creating the Base Component

Add a Text Layer: Type out your first filter label (e.g., "Category").
Add a Frame/Rectangle: Draw a shape behind the text. Adjust its size to fit the text comfortably with some padding on all sides. Use rounded corners for a softer look. This will be your chip's background.
Auto Layout is Your Friend: Select both the text and the background shape, then right-click and choose "Add auto layout" or press Shift + A. This is crucial! Auto layout will automatically adjust the background size as you change the text, and it makes managing padding super easy. You can set your desired padding (e.g., 8px horizontal, 4px vertical) and spacing between elements (if you add an icon later).
Styling: Apply your desired colors for the background and text for the unselected state. Choose a clear, readable font.

3. Defining States with Variants

This is where the magic happens in Figma for reusability.

Create a Component: With your auto-layout frame selected, click the "Create Component" icon in the top toolbar (or Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + K).
Add Variants: In the right-hand Properties panel, click the "+ Variants" button. This will stack copies of your component.
Define Properties: Name your first property something like "State". You'll have variants for "Default" (unselected) and "Selected".
Style Each Variant:
- Select the "Default" variant. Ensure its styling matches your intended unselected look (e.g., light grey background, dark text).
- Select the "Selected" variant. Change its styling to indicate selection (e.g., a primary brand color background, white text). You might also want to add a subtle border or shadow.
Optional Properties: You can add more properties like "Hover" (though this is often handled in prototyping), "Disabled", or even "Icon" (if you want some chips with icons).

4. Adding Interactivity (Prototyping)

Switch to Prototype Mode: Click the "Prototype" tab in the right-hand sidebar.
Connect States: Select an instance of your filter chip component on your canvas. In Prototype mode, you'll see a blue circle appear. Drag this circle to the "Selected" variant of the same component. Set the trigger to "On Click" and the action to "Change to".
Connect Back: Now, do the same in reverse. Select the "Selected" variant, drag its prototype connection to the "Default" variant, set to "On Click" -> "Change to". This allows users to deselect the chip.
Important Note: For multi-select scenarios, you'd connect the default to selected, and selected back to default. For single-select (like radio buttons), you'd need to manage the selection state across multiple chips, which often involves interactive components or more advanced prototyping setups, potentially using component properties for the active chip.

5. Using Your Filter Chips

Instance Creation: Go to the Assets panel (Shift + I) and drag instances of your filter chip component onto your designs.
Editing Labels: Simply double-click the text within an instance to change the label.
Changing States: Use the "State" property in the right-hand panel (when an instance is selected) to toggle between selected and unselected views. You can also use the interactive connections you set up.

By following these steps, you'll have a robust, reusable, and interactive set of filter chips ready to enhance your Figma prototypes, guys!

Best Practices for Filter Chip Design

Okay, so you've got the basics down for creating filter chips in Figma. But how do you make them truly effective and user-friendly? It's all about following some key best practices for filter chip design. These aren't just arbitrary rules; they're guidelines born from countless hours of user testing and interaction design.

1. Clarity and Conciseness is King

Short Labels: Keep the text on your filter chips brief and to the point. Users should be able to understand the filter option at a glance. Avoid jargon or overly technical terms. Think "Price" instead of "Monetary Value".
Clear Visual Hierarchy: Ensure the selected state is distinctly different from the unselected state. This visual feedback is crucial. Use color, font weight, or borders effectively to communicate selection status. Don't make users guess if their selection registered!
Icons (Use Wisely): Icons can be helpful for universally understood concepts (like a calendar for date or a tag for category), but they can also add ambiguity. If you use icons, ensure they are clear and pair them with text labels, especially in the initial design phase.

2. Consistency Across the Board

Uniform Styling: All your filter chips should share the same visual language – consistent typography, padding, border-radius, and color palette. This is where your Figma component variants shine.
Consistent Behavior: Whether it's single-select or multi-select, the behavior of your chips should be predictable and consistent throughout the application. Users learn patterns, and breaking them is frustrating.
Placement: Group related filter chips together logically. Common placements include above a list of results or within a dedicated filter sidebar.

3. Handling Different Interaction Models

Single-Select vs. Multi-Select: Be explicit about how your chips work. Use radio button-like behavior (only one can be selected at a time) for mutually exclusive options (like sorting by "Newest" or "Oldest"). Allow multiple selections for additive filters (like choosing multiple "Colors" or "Sizes"). Figma's interactive components can help simulate these behaviors.
Visual Feedback: As mentioned, clear visual cues for selected, unselected, and potentially hovered or disabled states are non-negotiable. A subtle animation on selection can also enhance the perceived responsiveness.

4. Accessibility Matters!

Color Contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background, especially for both selected and unselected states. Tools like the Stark plugin in Figma can help you check this.
Keyboard Navigation: Although Figma prototypes don't fully replicate keyboard navigation, design with it in mind. Ensure focus states are clear (even if just visually implied in the design) and that the tap/click targets are large enough.
Screen Reader Compatibility: Use proper semantic structure if possible (though this is more for development handoff). For the design itself, ensure the labels are descriptive.

5. Performance and Scalability

Component-Based Design: Using variants and auto layout in Figma is key. This makes your chips easily updatable and scalable. Need to change the font? Update the main component, and all instances update automatically.
Avoid Overcomplication: Don't add too many filter options at once. If you have dozens of filters, consider grouping them into categories or using a more advanced filtering UI.

By keeping these design tips for Figma filter chips in mind, you'll create interfaces that are not only visually appealing but also highly functional and a joy for your users to interact with. Remember, guys, the goal is to make the user's journey as seamless as possible, and well-executed filter chips are a huge part of that!

Advanced Filter Chip Techniques in Figma

We've covered the basics and best practices, but let's level up your Figma filter chip game with some advanced techniques. These strategies will help you create more sophisticated, dynamic, and efficient filter systems within your prototypes, making them feel incredibly realistic and saving you loads of time.

1. Interactive Components for Dynamic Behavior

While simple variants are great for toggling between selected/unselected, interactive components take it a step further. You can use them to create more complex state changes or even simulate how a group of chips interacts.

Simulating Single Select Groups: Imagine you have three chips: "All", "Active", "Completed". In a single-select scenario, clicking "Active" should automatically deselect "All" and "Completed". You can prototype this by creating a component set where each variant represents the entire group in a specific state (e.g., "All Selected", "Active Selected"). Then, link clicks on individual chips to switch to the corresponding group variant. This can get complex quickly, but it yields highly realistic results.
Conditional Logic: For slightly more advanced interactions, you can use component properties combined with variants. For example, a property could control whether a chip is enabled or disabled, visually reflected in its variant.

2. Component Properties for Granular Control

Component properties are fantastic for managing variations within a single component without needing a separate variant for every single permutation.

Adding Icons: Create a property named "Icon" with Boolean values (True/False) or specific icon names (e.g., "Calendar", "User", "None"). Within your main component, you can set up instances of icon components that are shown or hidden based on this property. This means you can easily toggle icons on/off for your chips directly from the instance properties panel.
Text Overrides: While you can always edit text directly on an instance, defining text properties can help standardize placeholder text or specific labels if needed.
State Management: Instead of just "Selected/Unselected", you could have properties like "Active" (Boolean), "Disabled" (Boolean), "Has Icon" (Boolean), allowing for a very flexible chip component.

3. Structuring Complex Filter Sets

When you have many filters, especially categorized ones, how do you keep your Figma file organized?

Nested Components: Your main filter chip component can be used within a larger "Filter Group" component. This parent component can manage the layout (auto layout is essential here!) and potentially the selection logic for a set of chips.
Component Sets: If you have variations like "Filter Chip with Icon" and "Filter Chip without Icon", you can use Component Sets to group them efficiently, managing properties like "State" and "Has Icon" across both types.
Page Organization: Dedicate a page in your Figma file for "Components" or "Design System". Keep your main filter chip component and its variants here. Use sub-pages or frames to organize different types of UI elements.

4. Prototyping with Data (Advanced)

While Figma isn't a full prototyping tool like Framer, you can simulate data-driven filtering to some extent.

Simulating Results: Create different frames representing the results after specific filters are applied. Link your filter chips to navigate to these specific result frames. This requires creating multiple frames but clearly shows the impact of filtering.
Variables (Newer Figma Feature): Figma's Variables feature can be leveraged for more dynamic prototypes. You could potentially use variables to track the selected filter state and conditionally show/hide elements or change styles based on these variables, although this requires a steeper learning curve.

Mastering these advanced Figma filter chip techniques allows you to build highly interactive and polished prototypes. It shows a deeper understanding of Figma's capabilities and results in a more convincing user experience simulation. Keep experimenting, guys – the more you play with these features, the more intuitive they become!

Conclusion: Elevate Your UI with Smart Filter Chips

So there you have it, team! We've journeyed through the world of Figma filter chips, from understanding their fundamental importance to building them step-by-step and applying advanced techniques. These seemingly small UI elements pack a powerful punch when it comes to enhancing user experience. They transform complex data selection into an intuitive and manageable process, making your applications more user-friendly and efficient. By leveraging Figma's features like Auto Layout, Variants, and Interactive Components, you can create reusable, consistent, and dynamic filter chips that not only look great but also function flawlessly in your prototypes.

Remember the key takeaways: prioritize clarity and conciseness in your labels, maintain visual and behavioral consistency, carefully consider single-select versus multi-select logic, and never forget accessibility. Implementing these best practices for filter chip design will ensure your interfaces are accessible and delightful to use for everyone.

Whether you're designing a simple blog or a complex e-commerce platform, filter chips are an indispensable tool in your UI design arsenal. They empower users, reduce cognitive load, and contribute to a cleaner, more organized interface. So, go forth and design some awesome filter chips in Figma! Your users will thank you for it. Happy designing, guys!