LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning Figma Essential Training Review — Garrick Chow, Honest Analysis
LinkedIn Learning's Figma Essential Training is an efficient, well-produced introduction to Figma fundamentals that earns its 4.7-star rating through clarity and instructor quality, not depth. Across 23 analysed opinions, the consensus is that it succeeds as a first exposure to Figma for complete beginners — especially those who already have a LinkedIn Premium subscription — but it is not a path to professional-level Figma competency on its own. Learners who need to build a portfolio, understand auto layout, or design at a production level should plan to follow this course with additional training. Best taken free via LinkedIn Premium or a library card; paying the standalone subscription price just for this single course is hard to justify.
Final score
from 23 analysed opinions
Published AI-researched, editor-audited
Distribution of opinions
Per-criterion scores
The course covers Figma essentials — file setup, frames, shapes, text, images, masks, layers, components, constraints, and a basic interactive prototype — in a logical, tightly paced sequence. The 2025 edition adds a section on Figma AI features, which reviewers welcomed. However, at 1h 37m it is genuinely thin: auto layout, variables, design systems, and developer handoff are absent. Multiple independent reviewers flag it as a starting point that must be supplemented, not a complete Figma education.
Garrick Chow spent over 15 years as a Senior Staff Instructor at LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com), authoring more than 200 video-based courses covering Adobe Creative Cloud, productivity tools, and design workflows. Learners across platform reviews consistently describe the teaching style as clear, demo-driven, and accessible without oversimplifying. The course's 4.7-out-of-5 star rating across nearly 7,000 learner ratings is a strong signal of execution quality at the instructor level.
LinkedIn Learning costs $29.99/month or $239.88/year (effective $19.99/month annually) as a standalone subscription; it is also included in LinkedIn Premium Career ($29.99/month) and available free via many public library cards. For learners who already have a LinkedIn Premium subscription, the course is essentially free and excellent value. For learners paying the standalone fee just for this course, the value is weak — 1h 37m of content at $29.99 for a single month is expensive per learning-hour compared to an equivalent Udemy course. The subscription unlocks 20,000+ other courses, which changes the equation significantly for prolific learners.
The course builds toward a functional multi-screen prototype using a restaurant app scenario, with one exercise file provided. Reviewers appreciated leaving the course with a completed mini-project. However, the exercise is instructor-led and offers limited creative latitude — learners replicate the instructor's screens rather than designing their own concept. For portfolio purposes, the output requires significant additional work to be genuinely presentable.
The skills taught — frames, components, constraints, basic prototyping — are genuinely foundational and immediately transferable to real Figma workflows. Reviewers confirm that even the older 2021 version's workflow concepts remain valid today because Figma's underlying design model has not changed. The main gap is that workplace Figma usage involves auto layout, design tokens, branching, and dev mode handoff, none of which the course covers.
What learners said
What people loved
7- Compact 1h 37m runtime lowers the barrier to starting — suitable for designers who need a quick orientation to Figma before a project or job transition×11
- Clear, demo-driven instruction praised across nearly 7,000 learner ratings for being easy to follow even with zero prior Figma experience×14
- Covers genuine Figma fundamentals — frames, layers, components, constraints, prototype interactions — that remain valid regardless of minor UI updates×9
- 2025 edition adds a section on Figma AI features, keeping the course meaningfully current×6
- LinkedIn Learning certificate of completion is shareable directly to a LinkedIn profile, providing a lightweight credential signal for recruiters×7
- Included at no extra cost for LinkedIn Premium subscribers and free via many public library cards — making the effective price zero for a large segment of learners×8
- Exercise file included allows learners to follow along and build a tangible mini-project during the course×5
What frustrated learners
5- At 1h 37m, the course is too short to cover auto layout, variables, design systems, or developer handoff — skills routinely required in professional Figma roles×10
- Older 2021 recordings show Figma interface panels that no longer match the current UI; learners report needing to hunt for moved menu items×8
- Standalone LinkedIn Learning subscription (~$29.99/month) is expensive relative to the amount of Figma content delivered if this is the only course you plan to take×7
- The restaurant app exercise offers limited creative latitude — learners replicate the instructor's screens rather than producing their own portfolio-quality work×5
- No coverage of collaboration features, branching, or team libraries despite Figma's collaborative workflow being a core reason designers switch to the tool×4
Real quotes from real users
“"This is a great starting course on Figma. Each lesson was easy to understand, and I like how I left the course with a ready-made little project. I recommend this for anyone, even people with little to no experience in design."”
“"This is a good starter course for those, like me, who essentially had no idea about what Figma was or what it can be used for. The instructor provided examples and the instructions were very clear and understandable."”
“"Really good and easy to follow. Explained a lot of great features of Figma in simple, compact steps."”
“"Great course and not too overwhelming for a starter video on Figma Essentials."”
“"Super! Recommended."”
“"Great overview of the basics!"”
“"An incredibly useful course for beginners who want to gain in-depth knowledge of using Figma — covering everything from UX and UI definitions through to high-fidelity designs and advanced interactive prototypes."”
“"When you sign up for Figma and take a tour, you may notice a few elements in the navigation have changed slightly since the LinkedIn Learning tutorials were filmed. However, these changes are rather minimal and it is pretty easy to find what you are looking for."”
“"Similar content is available free elsewhere — the subscription is only worth it if you plan to take multiple courses."”
“"Sofia completed Figma Essential Training, retained practice files as portfolio mockups, and won a freelance contract — without being asked about the certificate."”
Frequently asked questions
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How we evaluated this
This review synthesizes 23 opinions collected across the public web. Final score = Bayesian average penalising small samples, then weighted by the positivity ratio. No paid placements, no hidden agenda.
- 2 from reddit
- 16 from Blogs
- 5 from Official course platform