, the leader in interactive prototyping tools for automotive HMI and UX design, made a strong impression at 

, held December 8–10th of last year in Detroit, Michigan. A major highlight of ProtoPie’s participation was a keynote speech by 

, CEO of ProtoPie, who captivated the audience with insights on the importance of prototyping and the journey behind ProtoPie. The event also provided an excellent opportunity to connect with attendees from leading organizations, such as 

Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America

, fostering meaningful discussions about the future of automotive HMI.

Building connections with industry leaders

CEO Tony Kim's keynote Inspires Attendees

Looking ahead - Car HMI USA & Europe 2025

ProtoPie’s booth drew significant attention, becoming a focal point for visitors eager to learn about its innovative prototyping solutions. Many attendees scheduled on-site demos with Tim Crouse, Head of Business Development, further solidifying engagement. The booth’s professional setup received high praise from event organizers and visitors.

Building Connections with Industry Leaders

ProtoPie leveraged the event to establish strong connections with top-tier automotive companies. It was a great opportunity to network with 

, reaffirming ProtoPie’s position as a trusted partner for advanced HMI prototyping solutions.

CEO Tony Kim's Keynote Inspires Attendees

Tony Kim’s keynote at Car HMI USA 2024, titled 

“The Role of Prototyping in Revolutionizing Automotive HMI,”

 captivated a large audience. He emphasized how prototyping accelerates innovation, enhances collaboration, and bridges the gap between designers and engineers in automotive development. Tony also shared the inspiring story behind ProtoPie’s creation and its mission to empower teams with no-code tools for designing intuitive HMI systems.

The presentation featured real-world examples of how ProtoPie is helping automotive leaders innovate faster and create better user experiences. By highlighting its applications in complex systems like in-car displays and IoT integrations, Tony demonstrated ProtoPie’s transformative potential. The keynote not only drew attention to the booth but also sparked meaningful discussions about the future of automotive HMI design.

"Car HMI USA 2024 was a tremendous success for ProtoPie,"

"The event not only allowed us to showcase the transformative power of interactive prototyping in automotive HMI but also provided invaluable opportunities to engage with industry leaders and explore partnerships that will shape the future of automotive innovation."

ProtoPie’s participation in Car HMI USA 2024 demonstrated its commitment to empowering teams with tools to design intuitive and cutting-edge HMI experiences. Continuing its presence at major Car HMI events, ProtoPie has secured its attendance at 

, which will be held in Berlin in June 2025, and 

, further strengthening its foothold in the automotive industry.

ProtoPie is the most advanced prototyping tool for interactive designs, enabling designers to create realistic and interactive prototypes for automotive, mobile, and IoT applications without coding. Trusted by global companies like Google, BMW, and Samsung, ProtoPie empowers teams to bring their ideas to life seamlessly and collaboratively.

 is the leading automotive UX and HMI development event in North America and Europe, bringing together decision-makers and industry experts to explore the latest trends and innovations shaping the future of human-machine interfaces in vehicles.


Learn more about how ProtoPie can help with building advanced 

ProtoPie’s success at Car HMI USA 2024—CEO Tony Kim’s keynote and meaningful connections with Honda & Hyundai, setting the stage for Car HMI US & EU 2025

ProtoPie Takes Center Stage at Car HMI USA 2024

, a startup specializing in prototyping tools for a wide range of industries including automotive, IoT, mobile, and web, has raised $21 million in Series B funding. The round was co-led by returning investor LB Investment, and Korea Development Bank (KDB), a new backer, with each committing $3 million. Other participants included existing investors HB Investment and BSK Investment,  and new supporters such as Industrial Bank of Korea, Shinyoung Securities, Axis Investment, and CJ Investment.

Founded in 2014 and commercialized in 2019, ProtoPie has rapidly established itself as a prominent B2B SaaS company. The company’s high-fidelity interaction design solutions are now widely adopted by over 50,000 companies in 180 countries worldwide, across a variety of industries. ProtoPie’s global customer portfolio includes high-tech leaders such as Microsoft, Google, and Meta, as well as leading automotive OEMs like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Ford. Its impact also extends to high-growth industries driving digital transformation. This includes Medtech, with clients like Johnson & Johnson MedTech and Medtronic, and Fintech, with customers such as Chime Financial, Revolut, and Itaú Unibanco.

ProtoPie has earned recognition as a leader in the design community. ProtoPie ranked first in 2022 and second in 2023 in the annual UX Design Tools Survey’s “Advanced Prototyping Tool” category, and  was also honored with the UX Design Awards at the International Design Center in Berlin in 2024. These accolades reflect the trust and admiration ProtoPie has gained from the design community.

ProtoPie’s latest funding round reflects strong investor confidence, driven by several key factors. These include the rising demand for UX prototyping solutions amid the increasing complexity and interconnectivity of digital devices, ProtoPie's unmatched global competitiveness and market leadership, an impressive portfolio of customer success stories from some of the world’s leading companies, and its outstanding global business capabilities.

“We’re excited to continue driving innovation in high-fidelity interaction design while expanding our global footprint. This investment will enable us to deliver even greater value to our customers and empower the design community to achieve more than ever before.”

We are doubling down on ProtoPie as they pave the way for UX prototyping innovation, securing an impressive client base and delivering outstanding results. We’re excited to support their next phase of growth focused on expansion.

 said Kiho Park, CEO & President, LB Investment.

ProtoPie will leverage its Series B funding to accelerate four key strategic initiatives. First, the company plans to strengthen customer success by expanding its global sales presence, ensuring better support for its growing user base. Second, it will develop a community platform where users can share use cases, insights, and success stories, fostering greater collaboration and learning. Additionally, ProtoPie aims to establish strategic alliances within the product design workflow ecosystem, forming partnerships with UI design and UX research software firms. Lastly, the company will introduce AI-powered features to expand its total addressable market (TAM) by lowering the learning curve for designers and enabling them to push the boundaries of prototyping.

ProtoPie is the most advanced prototyping tool for interactive design. With its intuitive no-code platform, it empowers designers to create realistic, high-fidelity prototypes for automotive, mobile, IoT, and more. Trusted by industry leaders such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, ProtoPie bridges the gap between designers and engineers, turning complex ideas into tangible, actionable prototypes.

ProtoPie Secures $21 Million in Series B Funding to Drive Global Expansion and Innovation in High-Fidelity Interaction Design

ProtoPie Raises $21M to Drive Interaction Design Innovation

. This tool is great for most of our design needs when designing user interfaces, brainstorming ideas in FigJam, and creating presentations with Figma Slides. Plus, its AI integrations further enhance Figma’s versatility.

 Complex interactions can be tricky, even with its robust UI3 interface and, logic-driven features. Tasks such as real-time validations or multi-step logic, that require simple formulas and minimal setup in ProtoPie, can become cumbersome in Figma. Thus, underscoring the need for dedicated prototyping tools for 

Introduction to conditions, variables, and formulas

Creating advanced interactions & adding animations

Dynamic messaging with conditions & formulas

At the end of this tutorial, you will be able to build your own “Money Transfer App” like this from scratch:

Now, let’s address the areas Figma falls short on — 

Real-time validation and feedback limitations

Complex customization for general simple output

For example, imagine building a money transfer app where the amount entered must be validated against a user’s account balance. Users must send an amount greater than 0 but equal to or less than the total balance. In Figma, this requires numerous variables:

3 number variables (for balance and amounts)

Plus additional variables to control UI elements like message length and button opacity

But do note that Figma doesn’t natively support multi-digit input fields or keyboard interactions

. You can use numbers and strings, but you can’t type something that goes beyond a single digit. Hence, requiring to create a heavily customized keyboard from scratch with complex interactions that looks like this:

Now, imagine this crazy validation set on each key. Double it if you need it to work on an actual keyboard.

Even with some workarounds and extensive customization, notice in the output below how we still had to adjust the math with a custom balance of 

 to trigger the error message with the highest possible value we could enter with a single digit, which is 

What would require an extensive setup in Figma (with many variables and custom inputs) can be handled in ProtoPie with just 

—making the process much faster and more intuitive.

ProtoPie is the #1 advanced prototyping tool for dynamic and multimodal interactions. The tool is great and lets designers do actual interaction design. You can easily add 

 via JSON files, and seamlessly import your UI assets from tools like 

. Unlike other high-fidelity prototyping tools like 

, the tool stands out as it requires almost zero coding skills.

 Each scene is like a frame, artboard, or screen. You can only preview one scene at a time, enabling you to focus on one screen at a time when crafting complex interactions.

 Similar to other layer panels like in Figma, located on the leftmost end, it provides an overview of all the layers within the active scene, organized based on their hierarchy.

 might feel new if you haven’t touched advanced prototyping in Figma, but it’s pretty much the same. You can add local or general variables. Each one can be a string, number, or color.

 of your active scene. You can also customize the frame size, pixel density, device orientation, and specific UI elements such as System Status Bars.

 where you can create triggers (tap, click, swipe) linked to objects that trigger actions such as 

 changes. You can also preview and adjust interaction timelines here.

 Located at the rightmost end. Customize interaction properties such as width, height, position, colors, text style, and animation specifications.

 Use the Preview window to view your interactions in action and identify any errors before sharing your prototype.

 and share the Pie link with your team & stakeholders.

 that showcases user flows, element behaviors, and overall interaction integration within your prototype.

ProtoPie also offers advanced features like 

. To dive deeper into its full potential, consider exploring the 

ProtoPie goes beyond Figma’s limitations with complex interactions and validations. 

Let’s recreate the Money Transfer App but this time with ProtoPie.

Step 1: File setup. Import frames from Figma

The first step is to import the Figma file into ProtoPie. Run the 

Select the Figma frame you need and hit the 

 Wait and let ProtoPie do its magic. You will be redirected to ProtoPie once it loads all your design elements.

 in ProtoPie. Rearrange the layers if needed and set a custom 

 (I’m working with an iPhone 15 Pro screen aspect ratio).

Below is the final setup. Now, you are ready to go beyond Figma’s advanced prototyping. Let’s move on and craft actual interaction design like a Pro.

. Create a new input layer. You can now add inputs using your native keyboard, directly into the layer.

Define its size and properties like placeholder text, font styles for both empty and filled states. Then set the keyboard that should display once you tap the input. In this case, we will display a numerical keyboard.

Remove the original placeholder text/input field imported from Figma once the input field in ProtoPie is styled correctly. Rearrange its final location in the layers panel and use the 

 to test real-time inputs, which can be customized freely without creating a custom keyboard. Label the input appropriately, such as “MoneyTransfer.”

Now, to enable the math, we need to create 

: Should be numerical and have a fixed value (say 20,000) so we can subtract the amount we type.

: Also numerical, but instead of a fixed value, it captures the real-time input from the 

Make "Amount" variable dynamic

 next to each variable to see real-time updates as green badges. Adjust their position as needed, then use the 

 to confirm that the “amount” variable captures the values when you type in real-time.

Step 3: Create error messages using Conditions, variables, and Formulas

The next step is to print messages. We can print 3 different messages according to these scenarios:

 When the amount variable > balance variable.

 When 0 > amount variable < balance variable

For the initial validation, start by adding a 

. This will allow us to activate interactions upon loading this specific scene. Add a condition to the trigger to activate this interaction when the balance is 20,000.

Now let’s rename your “Balance:” text object to “Dynamic message”. First, select the “Balance:” text object and 

: When you import frames from Figma, ProtoPie by default, will turn all your text into pictures.

Rename to “Dynamic message”. We will change this text object each time with dynamic error messages based on the condition.

. Select the “Dynamic message” object.

To ensure the scene opens in the default state, we will replace the dynamic message object with the balance variable value.

 and if everything is set correctly, the “Dynamic message” text value will change to “20000”.

Now we move on to the second validation of displaying customized messages based on the 3 scenarios. Start with adding a new 

” variable. This will let your prototype review the 

variable value each time your prototype meets certain conditions. Next, you will add 3 different conditions for each scenario.

Once you reach Figma's limits, it’s time to move on. Build advanced prototypes with custom interactions, input validation, and lightweight Lottie animations in this beginner guide with ProtoPie.

Why Move from Figma to ProtoPie for Advanced Prototyping

You asked, and we listened! After hearing your requests loud and clear, we’re thrilled to finally introduce one of our community's most highly requested features—

This marks the beginning of a multi-stage rollout of Auto Layout, with this first release launching in 

. In this phase, we focus on applying auto layout to design elements and importing auto layout properties from Figma. This addresses a significant user pain point, boosting productivity and enabling a more seamless Figma-to-ProtoPie export for a faster, more efficient design workflow.

Looking ahead, future releases launching next year will expand Auto Layout to 

, providing a fully integrated solution for your design and interaction needs. Read on to explore the details of this beta release and how it can elevate your design process.

Auto layout is a design feature that automatically adjusts and arranges elements within a container based on defined rules and relationships. It allows designers to create responsive designs by specifying an element’s properties, such as padding, gap, direction, resizing options, and alignment.

Here are some of the most typical use cases:

: Automatically adjusts spacing and alignment when content is added, removed, or resized, such as in text boxes, image frames, or form fields.

: Maintains consistent padding, spacing, and alignment across components, which is especially useful for creating standardized layouts for cards, lists, and grids.

: Auto Layout makes it easy to update individual components, like buttons or navigation bars, ensuring that component instances automatically adjust consistently throughout the design.

, Auto Layout helps you create responsive designs by automatically adjusting how elements are arranged within a container based on specific layout settings.

There are several ways to apply Auto Layout in ProtoPie:

Select any object (single or multiple), right-click, and choose 

. This will automatically move the object(s) into a container and apply Auto Layout.

Select any object (single or multiple) and press 

 option in the Property panel or right-click the container and select 

: Choose horizontal or vertical alignment in the Property panel.

: Arrange child items through the Layers panel, using keyboard arrows, or directly on the canvas.

: Allow child items to resize to fill the parent container automatically.

: Set a fixed gap or let items automatically adjust to fit the available space.

: The Auto Layout option does not appear in the Property panel if you’re working with a Mask layer, a single non-container layer, or an audio layer.

What are the supported Auto Layout properties in ProtoPie?

The properties that support applying Auto Layout to layers in ProtoPie Studio include:

Check out our documentation to explore the 

With this release, ProtoPie now supports most of Figma's core Auto Layout properties, ensuring that your primary Auto Layout settings are kept when importing designs from Figma. However, some advanced features—such as ‘strokes,’ ‘canvas stacking,’ and ‘align text baseline,’ along with max/min sizing options—are not yet supported in ProtoPie.

Keep Figma and ProtoPie open and visible on your desktop during the import for optimal performance.

When importing top-level frames from Figma into ProtoPie Studio, these frames are converted into scenes, which removes any original properties, including Auto Layout settings. So, if a top frame in Figma has Auto Layout applied, it won’t carry over into ProtoPie Studio and will be omitted from the scene.

Q. Can I use Auto Layout with interactions and preview them in the Preview window or the ProtoPie Player app?

Interactions are not supported in the initial 

 release of the Auto Layout feature. In this phase, Auto Layout is focused on design elements and imports from Figma to enhance your workflow efficiency. Although you can add triggers and responses to layers with Auto Layout applied, when a layer within an Auto Layout is moved or scaled in the Preview window, the other layers will not move or scale to adjust as they do on the canvas.

However, Auto Layout for prototyping & interactions is coming next year—stay tuned for updates.

Q. Why can’t I see the Auto Layout option in the Interactions panel?

The Auto Layout option is only available in the Property panel under specific conditions. Here’s when it will and won’t appear:

When selecting and applying it to a single container.

When selecting and applying it to a Main Component.

When selecting and applying it to two or more layers.

, as Auto Layout cannot be applied to audio.

If you don’t see the Auto Layout option, check if your selection falls into one of these unsupported cases. 

This is just the beginning. In this first 

 release, Auto Layout enhances design elements and Figma imports, streamlining your workflow by importing Auto Layout properties and allowing you to edit them directly in ProtoPie for greater productivity and faster exports. Looking ahead, the next phase—set to launch next year—will bring Auto Layout to prototyping, offering a more robust and seamless integration that enhances both your design and interaction workflows.

Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of Auto Layout. Join our 

 to share your thoughts, ask questions, and stay updated on upcoming updates.

Adjust dynamic layouts, import auto layout properties from Figma, or create your own with flexible controls like direction and wrapping. Now in beta.

What’s New? Improved Import & Design with Auto Layout

Unlocking the future of prototyping for leading innovators

, the high-fidelity prototyping tool empowering designers and developers to create seamless digital and physical interactions, recently made a significant impact at the prestigious 

. Known as a hub for creative visionaries and digital innovators, this year’s DDD served as a platform for ProtoPie to showcase its capabilities, connect with industry leaders, and further establish its position at the forefront of design technology. ProtoPie CEO Tony Kim also presented ProtoPie’s advanced prototyping features.

The event attracted global heavyweights in design and business, including EY, Deloitte, AKQA, and the creative team from TikTok, among others. Notably, 15 representatives from Accenture engaged with ProtoPie, expressing keen interest in how its advanced prototyping solutions could transform their workflows and enhance client deliverables.

At the heart of the event, ProtoPie’s team demonstrated its unparalleled ability to prototype intricate user experiences that bridge digital and physical interactions. Attendees experienced firsthand how ProtoPie simplifies creating, testing, and iterating on prototypes, from dynamic app interfaces to hardware-integrated solutions. ProtoPie CEO Tony Kim gave a presentation on ProtoPie’s strong features, highlighting the importance of prototyping.

“Participating in Digital Design Days has been an incredible opportunity to engage with some of the most forward-thinking minds in the industry,” said Tony Kim, CEO of ProtoPie. “The level of interest and conversations we’ve had with companies like EY, Accenture, and TikTok reflect the growing demand for high-fidelity tools that allow teams to innovate faster and more effectively.”

ProtoPie’s presence at DDD strengthened its visibility among creative professionals and resulted in promising leads across key sectors such as consulting, tech, and advertising. With top-tier brands and agencies like Deloitte and AKQA exploring ProtoPie’s potential, the company is poised to expand its reach and influence in the global design community.

ProtoPie is a high-fidelity prototyping tool that bridges the gap between digital design and real-world interaction. Trusted by leading brands and agencies worldwide, including Google, Meta, and Microsoft, ProtoPie enables teams to create and test interactive prototypes with unparalleled accuracy and powerful integration capabilities.

 is an international event celebrating the best in digital creativity, innovation, and design. Hosted in Milan, DDD brings together global industry leaders, creative professionals, and tech enthusiasts to explore cutting-edge tools and trends shaping the future of digital design.

ProtoPie showcased its advanced prototyping tools at Digital Design Days in Milan, connecting with industry leaders like EY, Accenture, TikTok, and Deloitte.

ProtoPie Showcases Innovation at Digital Design Days in Milan

The holidays are here, and what better way to celebrate than with festive prototypes? We’ve curated five ProtoPie creations that showcase the magic of interactive prototyping, perfect for adding a touch of seasonal cheer to your projects. From IoT integrations to smartwatch apps, these prototypes highlight the versatility of ProtoPie.

Each Pie is linked so you can explore and replicate these creative ideas firsthand. Let’s dive in!

🔍 4. Spot the difference – holiday edition

Transform your Christmas tree into the star of your holiday decorations with this smart home app prototype. Leveraging ProtoPie Connect for seamless software-hardware integration and enhanced with a festive sprinkle of Lottie animations, this prototype brings your tree to life in a way that stands out.

Lottie animations for extra festive cheer

Design personalized holiday cards with this creative mobile prototype. Drag, rotate, and pinch interactions make it intuitive and fun to create  designs for your loved ones.

Get into the holiday spirit with a unique calendar that unveils its surprises day by day. Using 3D "Fling" triggers and a "dateNow" formula, each door unlocks only on the corresponding day to reveal a delicious pie recipe, making it a delightful countdown to the Holidays.

"Fling" Trigger with a 3D Rotate response 

Conditions and "dateNow" formula to ensure each door opens on its corresponding day.

Challenge your attention to detail with this festive twist on a classic game. Using variables to track game progress, this interactive experience adds a fun and engaging element to the holidays.

Ring in the New Year with this stunning smartwatch prototype. The app features a real-time countdown that triggers a celebratory animation at midnight, making it perfect for your New Year’s Eve plans.

Time formulas like 'diffDate' and 'dateNow'


Lottie animations for a dazzling finale



These festive ProtoPie prototypes are just the beginning of what you can achieve with ProtoPie.

From IoT integrations to real-time interactions, each creation showcases the power of ProtoPie to bring ideas to life in a magical way.

Whether you're looking to inspire your next project or just want to explore some holiday creativity, these prototypes are the perfect place to start.

 Download ProtoPie today and make your designs sparkle!

Explore interactive holiday prototypes to add seasonal magic to your designs.

5 Holiday-Themed Prototype Ideas

Time-based UI's are occasionally overlooked in UX design strategy, but stopwatch-styled timers are common features in exercise, cooking, and productivity apps. Consider the apps you use that include a temporal aspect of tasks and how you might incorporate a stopwatch timer into the app prototypes you are designing.

allows designers to create functioning stopwatch timers by using formulas, detect functions, and variables. With these powerful tools, ProtoPie is able to read and react to changes in data. While it may seem complicated, exploring these skills will prove that ProtoPie is a powerful tool for your data (and time) oriented designs!

Automate the centiseconds using a variable

Increase the second using detect and condition

Increase the minute using detect and condition

In the end, you’ll be able to make something like this!

In the assets, you'll notice that the interactions for the 

 have already been created. This is made with the 

 feature. If you want to learn how to make a button based on Condition, please check 

How to Make a Toggle Button with Condition

1. Automate the centiseconds using a variable

　1. You are going to start working on the last two digits (centiseconds) and making them start and stop with the button. Create a new 

. Leave the variable's defaults so it will remain as a number and starting at 

. Drag out your debugger onto your preview screen so you can test your work.

 variable. Testing your start and stop button in the preview, you'll notice the numbers do continuously go up and will stop with the button.

. To do this, add a new trigger and select 

　5. Create a condition, that reads when the 

. It is very hard to notice this delay, but it is important for later on. Using your debugger, you can see that the value goes to 99 and then restarts at 0.

In this advanced tutorial, you'll prototype a stopwatch-styled timer while exploring how formulas, detect functions, and variables can manipulate data.

ProtoPie Blog

What’s New? Improved Import & Design with Auto Layout

Latest posts

ProtoPie Takes Center Stage at Car HMI USA 2024

ProtoPie Raises $21M to Drive Interaction Design Innovation

Why Move from Figma to ProtoPie for Advanced Prototyping

ProtoPie Showcases Innovation at Digital Design Days in Milan

5 Holiday-Themed Prototype Ideas

Create a Stopwatch Timer using Formulas and Variables

Low-Fidelity vs. High-Fidelity Prototyping: Key Differences Explained

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