| name | figma-generate-library |
| description | Build or update a professional-grade design system in Figma from a codebase. Use when the user wants to create variables/tokens, build component libraries, set up theming (light/dark modes), document foundations, or reconcile gaps between code and Figma. This skill teaches WHAT to build and in WHAT ORDER — it complements the `figma-use` skill which teaches HOW to call the Plugin API. Both skills should be loaded together. |
Design System Builder — Figma MCP Skill
Build professional-grade design systems in Figma that match code. This skill orchestrates multi-phase workflows across 20–100+ use_figma calls, enforcing quality patterns from real-world design systems (Material 3, Polaris, Figma UI3, Simple DS).
Prerequisites: The figma-use skill MUST also be loaded for every use_figma call. It provides Plugin API syntax rules (return pattern, page reset, ID return, font loading, color range). This skill provides design system domain knowledge and workflow orchestration.
Always pass skillNames: "figma-generate-library" when calling use_figma as part of this skill. This is a logging parameter — it does not affect execution.
1. The One Rule That Matters Most
This is NEVER a one-shot task. Building a design system requires 20–100+ use_figma calls across multiple phases, with mandatory user checkpoints between them. Any attempt to create everything in one call WILL produce broken, incomplete, or unrecoverable results. Break every operation to the smallest useful unit, validate, get feedback, proceed.
2. Mandatory Workflow
Every design system build follows this phase order. Skipping or reordering phases causes structural failures that are expensive to undo.
Phase 0: DISCOVERY (always first — no use_figma writes yet)
0a. Analyze codebase → extract tokens, components, naming conventions
0b. Inspect Figma file → pages, variables, components, styles, existing conventions
0c. Search subscribed libraries → use search_design_system for reusable assets
0d. Lock v1 scope → agree on exact token set + component list before any creation
0e. Map code → Figma → resolve conflicts (code and Figma disagree = ask user)
✋ USER CHECKPOINT: present full plan, await explicit approval
Phase 1: FOUNDATIONS (tokens first — always before components)
1a. Create variable collections and modes
1b. Create primitive variables (raw values, 1 mode)
1c. Create semantic variables (aliased to primitives, mode-aware)
1d. Set scopes on ALL variables
1e. Set code syntax on ALL variables
1f. Create effect styles (shadows) and text styles (typography)
→ Exit criteria: every token from the agreed plan exists, all scopes set, all code syntax set
✋ USER CHECKPOINT: show variable summary, await approval
Phase 2: FILE STRUCTURE (before components)
2a. Create page skeleton: Cover → Getting Started → Foundations → --- → Components → --- → Utilities
2b. Create foundations documentation pages (color swatches, type specimens, spacing bars)
→ Exit criteria: all planned pages exist, foundations docs are navigable
✋ USER CHECKPOINT: show page list + screenshot, await approval
Phase 3: COMPONENTS (one at a time — never batch)
For EACH component (in dependency order: atoms before molecules):
3a. Create dedicated page
3b. Build base component with auto-layout + full variable bindings
3c. Create all variant combinations (combineAsVariants + grid layout)
3d. Add component properties (TEXT, BOOLEAN, INSTANCE_SWAP)
3e. Link properties to child nodes
3f. Add page documentation (title, description, usage notes)
3g. Validate: get_metadata (structure) + get_screenshot (visual)
3h. Optional: lightweight Code Connect mapping while context is fresh
→ Exit criteria: variant count correct, all bindings verified, screenshot looks right
✋ USER CHECKPOINT per component: show screenshot, await approval before next component
Phase 4: INTEGRATION + QA (final pass)
4a. Finalize all Code Connect mappings
4b. Accessibility audit (contrast, min touch targets, focus visibility)
4c. Naming audit (no duplicates, no unnamed nodes, consistent casing)
4d. Unresolved bindings audit (no hardcoded fills/strokes remaining)
4e. Final review screenshots of every page
✋ USER CHECKPOINT: complete sign-off
3. Critical Rules
Plugin API basics (from use_figma skill — enforced here too):
- Use
return to send data back (auto-serialized). Do NOT wrap in IIFE or call closePlugin.
- Return ALL created/mutated node IDs in every return value
- Page context resets each call — always
await figma.setCurrentPageAsync(page) at start
figma.notify() throws — never use it- Colors are 0–1 range, not 0–255
- Font MUST be loaded before any text write:
await figma.loadFontAsync({family, style})
Design system rules:
- Variables BEFORE components — components bind to variables. No token = no component.
- Inspect before creating — run read-only
use_figma to discover existing conventions. Match them.
- One page per component (default) — exception: tightly related families (e.g., Input + helpers) may share a page with clear section separation.
- Bind visual properties to variables (default) — fills, strokes, padding, radius, gap. Exceptions: intentionally fixed geometry (icon pixel-grid sizes, static dividers).
- Scopes on every variable — NEVER leave as
ALL_SCOPES. Background: FRAME_FILL, SHAPE_FILL. Text: TEXT_FILL. Border: STROKE_COLOR. Spacing: GAP. Radii: CORNER_RADIUS. Primitives: [] (hidden).
- Code syntax on every variable — WEB syntax MUST use the
var() wrapper: var(--color-bg-primary), not --color-bg-primary. Use the actual CSS variable name from the codebase. ANDROID/iOS do NOT use a wrapper.
- Alias semantics to primitives —
{ type: 'VARIABLE_ALIAS', id: primitiveVar.id }. Never duplicate raw values in semantic layer.
- Position variants after combineAsVariants — they stack at (0,0). Manually grid-layout + resize.
- INSTANCE_SWAP for icons — never create a variant per icon. Cap variant matrices: if Size × Style × State > 30 combinations, split into sub-component.
- Deterministic naming — use consistent, unique node names for idempotent cleanup and resumability. Track created node IDs via return values and the state ledger.
- No destructive cleanup — cleanup scripts identify nodes by name convention or returned IDs, not by guessing.
- Validate before proceeding — never build on unvalidated work.
get_metadata after every create, get_screenshot after each component.
- NEVER parallelize
use_figma calls — Figma state mutations must be strictly sequential. Even if your tool supports parallel calls, never run two use_figma calls simultaneously.
- Never hallucinate Node IDs — always read IDs from the state ledger returned by previous calls. Never reconstruct or guess an ID from memory.
- Use the helper scripts — embed scripts from
scripts/ into your use_figma calls. Don't write 200-line inline scripts from scratch.
- Explicit phase approval — at each checkpoint, name the next phase explicitly. "looks good" is not approval to proceed to Phase 3 if you asked about Phase 1.
4. State Management (Required for Long Workflows)
getPluginData() / setPluginData() are NOT supported in use_figma. Use getSharedPluginData() / setSharedPluginData() instead (these ARE supported), or use name-based lookups and the state ledger (returned IDs).
| Entity type | Idempotency key | How to check existence |
|---|
| Scene nodes (pages, frames, components) | setSharedPluginData('dsb', 'key', value) or unique name | node.getSharedPluginData('dsb', 'key') or page.findOne(n => n.name === 'Button') |
| Variables | Name within collection | (await figma.variables.getLocalVariablesAsync()).find(v => v.name === name && v.variableCollectionId === collId) |
| Styles | Name | getLocalTextStyles().find(s => s.name === name) |
Tag every created scene node immediately after creation:
node.setSharedPluginData('dsb', 'run_id', RUN_ID);
node.setSharedPluginData('dsb', 'phase', 'phase3');
node.setSharedPluginData('dsb', 'key', 'component/button');
State persistence: Do NOT rely solely on conversation context for the state ledger. Write it to disk:
/tmp/dsb-state-{RUN_ID}.json
Re-read this file at the start of every turn. In long workflows, conversation context will be truncated — the file is the source of truth.
Maintain a state ledger tracking:
{
"runId": "ds-build-2024-001",
"phase": "phase3",
"step": "component-button",
"entities": {
"collections": { "primitives": "id:...", "color": "id:..." },
"variables": { "color/bg/primary": "id:...", "spacing/sm": "id:..." },
"pages": { "Cover": "id:...", "Button": "id:..." },
"components": { "Button": "id:..." }
},
"pendingValidations": ["Button:screenshot"],
"completedSteps": ["phase0", "phase1", "phase2", "component-avatar"]
}
Idempotency check before every create: query by name + state ledger ID. If exists, skip or update — never duplicate.
Resume protocol: at session start or after context truncation, run a read-only use_figma to scan all pages, components, variables, and styles by name to reconstruct the {key → id} map. Then re-read the state file from disk if available.
Continuation prompt (give this to the user when resuming in a new chat):
"I'm continuing a design system build. Run ID: {RUN_ID}. Load the figma-generate-library skill and resume from the last completed step."
5. search_design_system — Reuse Decision Matrix
Search FIRST in Phase 0, then again immediately before each component creation.
search_design_system({ query, fileKey, includeComponents: true, includeVariables: true, includeStyles: true })
Reuse if all of these are true:
- Component property API matches your needs (same variant axes, compatible types)
- Token binding model is compatible (uses same or aliasable variables)
- Naming conventions match the target file
- Component is editable (not locked in a remote library you don't own)
Rebuild if any of these:
- API incompatibility (different property names, wrong variant model)
- Token model incompatible (hardcoded values, different variable schema)
- Ownership issue (can't modify the library)
Wrap if visual match but API incompatible:
- Import the library component as a nested instance inside a new wrapper component
- Expose a clean API on the wrapper
Three-way priority: local existing → subscribed library import → create new.
6. User Checkpoints
Mandatory. Design decisions require human judgment.
| After | Required artifacts | Ask |
|---|
| Discovery + scope lock | Token list, component list, gap analysis | "Here's my plan. Approve before I create anything?" |
| Foundations | Variable summary (N collections, M vars, K modes), style list | "All tokens created. Review before file structure?" |
| File structure | Page list + screenshot | "Pages set up. Review before components?" |
| Each component | get_screenshot of component page | "Here's [Component] with N variants. Correct?" |
| Each conflict (code ≠ Figma) | Show both versions | "Code says X, Figma has Y. Which wins?" |
| Final QA | Per-page screenshots + audit report | "Complete. Sign off?" |
If user rejects: fix before moving on. Never build on rejected work.
7. Naming Conventions
Match existing file conventions. If starting fresh:
Variables (slash-separated):
color/bg/primary color/text/secondary color/border/default
spacing/xs spacing/sm spacing/md spacing/lg spacing/xl spacing/2xl
radius/none radius/sm radius/md radius/lg radius/full
typography/body/font-size typography/heading/line-height
Primitives: blue/50 → blue/900, gray/50 → gray/900
Component names: Button, Input, Card, Avatar, Badge, Checkbox, Toggle
Variant names: Property=Value, Property=Value — e.g., Size=Medium, Style=Primary, State=Default
Page separators: --- (most common) or ——— COMPONENTS ———
Full naming reference: naming-conventions.md
8. Token Architecture
| Complexity | Pattern |
|---|
| < 50 tokens | Single collection, 2 modes (Light/Dark) |
| 50–200 tokens | Standard: Primitives (1 mode) + Color semantic (Light/Dark) + Spacing (1 mode) + Typography (1 mode) |
| 200+ tokens | Advanced: Multiple semantic collections, 4–8 modes (Light/Dark × Contrast × Brand). See M3 pattern in token-creation.md |
Standard pattern (recommended starting point):
Collection: "Primitives" modes: ["Value"]
blue/500 = #3B82F6, gray/900 = #111827, ...
Collection: "Color" modes: ["Light", "Dark"]
color/bg/primary → Light: alias Primitives/white, Dark: alias Primitives/gray-900
color/text/primary → Light: alias Primitives/gray-900, Dark: alias Primitives/white
Collection: "Spacing" modes: ["Value"]
spacing/xs = 4, spacing/sm = 8, spacing/md = 16, ...
9. Per-Phase Anti-Patterns
Phase 0 anti-patterns:
- ❌ Starting to create anything before scope is locked with user
- ❌ Ignoring existing file conventions and imposing new ones
- ❌ Skipping
search_design_system before planning component creation
Phase 1 anti-patterns:
- ❌ Using
ALL_SCOPES on any variable
- ❌ Duplicating raw values in semantic layer instead of aliasing
- ❌ Not setting code syntax (breaks Dev Mode and round-tripping)
- ❌ Creating component tokens before agreeing on token taxonomy
Phase 2 anti-patterns:
- ❌ Skipping the cover page or foundations docs
- ❌ Putting multiple unrelated components on one page
Phase 3 anti-patterns:
- ❌ Creating components before foundations exist
- ❌ Hardcoding any fill/stroke/spacing/radius value in a component
- ❌ Creating a variant per icon (use INSTANCE_SWAP instead)
- ❌ Not positioning variants after combineAsVariants (they all stack at 0,0)
- ❌ Building variant matrix > 30 without splitting (variant explosion)
- ❌ Importing remote components then immediately detaching them
General anti-patterns:
- ❌ Retrying a failed script without understanding the error first
- ❌ Using name-prefix matching for cleanup (deletes user-owned nodes)
- ❌ Building on unvalidated work from the previous step
- ❌ Skipping user checkpoints to "save time"
- ❌ Parallelizing use_figma calls (always sequential)
- ❌ Guessing/hallucinating node IDs from memory (always read from state ledger)
- ❌ Writing massive inline scripts instead of using the provided helper scripts
- ❌ Starting Phase 3 because the user said "build the button" without completing Phases 0-2
10. Reference Docs
Load on demand — each reference is authoritative for its phase:
Use your file reading tool to read these docs when needed. Do not assume their contents from the filename.
| Doc | Phase | Required / Optional | Load when |
|---|
| discovery-phase.md | 0 | Required | Starting any build — codebase analysis + Figma inspection |
| token-creation.md | 1 | Required | Creating variables, collections, modes, styles |
| documentation-creation.md | 2 | Required | Creating cover page, foundations docs, swatches |
| component-creation.md | 3 | Required | Creating any component or variant |
| code-connect-setup.md | 3–4 | Required | Setting up Code Connect or variable code syntax |
| naming-conventions.md | Any | Optional | Naming anything — variables, pages, variants, styles |
| error-recovery.md | Any | Required on error | Script fails, multi-step workflow recovery, cleanup of abandoned workflow state |
11. Scripts
Reusable Plugin API helper functions. Embed in use_figma calls:
