Visualize information using shapes with text

About shapes

Shapes in FigJam are foundational tool for any project. Shapes can be resized, rotated, and given dashed or solid outlines.

Shapes are perfect for:

• Diagrams
• Flow charts
• User journeys and user flows
• Site maps
• Data flow diagrams
• Any fun exercise involving shapes with text!

Types of default shapes

Create shapes

There are a few ways to create a shape, from either the toolbar or an existing shape on the board.

From the toolbar

1. Click next to the Shape tool to select a shape.
2. Hover the shape preview over the board to pick a spot.
3. Click again to drop the shape.

You can also drag and drop a shape from the toolbar onto the board.

From the shapes sidebar

Use the shapes sidebar to view and access all shapes and line types, along with those recently used.

To open the shapes sidebar, click in the toolbar to open the shapes menu and select More shapes. The sidebar will remain open while you work. Click to close the shapes sidebar.

Shortcut

Use the keyboard shortcuts:

• Square: R
• Ellipse: O

Quick actions

Open the quick actions bar using:

1. Use the keyboard shortcut:
   • Mac: ⌘ Command /
   • Windows: Control /
2. Type the shape name like rectangle or diamond, then hit Return or Enter.
3. Hover the shape preview over the board to pick a spot.
4. Click again to drop the shape.

From existing shapes

Quick create

1. Create or select an existing shape.
2. Use the keyboard shortcut:
   • Mac: ⌘ Command Return
   • Windows: Control Enter

A new shape will appear next to the original one.

Learn more about quick create →

Duplicate

To duplicate a shape:

Select an existing shape, then use the keyboard shortcut:

• Mac: ⌘ Command D Windows: Control D
• Or, press Alt then click and drag from an existing shape.

In either case, the original shape is duplicated along with any text inside it.

Add connectors

Add connectors between stickies to diagram flows or create paths for others to follow.

1. Click in the toolbar.
2. Select between an elbow or straight connector. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts X or ⇧ Shift L to create an elbow connection, and L for a straight connection.
3. Click and drag your cursor between the objects you want to connect.

Once created, you can click and drag a connector's start or end point to another object, or another side of the same object.

Learn more about creating connectors →

Edit shapes

Color

Use the color picker in the toolbar to change a shape's color or opacity.

To edit a shape's color:

1. Select the shape.
2. Click the color picker in the toolbar.
3. Select a new color and fill option.

Learn more about using colors in FigJam →

Size

There are two ways to resize a shape:

• Drag the corner of a shape to evenly scale it up or down in size. The shape will keep its ratios the same, but make the shape a different size.
• Drag a side of a shape to only change its width or height. This way, you can make an equilateral square into a rectangle, or a perfect circle into an oval.

When you resize a shape with text, the amount of space the text has changes, but not the text's size. Use the text size options in the toolbar to change text size.

Learn more about resizing objects in FigJam →

Text

You can change the text's formatting using the sticky's toolbar when it's selected. From here, you can change the text's size, weight, create lists, and more.

Learn more about formating text in FigJam →

Rotation

To rotate a shape:

1. Select the shape you want to rotate.
2. Hover your cursor near a corner until it turns into
3. Click and drag your cursor in the direction you want the shape to rotate.

When you rotate a shape, its contents rotate with it.

Learn more about rotating objects in FigJam →