From Figma Make to AI-First Development: Building a Text-Based Design Workflow

If you've been trying to integrate Figma Make projects directly into Claude Code for frontend and backend development, you've likely hit some roadblocks. In this tutorial, I'll explain why Figma Make files aren't ideal for AI-first workflows and show you better approaches for design-to-code automation.

Why Figma Make Doesn't Work Well with AI Workflows

The core issue is that Figma Make is designed for visual prototyping, not structured development workflows. When you export a .make file, you get a compressed package containing:

• Rendering descriptions
• Visual state snapshots
• Asset references
• Interaction flows

But not the semantic information AI tools need:

Prerequisites

Before diving into better workflows, you'll need:

• Access to Claude Code or similar AI development tools
• Figma account (regular Figma, not just Make)
• Basic understanding of design tokens and component systems
• Git repository for version control

Step-by-Step: Building an AI-First Design Workflow

Step 1: Set Up Your Design System Architecture

Instead of relying on Make files, create a text-based design system structure:

/project-root
├── /specs
│   ├── /ui-components
│   │   ├── button.md
│   │   ├── input.md
│   │   └── modal.md
│   ├── /design-tokens
│   │   ├── colors.md
│   │   ├── typography.md
│   │   └── spacing.md
│   └── /user-flows
│       ├── login-flow.md
│       └── checkout-flow.md
├── /frontend
└── /backend

Step 2: Convert Visual Designs to Text Specifications

For each component in your Figma Make project, create detailed text specifications:

# Button Component Specification
 
## Purpose
Primary action button for form submissions and key user interactions.
 
## Variants
- **Primary**: Blue background (#2563eb), white text
- **Secondary**: Gray border (#d1d5db), gray text (#374151)
- **Danger**: Red background (#dc2626), white text
 
## Props
- `variant`: 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'danger'
- `size`: 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg'
- `disabled`: boolean
- `loading`: boolean
- `onClick`: function
 
## States
- Default: Full opacity
- Hover: 10% darker background
- Active: 15% darker background
- Disabled: 50% opacity, no pointer events
- Loading: Show spinner, prevent clicks
 
## Accessibility
- Minimum 44x44px touch target
- ARIA labels for screen readers
- Focus indicators with 2px outline

Step 3: Create Component Specifications with Claude

Use this prompt template to generate detailed specs from your Figma designs:

I have a [component type] in Figma with these visual properties:
- Colors: [list colors]
- Typography: [font sizes, weights]
- Spacing: [margins, padding]
- Interactive states: [hover, active, disabled]

Please create a comprehensive component specification including:
1. Component purpose and usage guidelines
2. All variants and their properties
3. Props interface (TypeScript style)
4. State management requirements
5. Accessibility considerations
6. Error handling scenarios
7. API integration points (if applicable)

Make this specification ready for Claude Code to generate React components.

Step 4: Set Up Your Development Workflow

Create a streamlined process for converting specs to code:

# 1. Update component specification
vim specs/ui-components/login-form.md
 
# 2. Generate component with Claude Code
# Paste the specification and ask Claude to generate:
# - React component with TypeScript
# - Unit tests
# - Storybook stories
# - CSS/Tailwind styles
 
# 3. Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/login-form-update
 
# 4. Review and merge
git add .
git commit -m "feat: update login form component"
git push origin feature/login-form-update

Step 5: Implement Version Control for Design Specs

Treat your design specifications like code:

# Design Spec Versioning Strategy
 
## Naming Convention
- Component specs: `component-name.md`
- Version in frontmatter: `version: 1.2.0`
- Change tracking in git commits
 
## Review Process
1. Designer updates spec in PR
2. AI generates code diff
3. Developer reviews both spec and code
4. Merge when approved
 
## Sync Points
- Weekly design → development sync
- Spec updates trigger code regeneration
- Automated testing validates spec compliance

Code Examples

Example: Converting a Figma Make Form to Text Spec

Instead of uploading a .make file, describe your form like this:

# User Registration Form
 
## Fields
### Email Input
- Type: email
- Validation: Valid email format, required
- Error states: "Please enter a valid email address"
- Success state: Green checkmark icon
 
### Password Input  
- Type: password
- Validation: Minimum 8 characters, required
- Show/hide toggle button
- Strength indicator: weak/medium/strong
 
### Confirm Password
- Type: password  
- Validation: Must match password field
- Real-time validation on blur
 
## Form Behavior
- Submit calls POST /api/auth/register
- Loading state: Disable form, show spinner
- Success: Redirect to /dashboard
- Error: Display API error message above form

Example: Claude Code Generation Prompt

Based on this component specification:

[paste your text spec here]

Please generate:
1. React component with TypeScript
2. Tailwind CSS styling
3. Form validation with react-hook-form
4. Error handling
5. Unit tests with Jest and Testing Library
6. Accessibility features (ARIA labels, keyboard navigation)

Make the code production-ready with proper TypeScript types and comprehensive error handling.

Better Alternatives to Figma Make

1. Regular Figma + API Integration

• Use Figma's REST API to extract design tokens
• Convert component properties to structured data
• Generate specifications programmatically

2. Design Token Tools

• Style Dictionary: Convert design tokens to code
• Figma Tokens: Sync tokens between Figma and code
• Theo: Salesforce's design token tool

3. Text-First Design Systems

• Write specifications first
• Generate Figma components from specs
• Keep text specs as single source of truth

Advanced Workflow: Automated Spec Generation

Create a script to convert Figma designs to text specifications:

// figma-to-spec.js
const figmaAPI = require('figma-api');
 
async function generateComponentSpec(nodeId) {
  const design = await figmaAPI.getNode(nodeId);
  
  const spec = {
    name: design.name,
    purpose: inferPurpose(design),
    variants: extractVariants(design),
    props: generateProps(design),
    states: inferStates(design),
    accessibility: generateA11ySpecs(design)
  };
  
  return markdownTemplate(spec);
}

Summary

While Figma Make is excellent for rapid prototyping, it's not optimized for AI-first development workflows. The key insights:

1. AI tools need semantic information, not just visual representations
2. Text-based specifications are more valuable than binary design files
3. Version control works better with markdown specs than proprietary formats
4. Claude Code excels when given detailed, structured requirements

Key Takeaways

• Replace .make files with detailed markdown specifications
• Create a structured design system in your repository
• Use text specs as the single source of truth
• Implement proper version control for design documentation
• Leverage Claude Code's strength in converting specs to production code

Next Steps

1. Audit your current Figma Make projects
2. Convert key components to text specifications
3. Set up a /specs directory in your repository
4. Create templates for consistent specification format
5. Train your team on the new text-first workflow

This approach transforms design handoffs from "visual interpretation" to "specification execution," making your development process more predictable and AI-friendly.