Figma Generate Design

1---2name: figma-generate-design3description: "Use this skill alongside figma-use when the task involves translating an application page, view, or multi-section layout into Figma. Triggers: 'write to Figma', 'create in Figma from code', 'push page to Figma', 'take this app/page and build it in Figma', 'create a screen', 'build a landing page in Figma', 'update the Figma screen to match code'. This is the preferred workflow skill whenever the user wants to build or update a full page, screen, or view in Figma from code or a description. Discovers design system components, variables, and styles via search_design_system, imports them, and assembles screens incrementally section-by-section using design system tokens instead of hardcoded values."4disable-model-invocation: false5---6 7# Build / Update Screens from Design System8 9Use this skill to create or update full-page screens in Figma by **reusing the published design system** — components, variables, and styles — rather than drawing primitives with hardcoded values. The key insight: the Figma file likely has a published design system with components, color/spacing variables, and text/effect styles that correspond to the codebase's UI components and tokens. Find and use those instead of drawing boxes with hex colors.10 11**MANDATORY**: You MUST also load [figma-use](../figma-use/SKILL.md) before any `use_figma` call. That skill contains critical rules (color ranges, font loading, etc.) that apply to every script you write.12 13**Always pass `skillNames: "figma-generate-design"` when calling `use_figma` as part of this skill.** This is a logging parameter — it does not affect execution.14 15## Skill Boundaries16 17- Use this skill when the deliverable is a **Figma screen** (new or updated) composed of design system component instances.18- If the user wants to generate **code from a Figma design**, switch to [figma-implement-design](../figma-implement-design/SKILL.md).19- If the user wants to create **new reusable components or variants**, use [figma-use](../figma-use/SKILL.md) directly.20- If the user wants to write **Code Connect mappings**, switch to [figma-code-connect](../figma-code-connect/SKILL.md).21 22## Prerequisites23 24- Figma MCP server must be connected25- The target Figma file must have a published design system with components (or access to a team library)26- User should provide either:27  - A Figma file URL / file key to work in28  - Or context about which file to target (the agent can discover pages)29- Source code or description of the screen to build/update30 31## Parallel Workflow with generate_figma_design (Web Apps Only)32 33When building a screen from a **web app** that can be rendered in a browser, the best results come from running both approaches in parallel:34 351. **In parallel:**36   - Start building the screen using this skill's workflow (use_figma + design system components)37   - Run `generate_figma_design` to capture a pixel-perfect screenshot of the running web app382. **Once both complete:** Update the use_figma output to match the pixel-perfect layout from the `generate_figma_design` capture. The capture provides the exact spacing, sizing, and visual treatment to aim for, while your use_figma output has proper component instances linked to the design system. If the capture contains images, transfer them to your use_figma output by copying `imageHash` values from the capture's image fills (see Step 5 for details).393. **Once confirmed looking good:** Delete the `generate_figma_design` output — it was only used as a visual reference.40 41This combines the best of both: `generate_figma_design` gives pixel-perfect layout accuracy, while use_figma gives proper design system component instances that stay linked and updatable.42 43**This parallel workflow is MANDATORY when the source contains images.** The `use_figma` Plugin API cannot fetch external image URLs — it can only set image fills by copying `imageHash` values from nodes already in the file. `generate_figma_design` rasterizes all visible images into Figma, providing the hashes you need. If you skip the capture when images are present, image frames will be left blank.44 45For non-web apps (iOS, Android, etc.) or when updating existing screens, use the standard workflow below.46 47## Required Workflow48 49**Follow these steps in order. Do not skip steps.**50 51### Step 1: Understand the Screen52 53Before touching Figma, understand what you're building:54 551. If building from code, read the relevant source files to understand the page structure, sections, and which components are used.562. Identify the major sections of the screen (e.g., Header, Hero, Content Panels, Pricing Grid, FAQ Accordion, Footer).573. For each section, list the UI components involved (buttons, inputs, cards, navigation pills, accordions, etc.).584. **Check whether the screen contains any images** (e.g., `<img>`, `<Image>`, background images, product photos, avatars, icons loaded from URLs). If it does and this is a web app, you **must** run the parallel `generate_figma_design` capture workflow — start it immediately alongside Step 2 so the capture runs while you discover components. See "Parallel Workflow with generate_figma_design" above.59 60### Step 2: Discover Design System — Components, Variables, and Styles61 62You need three things from the design system: **components** (buttons, cards, etc.), **variables** (colors, spacing, radii), and **styles** (text styles, effect styles like shadows). Don't hardcode hex colors or pixel values when design system tokens exist.63 64#### 2a: Discover components65 66**Preferred: inspect existing screens first.** If the target file already contains screens using the same design system, skip `search_design_system` and inspect existing instances directly. A single `use_figma` call that walks an existing frame's instances gives you an exact, authoritative component map:67 68```js69const frame = figma.currentPage.findOne(n => n.name === "Existing Screen");70const uniqueSets = new Map();71frame.findAll(n => n.type === "INSTANCE").forEach(inst => {72  const mc = inst.mainComponent;73  const cs = mc?.parent?.type === "COMPONENT_SET" ? mc.parent : null;74  const key = cs ? cs.key : mc?.key;75  const name = cs ? cs.name : mc?.name;76  if (key && !uniqueSets.has(key)) {77    uniqueSets.set(key, { name, key, isSet: !!cs, sampleVariant: mc.name });78  }79});80return [...uniqueSets.values()];81```82 83Only fall back to `search_design_system` when the file has no existing screens to reference. When using it, **search broadly** — try multiple terms and synonyms (e.g., "button", "input", "nav", "card", "accordion", "header", "footer", "tag", "avatar", "toggle", "icon", etc.). Use `includeComponents: true` to focus on components.84 85**Include component properties** in your map — you need to know which TEXT properties each component exposes for text overrides. Create a temporary instance, read its `componentProperties` (and those of nested instances), then remove the temp instance.86 87Example component map with property info:88 89```90Component Map:91- Button → key: "abc123", type: COMPONENT_SET92  Properties: { "Label#2:0": TEXT, "Has Icon#4:64": BOOLEAN }93- PricingCard → key: "ghi789", type: COMPONENT_SET94  Properties: { "Device": VARIANT, "Variant": VARIANT }95  Nested "Text Heading" has: { "Text#2104:5": TEXT }96  Nested "Button" has: { "Label#2:0": TEXT }97```98 99#### 2b: Discover variables (colors, spacing, radii)100 101**Inspect existing screens first** (same as components). Or use `search_design_system` with `includeVariables: true`.102 103> **WARNING: Two different variable discovery methods — do not confuse them.**104>105> - `use_figma` with `figma.variables.getLocalVariableCollectionsAsync()` — returns **only local variables defined in the current file**. If this returns empty, it does **not** mean no variables exist. Remote/published library variables are invisible to this API.106> - `search_design_system` with `includeVariables: true` — searches across **all linked libraries**, including remote and published ones. This is the correct tool for discovering design system variables.107>108> **Never conclude "no variables exist" based solely on `getLocalVariableCollectionsAsync()` returning empty.** Always also run `search_design_system` with `includeVariables: true` to check for library variables before deciding to create your own.109 110**Query strategy:** `search_design_system` matches against **variable names** (e.g., "Gray/gray-9", "core/gray/100", "space/400"), not categories. Run multiple short, simple queries in parallel rather than one compound query:111 112- **Primitive colors:** "gray", "red", "blue", "green", "white", "brand"113- **Semantic colors:** "background", "foreground", "border", "surface", "text"114- **Spacing/sizing:** "space", "radius", "gap", "padding"115 116If initial searches return empty, try shorter fragments or different naming conventions — libraries vary widely ("grey" vs "gray", "spacing" vs "space", "color/bg" vs "background").117 118Inspect an existing screen's bound variables for the most authoritative results:119 120```js121const frame = figma.currentPage.findOne(n => n.name === "Existing Screen");122const varMap = new Map();123frame.findAll(() => true).forEach(node => {124  const bv = node.boundVariables;125  if (!bv) return;126  for (const [prop, binding] of Object.entries(bv)) {127    const bindings = Array.isArray(binding) ? binding : [binding];128    for (const b of bindings) {129      if (b?.id && !varMap.has(b.id)) {130        const v = await figma.variables.getVariableByIdAsync(b.id);131        if (v) varMap.set(b.id, { name: v.name, id: v.id, key: v.key, type: v.resolvedType, remote: v.remote });132      }133    }134  }135});136return [...varMap.values()];137```138 139For library variables (remote = true), import them by key with `figma.variables.importVariableByKeyAsync(key)`. For local variables, use `figma.variables.getVariableByIdAsync(id)` directly.140 141See [variable-patterns.md](../figma-use/references/variable-patterns.md) for binding patterns.142 143#### 2c: Discover styles (text styles, effect styles)144 145Search for styles using `search_design_system` with `includeStyles: true` and terms like "heading", "body", "shadow", "elevation". Or inspect what an existing screen uses:146 147```js148const frame = figma.currentPage.findOne(n => n.name === "Existing Screen");149const styles = { text: new Map(), effect: new Map() };150frame.findAll(() => true).forEach(node => {151  if ('textStyleId' in node && node.textStyleId) {152    const s = figma.getStyleById(node.textStyleId);153    if (s) styles.text.set(s.id, { name: s.name, id: s.id, key: s.key });154  }155  if ('effectStyleId' in node && node.effectStyleId) {156    const s = figma.getStyleById(node.effectStyleId);157    if (s) styles.effect.set(s.id, { name: s.name, id: s.id, key: s.key });158  }159});160return {161  textStyles: [...styles.text.values()],162  effectStyles: [...styles.effect.values()]163};164```165 166Import library styles with `figma.importStyleByKeyAsync(key)`, then apply with `node.textStyleId = style.id` or `node.effectStyleId = style.id`.167 168See [text-style-patterns.md](../figma-use/references/text-style-patterns.md) and [effect-style-patterns.md](../figma-use/references/effect-style-patterns.md) for details.169 170### Step 3: Create the Page Wrapper Frame First171 172**Do NOT build sections as top-level page children and reparent them later** — moving nodes across `use_figma` calls with `appendChild()` silently fails and produces orphaned frames. Instead, create the wrapper first, then build each section directly inside it.173 174Create the page wrapper in its own `use_figma` call. Position it away from existing content and return its ID:175 176```js177// Find clear space178let maxX = 0;179for (const child of figma.currentPage.children) {180  maxX = Math.max(maxX, child.x + child.width);181}182 183const wrapper = figma.createAutoLayout("VERTICAL");184wrapper.name = "Homepage";185wrapper.primaryAxisAlignItems = "CENTER";186wrapper.counterAxisAlignItems = "CENTER";187wrapper.resize(1440, 100);188wrapper.layoutSizingHorizontal = "FIXED";189wrapper.x = maxX + 200;190wrapper.y = 0;191 192return { success: true, wrapperId: wrapper.id };193```194 195### Step 4: Build Each Section Inside the Wrapper196 197**This is the most important step.** Build one section at a time, each in its own `use_figma` call. At the start of each script, fetch the wrapper by ID and append new content directly to it.198 199```js200const createdNodeIds = [];201const wrapper = await figma.getNodeByIdAsync("WRAPPER_ID_FROM_STEP_3");202 203// Import design system components by key204const buttonSet = await figma.importComponentSetByKeyAsync("BUTTON_SET_KEY");205const primaryButton = buttonSet.children.find(c =>206  c.type === "COMPONENT" && c.name.includes("variant=primary")207) || buttonSet.defaultVariant;208 209// Import design system variables for colors and spacing210const bgColorVar = await figma.variables.importVariableByKeyAsync("BG_COLOR_VAR_KEY");211const spacingVar = await figma.variables.importVariableByKeyAsync("SPACING_VAR_KEY");212 213// Build section frame with variable bindings (not hardcoded values)214const section = figma.createAutoLayout();215section.name = "Header";216section.setBoundVariable("paddingLeft", spacingVar);217section.setBoundVariable("paddingRight", spacingVar);218const bgPaint = figma.variables.setBoundVariableForPaint(219  { type: 'SOLID', color: { r: 0, g: 0, b: 0 } }, 'color', bgColorVar220);221section.fills = [bgPaint];222 223// Import and apply text/effect styles224const shadowStyle = await figma.importStyleByKeyAsync("SHADOW_STYLE_KEY");225section.effectStyleId = shadowStyle.id;226 227// Create component instances inside the section228const btnInstance = primaryButton.createInstance();229section.appendChild(btnInstance);230createdNodeIds.push(btnInstance.id);231 232// Append section to wrapper233wrapper.appendChild(section);234section.layoutSizingHorizontal = "FILL"; // AFTER appending235 236createdNodeIds.push(section.id);237return { success: true, createdNodeIds };238```239 240After each section, validate with `get_screenshot` before moving on. Look closely for cropped/clipped text (line heights cutting off content) and overlapping elements — these are the most common issues and easy to miss at a glance.241 242#### Override instance text with setProperties()243 244Component instances ship with placeholder text ("Title", "Heading", "Button"). Use the component property keys you discovered in Step 2 to override them with `setProperties()` — this is more reliable than direct `node.characters` manipulation. See [component-patterns.md](../figma-use/references/component-patterns.md#overriding-text-in-a-component-instance) for the full pattern.245 246For nested instances that expose their own TEXT properties, call `setProperties()` on the nested instance:247 248```js249const nestedHeading = cardInstance.findOne(n => n.type === "INSTANCE" && n.name === "Text Heading");250if (nestedHeading) {251  nestedHeading.setProperties({ "Text#2104:5": "Actual heading from source code" });252}253```254 255Only fall back to direct `node.characters` for text that is NOT managed by any component property.256 257#### Read source code defaults carefully258 259When translating code components to Figma instances, check the component's default prop values in the source code, not just what's explicitly passed. For example, `<Button size="small">Register</Button>` with no variant prop — check the component definition to find `variant = "primary"` as the default. Selecting the wrong variant (e.g., Neutral instead of Primary) produces a visually incorrect result that's easy to miss.260 261#### What to build manually vs. import from design system262 263| Build manually | Import from design system |264|----------------|--------------------------|265| Page wrapper frame | **Components**: buttons, cards, inputs, nav, etc. |266| Section container frames | **Variables**: colors (fills, strokes), spacing (padding, gap), radii |267| Layout grids (rows, columns) | **Text styles**: heading, body, caption, etc. |268| | **Effect styles**: shadows, blurs, etc. |269 270**Never hardcode hex colors or pixel spacing** when a design system variable exists. Use `setBoundVariable` for spacing/radii and `setBoundVariableForPaint` for colors. Apply text styles with `node.textStyleId` and effect styles with `node.effectStyleId`.271 272### Step 5: Validate the Full Screen and Transfer Images273 274After composing all sections, call `get_screenshot` on the full page frame and compare against the source. Fix any issues with targeted `use_figma` calls — don't rebuild the entire screen.275 276**Screenshot individual sections, not just the full page.** A full-page screenshot at reduced resolution hides text truncation, wrong colors, and placeholder text that hasn't been overridden. Take a screenshot of each section by node ID to catch:277- **Cropped/clipped text** — line heights or frame sizing cutting off descenders, ascenders, or entire lines278- **Overlapping content** — elements stacking on top of each other due to incorrect sizing or missing auto-layout279- Placeholder text still showing ("Title", "Heading", "Button")280- Truncated content from layout sizing bugs281- Wrong component variants (e.g., Neutral vs Primary button)282- **Blank image placeholders** — if images are missing, you need to transfer them from the `generate_figma_design` capture (see below)283 284#### Transfer images from the generate_figma_design capture285 286If you ran `generate_figma_design` in parallel (mandatory when the source contains images), transfer the captured images into your design system output:287 2881. Find all image nodes in the capture output by searching for fills with `type === "IMAGE"`:289   ```js290   const capture = await figma.getNodeByIdAsync("CAPTURE_NODE_ID");291   const imageNodes = [];292   capture.findAll(n => {293     if (n.fills && Array.isArray(n.fills)) {294       for (const fill of n.fills) {295         if (fill.type === "IMAGE") {296           imageNodes.push({ name: n.name, id: n.id, imageHash: fill.imageHash });297           return true;298         }299       }300     }301     return false;302   });303   return imageNodes;304   ```3052. Match each captured image to the corresponding frame in your use_figma output (by position, name, or order).3063. Apply the image hash to the target frame:307   ```js308   targetFrame.fills = [{ type: "IMAGE", imageHash: "hash_from_capture", scaleMode: "FILL" }];309   ```3104. Delete the `generate_figma_design` capture output after all images are transferred.311 312### Step 6: Updating an Existing Screen313 314When updating rather than creating from scratch:315 3161. Use `get_metadata` to inspect the existing screen structure.3172. Identify which sections need updating and which can stay.3183. For each section that needs changes:319   - Locate the existing nodes by ID or name320   - Swap component instances if the design system component changed321   - Update text content, variant properties, or layout as needed322   - Remove deprecated sections323   - Add new sections3244. Validate with `get_screenshot` after each modification.325 326```js327// Example: Swap a button variant in an existing screen328const existingButton = await figma.getNodeByIdAsync("EXISTING_BUTTON_INSTANCE_ID");329if (existingButton && existingButton.type === "INSTANCE") {330  // Import the updated component331  const buttonSet = await figma.importComponentSetByKeyAsync("BUTTON_SET_KEY");332  const newVariant = buttonSet.children.find(c =>333    c.name.includes("variant=primary") && c.name.includes("size=lg")334  ) || buttonSet.defaultVariant;335  existingButton.swapComponent(newVariant);336}337return { success: true, mutatedNodeIds: [existingButton.id] };338```339 340## Reference Docs341 342For detailed API patterns and gotchas, load these from the [figma-use](../figma-use/SKILL.md) references as needed:343 344- [component-patterns.md](../figma-use/references/component-patterns.md) — importing by key, finding variants, setProperties, text overrides, working with instances345- [variable-patterns.md](../figma-use/references/variable-patterns.md) — creating/binding variables, importing library variables, scopes, aliasing, discovering existing variables346- [text-style-patterns.md](../figma-use/references/text-style-patterns.md) — creating/applying text styles, importing library text styles, type ramps347- [effect-style-patterns.md](../figma-use/references/effect-style-patterns.md) — creating/applying effect styles (shadows), importing library effect styles348- [gotchas.md](../figma-use/references/gotchas.md) — layout pitfalls (HUG/FILL interactions, counterAxisAlignItems, sizing order), paint/color issues, page context resets349 350## Error Recovery351 352Follow the error recovery process from [figma-use](../figma-use/SKILL.md#6-error-recovery--self-correction):353 3541. **STOP** on error — do not retry immediately.3552. **Read the error message carefully** to understand what went wrong.3563. If the error is unclear, call `get_metadata` or `get_screenshot` to inspect the current file state.3574. **Fix the script** based on the error message.3585. **Retry** the corrected script — this is safe because failed scripts are atomic (nothing is created if a script errors).359 360Because this skill works incrementally (one section per call), errors are naturally scoped to a single section. Previous sections from successful calls remain intact.361 362## Best Practices363 364- **Always search before building.** The design system likely has the component, variable, or style you need. Manual construction and hardcoded values should be the exception, not the rule.365- **Search broadly.** Try synonyms and partial terms. A "NavigationPill" might be found under "pill", "nav", "tab", or "chip". For variables, search "color", "spacing", "radius", etc.366- **Prefer design system tokens over hardcoded values.** Use variable bindings for colors, spacing, and radii. Use text styles for typography. Use effect styles for shadows. This keeps the screen linked to the design system.367- **Prefer component instances over manual builds.** Instances stay linked to the source component and update automatically when the design system evolves.368- **Work section by section.** Never build more than one major section per `use_figma` call.369- **Return node IDs from every call.** You'll need them to compose sections and for error recovery.370- **Validate visually after each section.** Use `get_screenshot` to catch issues early.371- **Match existing conventions.** If the file already has screens, match their naming, sizing, and layout patterns.