What Is Figma Dev Mode? How It Benefits Developers & Designers

Figma dev mode streamlines design handoff. Learn how it helps developers and designers work together efficiently and save time.

When working on a design-to-code workflow, you want to make the handoff from Figma to React seamlessly. But figuring out the details can be frustrating. With Figma Dev Mode, you can easily share the specifications and details of your Figma design with developers to make the coding process smoother. In this article, we'll explain what Figma dev mode is, how it works, and how it benefits developers and designers. You'll learn to use Figma dev mode to improve your Figma to React workflow.

In addition to Figma Dev Mode, Ion's Figma to React plugin can further streamline your design-to-code tool workflow. With ion, you can automatically turn your Figma designs into reusable React components, eliminating the need for hand-coding.

What is Figma Dev Mode?

Figma Dev Mode makes collaboration between designers and developers much more straightforward. It lets you inspect designs without the designer annotating or labeling everything correctly.

Dev Mode provides precise measurements of visuals, allows you to compare frames, and enables easy searching for assets. This helps development teams get the information they need to build designs more efficiently, reducing errors and miscommunication.

Enhancing Developer Collaboration with Figma Dev Mode

Figma Dev Mode also includes easy, natural language annotations to aid communication. Even if you’re not on the same page as the designer, you can get quick answers to your questions without asking the designer directly.

Other features include auto-generated code snippets, the ability to copy and paste CSS, plugins for platforms like Visual Studio and GitHub, and automatic alerts.

5 Use Cases of Figma Dev Mode

1. Converting Designs into Code

A key feature of Figma Dev Mode is its ability to help developers convert designs into code. While it doesn’t automate coding, it provides essential details like:

CSS properties
Spacing
Typography

Which developers can use to write front-end code more efficiently? With dev mode, developers can quickly grab values for colors, fonts, and layout properties without manually measuring elements.

2. Inspecting Components and Elements

Dev mode helps developers inspect each design element to see its properties. This means they can check:

Dimensions
Spacing
Padding
Margins

Which are crucial for ensuring pixel-perfect implementation. Eliminating the need for constant back-and-forth communication with designers speeds up the handoff process.

3. Understanding the Box Model

For web developers, knowing the Box Model (padding, margin, width, and height) is critical for layout and positioning. Dev mode intuitively displays these properties, making it easier to see how different elements interact within a layout. This reduces guesswork and helps ensure developers can accurately replicate designs in code.

4. Plugin Integration (Ion, Storybook, GitHub, etc.)

Dev mode isn’t just about inspecting designs. It also integrates with popular development tools. Plugins like Ion help generate HTML/CSS code, Storybook enables better design system documentation, and GitHub allows design-to-code workflow automation.

These integrations make bridging the gap between design and engineering easier, reducing the development process's friction.

5. Responsive Design Implementation

With Dev Mode, developers can inspect frames for different mobile, tablet, and desktop screen sizes to ensure the design scales correctly. This is particularly useful for responsive web development, where understanding layout behavior across different breakpoints is essential.

Ion: Transforming Designs to Code with Ease

Specific components
Styles
Design system

We've created a unique solution that empowers non-technical team members to implement visual changes without engineering intervention. Our tool understands your CI/CD pipelines, testing requirements, and component architecture, ensuring that generated code fits seamlessly into your workflow.

Whether you're updating design elements or creating new features, Ion helps unlock engineering resources by letting designers and product teams contribute directly to the codebase in a safe, controlled way.

Start building your application for free today with our design-to-code tool.

Getting Started With Figma Dev Mode

To access Dev Mode, open the Figma project you are working on. Look at the top-right corner of the screen, where you’ll see a button labeled “Dev Mode.” Click this button to toggle the switch from design vs code view and code editor to developer view. It provides various tools and detailed information specifically tailored for developers, making the handoff process smoother and more efficient.

The Figma interface shows Dev Mode with navigation and inspects panels highlighted for a shopping cart design. dev mode is a tool for developers to examine and explore designs, and it is available in any Figma design file. For example, you’re working on a collaborative project for a mobile app. The designer has completed the mockups, and now it’s your turn to start coding. You can access detailed specifications, CSS code snippets below, and exportable assets by switching to dev mode. This makes it easier to ensure that your code matches the design vision accurately.

What’s Inside the Box? Understanding the Interface

Once you switch to dev mode, you’ll notice that the layout of the interface changes slightly to display information relevant to development. You’ll see details like dimensions, CSS properties, and the ability to export assets directly from the design. This streamlined view helps you focus on what you need for coding.

The Figma navigation panel shows pages ready for development in dev mode, highlighted with a layers list. When you activate dev mode, the interface adjusts to show development-related details such as dimensions, CSS properties, and options to export assets from the design directly.

Improving Design-to-Code Accuracy with Figma Dev Mode

Suppose you’re developing the login screen of an app. In dev mode, clicking on the input fields and buttons will show you their exact dimensions, padding, margin, and other CSS properties. This ensures you can replicate the design accurately in your code, reducing the risk of misunderstandings between designers and developers.

By using dev mode in Figma, you can make the handoff process more efficient and ensure that the final product aligns perfectly with the design. This feature is handy for projects where precise implementation of design elements is crucial for the overall user experience.

Inspecting Elements: Getting Specific About Design Details

In dev mode, you can click on any design element to inspect its properties. This includes:

Size
Color
Typography
Spacing

This detailed information is crucial for developers to ensure their implementation matches the design.

In dev mode, clicking on a design element reveals its properties like size, color, typography, and spacing, providing developers with the detailed information needed to match the design accurately in their work.

For example, you need to implement a custom button style. By selecting the button in dev mode, you can see its border radius, background color, font size, and padding. This precise information helps you create a replica of the actual design in your code, ensuring the button looks just as the designer intended.

CSS Code: Copying Styles Directly from Figma to Your Project

The Figma file provides the corresponding CSS code for each element you select. This includes styles for text, colors, dimensions, and other properties. You can copy this code directly into your CSS files, saving time and reducing the likelihood of errors.

Figma design panel displaying CSS code, background color option, and color style selections
For every element selected in a Figma file, you get the matching CSS code for styles like text, colors, and dimensions, which you can directly copy into your CSS files to save time and reduce errors.

If the designer has used a specific shadow effect on a separate page for a card component of same page, you can view the CSS code for the shadow.

The code might look like this:

box-shadow: 0px 4px 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);.

Copying this code directly into your CSS file ensures that the card component matches the design perfectly, maintaining consistency throughout the project.

Exporting Images and Icons: Creating Assets for Development

Dev mode makes creating and exporting images, icons, frames, and other assets straightforward. Select the element you want to export and click the “Export” button. You can choose the format (PNG, SVG, etc.) and the resolution (1x, 2x, etc.).

For example, dev mode simplifies this process if you need to export the app logo for use in different screen sizes or languages. Select the logo, click “Export,” and choose the required resolutions. This ensures the logo looks crisp and clear on all devices, maintaining a professional and polished appearance across various screen sizes.

Enhancing Development Workflow with Figma Dev Mode

By streamlining the export process, dev mode helps you ensure that all graphical elements meet the project’s specifications and quality standards. Using these features in dev mode, you can accurately inspect and review designs and implement design elements, streamlining the development process and ensuring that the final product aligns with the design vision. This functionality is especially valuable for maintaining the integrity of the design during the transition from design to development.

Inspecting Components: Understanding Design Structure for Better Implementation

Figma allows designers to create reusable components that maintain consistency throughout a project. You can inspect these components in dev mode to understand their structure and properties. This is particularly useful when working with design systems or style guides.

For example, inspecting these in dev mode is invaluable if your project uses consistent components for buttons, cards, and headers. You can see the standardized properties such as padding, margins, and font sizes, ensuring uniformity across your application. By understanding the detailed setup of each component, you can replicate them accurately in your code, maintaining a cohesive look and feel throughout the project.

Accessing Design Tokens: Leveraging Variables for Consistency

Design tokens are variables that store design decisions like colors, fonts, and spacing. In dev mode, you can view these tokens and see how they are applied across the design. This feature is crucial for maintaining consistency and simplifying updates.

For instance, if the primary color for the app is stored as a design token, dev mode will show how this token is used for various elements like buttons, links, and headers. By using the same token in your CSS, this code lets you ensure that any future changes to the primary color are easily managed. This approach saves time while ensuring your design remains consistent and easily adaptable to changes.

Commenting and Feedback: Streamlining Communication Between Designers and Developers

Dev mode enhances collaboration by supporting and commenting on specific elements. You can leave comments directly on code section versions of the design, asking for clarification or providing feedback. This feature streamlines communication between designers and developers, ensuring everyone stays aligned.

Dev mode boosts teamwork by allowing comments on specific elements; you can directly discuss or give feedback on the code versions of designs, helping designers and developers stay on the same page.

Suppose you notice that a particular icon doesn’t fit well within the context, switching the design. In that case, you can comment in dev mode, tagging the designer and the organization and asking for a possible adjustment. This keeps all communication within the organization and the project context, making tracking and resolving issues easier. By having a centralized place for feedback, the team can quickly address concerns and make necessary adjustments.

Sharing Specs with the Team: Ensuring Everyone is Aligned on the Latest Details

Dev mode allows you to share the specific details of any design element with your team. This feature ensures everyone can access the latest design file specifications, promoting consistency and accuracy in the design file development process.

For example, if the development team needs to implement a an object or new feature, you can share the specs directly from dev mode. This ensures that every team member has the exact details needed, such as dimensions, colors, and CSS properties, reducing the risk of discrepancies and misunderstandings. By providing clear and accessible specifications, you facilitate smoother and more efficient collaboration across the team.

Custom Plugins: Extending Functionality in Dev Mode

Figma supports various plugins to enhance dev mode's functionality and efficiency further. These plugins offer additional features and tools that can be extremely useful for both designers and developers. Here are some critical plugins used in Figma Dev Mode, their features, and how to use them:

Ion

Specific components
Styles
Design system

Start building your application for free today with our design-to-code tool.

Zeplin

Zeplin integrates seamlessly with Figma, providing a bridge between design and development. It offers features like asset export, design specs, and style guides. Zeplin also supports team collaboration, making sharing designs and specifications with the entire team easy.

To use Zeplin, install the plugin from the Figma Plugin Library. Once installed, you can select the elements you want to export and use the plugin to upload them to Zeplin. This allows developers to access the Figma design files, specs, and assets directly from Zeplin, ensuring consistency and accuracy.

Avocode

Avocode is another powerful plugin that helps in the handoff process between designers and developers. It allows for seamless design inspection, code generation, and asset export. Avocode supports multiple platforms, making it versatile and practical for various development environments.

After installing the Avocode plugin, you can sync your Figma designs with Avocode by selecting the artboards or elements you want to export. Avocode then generates the necessary code snippets and assets, which developers can access through the Avocode app or web interface.

Content Reel

Content Reel helps designers and developers by providing realistic content for designs. It includes text, images, and icons, which can be used to have users create more accurate and lifelike prototypes.

After installing Content Reel, you can populate your designs with placeholder objects and content. This is particularly useful during the design phase, as it allows you space to experiment and visualize how the final product will look and feel with actual content.

Measure

Measure is a plugin that allows you to generate detailed design files with specifications and measurements. This is useful for developers needing precise spacing, dimensions, and other design details.

Install the Measure plugin from the Plugin Library. Select the elements you want to inspect, and the plugin will generate a detailed spec sheet that includes all relevant measurements and properties. This spec sheet can be shared with the development team to ensure accuracy.

Figma Dev Mode Limitations

Figma dev mode helps developers inspect designs and grab code snippets but doesn’t magically eliminate the need for discussions.

Edge cases, animations, and complex interactions often require further clarification, meaning designers and developers will still hop onto Slack or in-person meetings to iron out the details. While dev mode helps, it doesn’t replace clear communication.

Collaboration Challenges Remain

Figma has always been a strong collaborative tool, but dev mode doesn’t fully address all the needs of multi-disciplinary teams. Features like:

Version control
Design reviews
Real-time feedback

Require additional tools or processes.

Dev mode focuses on handoff, but teams might struggle with other platforms for more complex collaboration needs.

Some Features Don’t Justify the Cost

One of the biggest gripes with dev mode is that some of its features feel underwhelming, especially given the cost. The Measurement tool, while handy, isn’t necessarily groundbreaking.

The annotation tool is sound but should be included in the base package rather than requiring an upgrade. If a company already pays for an annual plan, certain core functionalities should be standard, not locked behind additional costs.

The Annoyance of Switching Modes

A seemingly minor but frustrating limitation is the need to jump between Design Mode and Dev Mode for adjustments. If developers notice a spacing issue in a component, they can’t tweak it directly in dev mode.

They have to switch back to Design Mode, make the change, and then return to dev mode to verify it. This constant back-and-forth disrupts the workflow, making what should be a seamless process feel a bit clunky.

Pricing Woes

One of the most significant pain points is the pricing model. If you’re working with a developer outside your organization, you must pay extra to add them. This can quickly become expensive for teams with a high designer-to-developer ratio.

A common sentiment among users is, “Sure, this helps with efficiency, but there’s no way my company is paying $25 per seat when we have 10 developers for every designer.” This cost barrier can be a dealbreaker for smaller companies or freelancers collaborating with multiple teams.

Workarounds Exist, But They’re Not Ideal

If dev mode isn’t in the budget, teams often manually export Figma files. But this has downsides: annotations and comments won’t carry over, forcing teams to rely on other communication channels. This somewhat defeats the purpose of having a streamlined handoff tool in the first place.

Start Building Your Application for Free Today

Ion transforms your Figma designs into production-ready code perfectly aligned with your existing codebase and business needs. Our platform bridges the gap between design and development by automatically generating functional code that matches your specific components, styles, and design system. We've created a unique solution that empowers non-technical team members to implement visual changes without engineering intervention.

Our tool understands your:

CI/CD pipelines
Testing requirements
Component architecture

Ensuring that generated code fits seamlessly into your workflow. Whether you're updating design elements or creating new features, Ion helps unlock engineering resources by letting designers and product teams contribute directly to the codebase in a safe, controlled way. Start building your application for free today with our design-to-code tool.

How Does Ion Work?

Designers can quickly use Ion by uploading their Figma files to the platform. Ion’s AI will analyze the file and generate a React code that matches the existing application’s styles and components. This process takes only a few minutes, allowing users to update their applications quickly.

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What Is Figma Dev Mode? How It Benefits Developers & Designers

Figma dev mode streamlines design handoff. Learn how it helps developers and designers work together efficiently and save time.