Why are tables still so difficult to design?
Figma’s power comes from components, enabling teams to maintain consistency, efficiency, and scalability. However, table components remain one of the most frustrating design challenges.
Creating a truly flexible Figma table component should be simple, just define the number of rows and columns, and you’re done. But in reality, it’s a tedious, time-consuming process:
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Adding a column? Manually copy, align, resize, and adjust cells - a 10-minute task per table.
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Removing rows? Hiding rows instead of deleting them bloats file size and slows down performance.
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Making updates? Navigating multiple component layers to edit a single cell adds friction.
The core issue? Tables a inherently two-dimensional, but Figma components force designers to structure them as either rows or columns first, limiting flexibility.
For teams working on SaaS platforms, enterprise software, and data-heavy dashboards, this inefficiency scales into real business costs including slower designing cycles, inconsistent UX, and wasted development effort.
The business impact
Why this problem matters
Poorly designed table components don’t just slow designers down, they affect the entire product experience:
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Tables impact usability, adoption, and customer satisfaction. A rigid table structure creates friction, making it harder for users to engage with features effectively.
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Inconsistent table designs create technical debt. Every variation requires custom development work, slowing down releases and increasing maintenance costs.
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Lack of flexibility forces manual workarounds. Detaching table components breaks consistency, requiring teams to redo the same fixes across multiple screens.
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A well-designed table is a competitive advantage. Faster workflows mean quicker time-to-market, reduced churn, and a seamless user experience.
A flexible Figma table component isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s a key driver of efficiency and scalability.
The solution
A fully configurable, responsive table component
We set out to a smarter table component that allows designers to:
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Easily adjust rows and columns without detaching components.
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Modify headers and cells effortlessly at the first level of selection.
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Reduce Figma file size by eliminating hidden elements.
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Ensure scalability across different layouts.
Through multiple iterations, we tested various approaches. Some failed, but three solutions emerged as the most effective.
Solution 1: A modular approach with swappable placeholders
Our first attempt introduced a modular system with:
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Horizontal placeholders for columns
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Nested vertical placeholder for rows
Each placeholder could be swapped with a preferred component, offering better flexibility. While promising, we needed something even more dynamic.
Solution 2: A unified table component with variable controls
Building on solution 1, we refined our approach into a single configurable Figma table component with:
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Uses variables to define the number of columns and rows
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Allows designers to toggle headers on/off at the first selection level
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Keeps cell customization at the third level for better organization
This setup streamlined the process, making it easier to configure tables quickly. However, the placeholder components still had limitations, leading us to one final breakthrough.
The👑Component: The ultimate table configuration
To overcome all limitations, we built a custom placeholder component designed specifically for tables:
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Lightweight and optimized - No necessary elements, reducing file size.
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Predefined row-column combinations - Users can quickly add/remove rows and columns.
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Preferred swap instances - Ensures designers don’t have to search through libraries.
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Boolean toggle for “Status Line” - A common feature in our designs, now easy to enable/disable.
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Fill option for text/number-based columns - Supports truncation or resizing per use case.
Key benefit: Essential properties (rows, columns, headers) are surfaced at the first level of selection, eliminating deep nesting and making table adjustments effortless.
The result
A smarter table component that works at scale
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Faster table customization - Designers spend less time adjusting layouts and more time solving real UX challenges
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Reduced errors and inconsistencies - No more detached components or misaligned tables across screens.
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Lighter Figma files and better performance - Eliminating hidden elements prevents slowdown.
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Scalable across multiple products - Works across SaaS dashboards, enterprise applications, and data-heavy interfaces.
Why table components matter for scalable design systems
Tables are one of the most frequently used yet overlooked design components in SaaS and enterprise software. A poorly structured table component design system leads to:
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Wasted time on repetitive tasks
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Inconsistent UI across products
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Increased technical debt & maintenance costs
By building a fully optimized Figma table component, teams can design faster, more scalable, and error-proof table layouts, without manual workarounds.
Want to explore this table component in action? Check out our full post on Figma Community.
