Overheard a junior designer say they never use the 'R' key in Figma

They were clicking the rectangle tool icon every single time, which is crazy to me. I sat them down and showed them how just hitting 'R' and dragging can shave seconds off each shape, which adds up fast over a project. Honestly, if you're not using keyboard shortcuts for your main tools, you're just making your own job harder. What's the one shortcut you think every new designer has to learn first?

3 comments

3 Comments

sean_dixon962mo ago

But what if clicking the icon is just how their brain works? Maybe they tried shortcuts once and it broke their flow, so they went back to what feels natural. Those seconds you save might not matter if you're constantly stopping to remember which key does what. For some people, a clean mental process is way more important than raw speed. Isn't the goal just to get the work done well, no matter how you get there?

felix4782mo ago

Honestly, I get the mental flow thing. Tried to show a new hire the 'V' key for the move tool and they just blanked. So I had them do a dumb five-minute drill, just making a page of random shapes with only shortcuts. Muscle memory kicked in by the end. Now they can't imagine clicking. Sometimes you just need to force the habit once for it to click.

-1

quinn_kim451mo ago

My old boss made me do that drill for a week, sean_dixon96, and it finally stuck.