Design Systems are more than just Figma Components

I see this pattern often: a design team spends months crafting the perfect Design System in Figma. Variables, auto-layout, component properties—it’s beautiful.

Then the engineering team implements it, and distinct “drifts” start to happen.

The Translation Lsst

The problem usually isn’t the design; it’s the contract between design and code.

1. Token Mismatch

Figma has primary-500. The codebase has blue-main. Fix: Automate token generation. We use Style Dictionary to export Figma variables directly to Tailwind configuration files.

2. Rigid Props vs. Flexible HTML

Designers think in “variants” (Primary, Secondary). Developers think in HTML attributes (disabled, type="submit"). Fix: Build components that spread props.

// Don't do this
interface Props {
  text: string;
  onClick: () => void;
}

// Do this
interface Props extends ComponentProps<'button'> {}

A design system is a living product, served to two user groups: designers and developers. Treat it like one.