22

    Working with Effects and Shadows

    By Nitin Khatri (Senior UI/UX Designer & Educator)
    Reviewed by Sarah Miller (Principal Product Designer (Reviewer))
    Updated
    Video Lesson: 11:00
    Level: Advanced
    Official References:
    Figma Help CenterFigma YouTube Channel

    Add depth and polish to your UI with advanced effects. This lesson covers Drop Shadows, Layer Blurs, and Background Blurs for modern, layered interfaces.

    Complete tasks and quiz to finish this lesson.
    Tasks
    Quiz

    Lesson Video

    Lesson Content

    Learning Objectives

    • •Apply and configure Drop Shadows and Inner Shadows
    • •Utilize Layer Blur for decorative glassmorphism elements
    • •Implement Background Blur to create professional UI overlays
    • •Master shadow stacking to achieve realistic elevation and depth

    What You'll Learn

    1. The physics of shadows: Blur, Spread, and Offset
    2. Building a glassmorphism card effect with Background Blur
    3. Creating 'Soft UI' and neumorphic styles (and why to be careful)
    4. Combining multiple shadow layers for advanced depth

    Key Concepts

    Visual Depth
    Glassmorphism
    Elevation Systems
    Background Blur

    Key Takeaways

    • ✓Shadows should be used to indicate hierarchy and interactivity.
    • ✓Background blur is a key component of modern (glass) UI trends.
    • ✓Layer blurs can be used for glowing effects or soft background shapes.
    • ✓Stacking multiple shadows creates a more natural, diffused look than a single heavy shadow.

    Practice Tasks

    Visual Elevation System

    Create a consistent elevation system using stacked shadows to represent depth.

    • Apply a soft Drop Shadow to a card (Blur 24, Y 12, Opacity 10%)
    • Stack a second shadow for 'tight' definition (Blur 2, Y 1, Opacity 15%)
    • Save the shadow combination as an 'Effect Style' named 'Elevation/High'
    • Apply an 'Inner Shadow' to a button to simulate a pressed state

    Glassmorphism Interface

    Implement a modern glass effect using background blurs and border treatments.

    • Place a colorful image or gradient in the background
    • Create a frame on top with a low-opacity white fill (10-20%)
    • Apply a 'Background Blur' effect with a value of 20 or higher
    • Add a 1px white stroke set to 'Inside' to define the edge of the glass

    Knowledge Check

    Pass with 75% or higher

    1. In a 'Drop Shadow' effect, what does the 'Blur' value represent?

    2. What is the primary difference between a 'Drop Shadow' and an 'Inner Shadow'?

    3. How do you achieve a 'Glassmorphism' effect on a frame?

    4. What happens if you stack multiple shadow effects on a single layer?

    5. In the context of UI design, what is 'Elevation' highy dependent on?

    Lesson FAQ

    Q: How can I practice what I learned in this lesson?

    We highly recommend opening your own Figma workspace in a side window and repeating the steps shown in the video. Utilize the tasks checklist above for specific practice targets.

    Q: What should I do if my layout behaves differently from the walkthrough?

    Double-check parent-child constraints and resizing values (e.g. Hug vs Fill). Ensure Auto Layout direction is correct and check the related guidebooks below for step-by-step visual references.

    Lesson Resources & Connections

    Prerequisites

    No prerequisites required. This is a foundational starter lesson.

    Related Guidebook

    How to create responsive layouts in Figma using Auto Layout

    Read Guidebook →

    How to use Auto Layout for cards and lists in Figma

    Read Guidebook →

    Relevant Design Tool

    Image Compressor

    Reduce asset size before export.

    Open Companion Tool →

    Next Lesson

    Designing Responsive Interfaces