MCPInstall

figma-design-md-generator

Generate DESIGN.md and SKILL.md files from Figma design systems for AI-assisted development

Installs
123
Last 24h
—
Trending rank
—
Security
Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/reason-machines/design-skills --skill figma-design-md-generator
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads figma-design-md-generator automatically when relevant.

  3. 03

    Review the result

    The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Figma DESIGN.md Generator

Skill by ara.so — Design Skills collection.

A Figma plugin that extracts local style guidelines, variables, and component families from Figma files and generates DESIGN.md and SKILL.md files. These outputs provide AI tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex) with structured design-system blueprints for building consistent interfaces.

What It Does

The plugin reads Figma's local styles and variables—colors, typography, spacing, radius, effects, grids, and component sets—and converts them into editable markdown files following the TypeUI DESIGN.md format.

Key capabilities:

  • Auto-extracts color tokens (paint styles + variables)
  • Auto-extracts typography tokens (text styles + scales)
  • Auto-extracts spacing, radius, motion tokens
  • Auto-extracts effect styles (shadows, blur)
  • Auto-extracts grid styles and component families
  • Generates human-editable DESIGN.md (reference documentation)
  • Generates AI-optimized SKILL.md (agent instructions)

Installation

As a Figma Plugin (Development Mode)

  1. Clone the repository:

    git clone https://github.com/bergside/design-md-figma.git
    cd design-md-figma
    
  2. Install dependencies:

    npm install
    
  3. Build the plugin:

    npm run build
    
  4. Import into Figma Desktop:

    • Open Figma Desktop
    • Go to Plugins → Development → Import plugin from manifest...
    • Select manifest.json from the project directory
    • Run Design MD Skill Generator from the plugins menu

Development Workflow

# Watch mode for live development
npm run watch

# Type checking
npm run typecheck

# Production build
npm run build

Key Plugin Actions

ActionDescription
Auto-extractReads local styles and variables from active Figma file
Generate DESIGN.mdCreates design-guideline markdown from extracted signals
Generate SKILL.mdCreates agent-ready markdown with implementation rules
Toggle viewSwitches between DESIGN.md and SKILL.md in editor
RefreshRe-runs extraction for current file state
DownloadSaves generated output as .md file

Plugin Architecture

Main Entry Points

code.ts – Plugin backend (runs in Figma sandbox):

figma.showUI(__html__, { width: 800, height: 600 });

// Listen for extraction requests
figma.ui.onmessage = (msg) => {
  if (msg.type === 'extract-styles') {
    const styles = extractLocalStyles();
    const variables = extractVariables();
    const components = extractComponentFamilies();
    
    figma.ui.postMessage({
      type: 'extraction-complete',
      data: { styles, variables, components }
    });
  }
};

function extractLocalStyles() {
  const paintStyles = figma.getLocalPaintStyles();
  const textStyles = figma.getLocalTextStyles();
  const effectStyles = figma.getLocalEffectStyles();
  const gridStyles = figma.getLocalGridStyles();
  
  return {
    colors: paintStyles.map(s => ({
      name: s.name,
      type: s.paints[0]?.type,
      value: paintToHex(s.paints[0])
    })),
    typography: textStyles.map(s => ({
      name: s.name,
      fontFamily: s.fontName.family,
      fontSize: s.fontSize,
      lineHeight: s.lineHeight
    })),
    effects: effectStyles.map(s => ({
      name: s.name,
      effects: s.effects
    })),
    grids: gridStyles.map(s => ({
      name: s.name,
      layoutGrids: s.layoutGrids
    }))
  };
}

function extractVariables() {
  const collections = figma.variables.getLocalVariableCollections();
  
  return collections.map(collection => ({
    name: collection.name,
    modes: collection.modes,
    variables: collection.variableIds.map(id => {
      const variable = figma.variables.getVariableById(id);
      return {
        name: variable?.name,
        resolvedType: variable?.resolvedType,
        valuesByMode: variable?.valuesByMode
      };
    })
  }));
}

function extractComponentFamilies() {
  const components = figma.root.findAll(node => 
    node.type === 'COMPONENT_SET'
  ) as ComponentSetNode[];
  
  return components.map(comp => ({
    name: comp.name,
    variantCount: comp.children.length,
    properties: Object.keys(comp.componentPropertyDefinitions || {})
  }));
}

ui.html – Plugin UI (React-based):

// Send extraction request
window.parent.postMessage(
  { pluginMessage: { type: 'extract-styles' } },
  '*'
);

// Receive extraction results
window.onmessage = (event) => {
  const msg = event.data.pluginMessage;
  
  if (msg.type === 'extraction-complete') {
    const designMd = generateDesignMd(msg.data);
    const skillMd = generateSkillMd(msg.data);
    
    setDesignContent(designMd);
    setSkillContent(skillMd);
  }
};

Generated File Structure

DESIGN.md Format

# Design System – [File Name]

## Source
- **File**: [Figma file name]
- **Page**: [Current page]
- **Extracted**: [ISO timestamp]

## Variable Collections
- **Collection Name** (2 modes: Light, Dark)

## Color Tokens
| Token | Value | Type |
|-------|-------|------|
| primary/500 | #3B82F6 | solid |
| neutral/900 | #111827 | solid |

## Typography Tokens
| Token | Font Family | Size | Line Height | Weight |
|-------|-------------|------|-------------|--------|
| heading/xl | Inter | 32px | 1.2 | 700 |
| body/md | Inter | 16px | 1.5 | 400 |

## Spacing Tokens
| Token | Value |
|-------|-------|
| spacing/xs | 4px |
| spacing/md | 16px |

## Component Families
- Button (variants: 8)
- Input (variants: 6)
- Card (variants: 4)

SKILL.md Format

# AI Design System Agent – [File Name]

## Mission
Implement UI components that strictly follow the extracted design system from [File Name].

## Brand
- **Product**: [Inferred from file]
- **Audience**: [Inferred context]
- **Surface**: Web/Mobile

## Style Foundations
### Colors
- Primary: #3B82F6
- Semantic: Success (#10B981), Error (#EF4444)

### Typography
- Heading scale: 32/24/20/16px
- Body scale: 16/14/12px
- Font stack: Inter, system-ui, sans-serif

## Accessibility
- WCAG 2.2 AA contrast (4.5:1 text, 3:1 UI)
- Minimum touch target: 44×44px
- Focus indicators required

## Rules: Do
- Use extracted color tokens exactly
- Apply typography tokens for all text
- Respect spacing scale for layout
- Implement all component variants

## Rules: Don't
- Don't invent new colors outside token set
- Don't use arbitrary font sizes
- Don't skip accessibility requirements

Common Usage Patterns

Extract and Download

// In plugin code
async function extractAndGenerate() {
  // Extract all design tokens
  const styles = extractLocalStyles();
  const variables = extractVariables();
  const components = extractComponentFamilies();
  
  // Generate markdown
  const designMd = formatDesignMd({ styles, variables, components });
  const skillMd = formatSkillMd({ styles, variables, components });
  
  // Send to UI for download
  figma.ui.postMessage({
    type: 'download-ready',
    designMd,
    skillMd
  });
}

Convert Paint to Hex

function paintToHex(paint: Paint): string {
  if (paint.type === 'SOLID') {
    const r = Math.round(paint.color.r * 255);
    const g = Math.round(paint.color.g * 255);
    const b = Math.round(paint.color.b * 255);
    return `#${r.toString(16).padStart(2, '0')}${g.toString(16).padStart(2, '0')}${b.toString(16).padStart(2, '0')}`.toUpperCase();
  }
  return 'gradient';
}

Format Typography Token

function formatTypographyToken(style: TextStyle) {
  const lineHeight = style.lineHeight.unit === 'PIXELS' 
    ? `${style.lineHeight.value}px`
    : style.lineHeight.value;
    
  return {
    name: style.name,
    fontFamily: style.fontName.family,
    fontSize: `${style.fontSize}px`,
    fontWeight: style.fontWeight,
    lineHeight,
    letterSpacing: style.letterSpacing
  };
}

Extract Component Variants

function extractComponentVariants(componentSet: ComponentSetNode) {
  const variants = componentSet.children.map(child => {
    if (child.type === 'COMPONENT') {
      return {
        name: child.name,
        properties: child.variantProperties || {}
      };
    }
  }).filter(Boolean);
  
  return {
    family: componentSet.name,
    count: variants.length,
    variants
  };
}

Using Generated Files with AI Tools

Claude Code / Cursor

  1. Place DESIGN.md and SKILL.md in project root
  2. Reference in agent context:
    @SKILL.md implement a button component following the design system
    

Prompt Engineering

Using the design tokens in DESIGN.md, create a React component 
for [Component Name] that:
- Uses color tokens from primary palette
- Applies typography token heading/md
- Respects spacing/md for padding
- Implements all variants listed in Component Families

Configuration

The plugin reads Figma's native structures—no external configuration required. All extraction is based on:

  • Local paint styles
  • Local text styles
  • Local effect styles
  • Local grid styles
  • Variable collections
  • Component sets in current file

Troubleshooting

No Styles Extracted

Problem: Plugin returns empty DESIGN.md

Solution: Ensure you have local styles created in Figma. Shared library styles are not extracted—only local file styles.

// Check for local styles
const paintStyles = figma.getLocalPaintStyles();
if (paintStyles.length === 0) {
  console.warn('No local paint styles found in this file');
}

Variables Not Showing

Problem: Variable collections missing from output

Solution: Verify variables are created as local collections, not external libraries.

const collections = figma.variables.getLocalVariableCollections();
console.log('Found collections:', collections.length);

Build Errors

Problem: TypeScript compilation fails

Solution: Ensure Figma plugin types are installed:

npm install --save-dev @figma/plugin-typings

Update tsconfig.json:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "types": ["@figma/plugin-typings"]
  }
}

Plugin Won't Load

Problem: "Failed to load manifest" error

Solution: Check manifest.json structure:

{
  "name": "Design MD Skill Generator",
  "id": "YOUR_PLUGIN_ID",
  "api": "1.0.0",
  "main": "code.js",
  "ui": "ui.html",
  "editorType": ["figma"]
}

Best Practices

  1. Run extraction on finalized designs – Ensure your local styles and variables are complete before generating files

  2. Name tokens consistently – Use / separators for token hierarchy (e.g., color/primary/500)

  3. Version control generated files – Commit DESIGN.md and SKILL.md alongside design system code

  4. Update after design changes – Re-run extraction when design tokens change

  5. Combine with component library – Use generated files as source of truth for design token implementation

Resources

FAQ

What does the figma-design-md-generator skill do?

Generate DESIGN.md and SKILL.md files from Figma design systems for AI-assisted development

How do I install figma-design-md-generator?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/reason-machines/design-skills --skill figma-design-md-generator in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/figma-design-md-generator/ (personal) or .claude/skills/figma-design-md-generator/ (project).

Which AI agents can use figma-design-md-generator?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is figma-design-md-generator safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains figma-design-md-generator?

It is published by reason-machines in reason-machines/design-skills. It has 123 recorded installs.

More from reason-machines/design-skills

View all →

awesome-claude-design

reason-machines/design-skills

Use ready-to-use DESIGN.md files to scaffold complete design systems in Claude Design with colors, typography, components, and UI kits

Frontend & Design240 installs

design-md-chrome-extractor

reason-machines/design-skills

Chrome extension that extracts design systems from websites and generates DESIGN.md or SKILL.md files for AI coding agents using TypeUI format

183 installs

design-md-format

reason-machines/design-skills

Create and validate DESIGN.md files that give AI coding agents structured understanding of design systems through machine-readable tokens and human-readable rationale.

178 installs

open-codesign-ai-design

reason-machines/design-skills

Use Open CoDesign to generate prototypes, slides, and PDFs from prompts with Claude, GPT, Gemini, or local models

AI & Agents175 installs

open-design-ai-prototyping

reason-machines/design-skills

Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.

174 installs

diagram-design-editorial

reason-machines/design-skills

Create editorial-quality diagrams in HTML + SVG matching your brand — architecture, flowcharts, sequences, timelines, quadrants, and 9 more types.

Docs & Writing169 installs

Popular frontend & design skills

View category →

setup-matt-pocock-skills

mattpocock/skills

Configure this repo for the engineering skills: set up its issue tracker, triage label vocabulary, and domain doc layout. Run once before first use of the other engineering skills.

Frontend & Design1.1M installs

frontend-design

anthropics/skills

Guidance for distinctive, intentional visual design when building new UI or reshaping an existing one. Helps with aesthetic direction, typography, and making choices that don't read as templated defaults.

OfficialFrontend & Design1M installs

hyperframes-animation

heygen-com/hyperframes

All animation knowledge for HyperFrames — atomic motion rules, multi-phase scene blueprints, scene transitions, broader motion-design techniques, AND the seven runtime adapters (GSAP default, plus Lottie, Three.js, Anime.js, CSS keyframes, Web Animations API, TypeGPU). Use for any motion or animation task: pick 2-4 rules and compose, or load a blueprint, or look up runtime-specific API (e.g. GSAP eases / Lottie player / Three.js mixer). Also covers auditing an existing composition's choreography (animation map) and 24 named text-animation effects. HyperFrames-native: single paused timeline, seek-safe, deterministic.

prototype

mattpocock/skills

Build a throwaway prototype to answer a design question. Use when the user wants to sanity-check whether a state model or logic feels right, or explore what a UI should look like.

Frontend & Design999.2K installs

hyperframes-core

heygen-com/hyperframes

The HyperFrames composition contract — build one renderable project. Use for composition structure, the data- timing attributes, class="clip", tracks, sub-compositions, variables, framework-owned media playback, deterministic-render rules, and validation. Read before writing composition HTML.

Frontend & Design930.5K installs

vercel-react-best-practices

vercel-labs/agent-skills

React and Next.js performance optimization guidelines from Vercel Engineering. This skill should be used when writing, reviewing, or refactoring React/Next.js code to ensure optimal performance patterns. Triggers on tasks involving React components, Next.js pages, data fetching, bundle optimization, or performance improvements.

OfficialFrontend & Design843.1K installs