React

Figma to React: How To Convert Designs Into Working Code

November 19, 2024•6 min read

The demand for converting Figma designs to React is growing yearly, but there's a critical misconception: many believe that some AI tools can fully handle this process with a few simple clicks.

While these tools can help with routine and speed up specific tasks, they need to do more to solve the core challenges involved in a successful Figma to React migration.

Today, I want to walk you through the best AI tools and how to use them effectively. But more importantly, you will understand why bringing your designs to life still requires the expertise of a skilled React developer.

Why Do You Need To Convert Figma to React?

One of the fundamentals in web development is the harmonized teamwork between UI/UX designers and developers, making Figma to React conversion a necessary step in bringing designs to life. Let's explore this process closely.

Designers typically work in Figma, a user-friendly platform known for its robust design capabilities. Once a design for an app or website is complete, they hand off the mockups to developers, who convert these designs into functional code — often using React, a popular JavaScript library, or another technology that suits the business requirements.

However, this teamwork isn't always straightforward. Figma provides designers with tremendous creative freedom, which sometimes leads to designs that are difficult to realize, even with React's flexibility. To bridge this gap, designers and developers must work closely together to balance visually stunning, user-responsive designs and development abilities.

Yet, there's another layer to consider: with the hype around AI, some people may think that web developers, designers, or even content creators can be replaced with a few magic prompts.

But here's the reality: No AI tool can ideally generate React code from a Figma design with just a simple command or click. The code produced often requires refinement, customization, and, most importantly, a deep understanding of React to make it functional and maintainable. In other words, AI can assist, but it can't replace a skilled developer's expertise and nuanced decision-making.

Despite this disadvantage, my developer team respects AI assistance and actively uses it to speed up development and simplify basic tasks. Let's move to the next section, where I will show you how to convert Figma to React and highlight some good AI tools that can assist with this job.

How To Convert Figma To React With AI Tools

In my opinion, the effectiveness of AI tools is directly proportional to a user's prompt-building skills, and those who catch the wave can speed up their workflow and produce high-quality code faster and more effectively than ever before.

Some companies and employers do not allow their specialists to use AI technologies during their work processes, but I believe that AI tools are worth considering to be part of the workflow.

Note: Before we start to talk about tools in detail, I must note that installing plugins in Figma is only available if you have a paid Professional plan. Moreover, each tool on this list may have its own pricing to unlock full functionality. These extra costs can be unpleasant, but not when such an investment can lead to faster workflow and bring an additional outcome.

So, let's move to the tools that The Frontend Company uses during the Figma to React conversion:

The Three Best AI Tools To Convert Figma To React

Builder.io

Builder.io is a Figma plugin that offers AI-powered design-to-code functionality and allows you to convert designs to clean React code in a click.

Key Features:

Effortless Setup: Devs do not need to configure auto layout or make special adjustments to design files before converting them into code.
Framework Flexibility: Generate code for various frameworks and libraries, including React, Next.js, Vue, Svelte, Angular, Swift, Flutter, Kotlin, React Native, and more. You can even select your preferred styling approach, whether it's Tailwind CSS, CSS Modules, Emotion, Styled Components, or Styled JSX.
Responsive by Design: Even if your Figma designs don't utilize auto layout, the generated code is automatically responsive, adapting seamlessly to different devices and screen sizes.
Reuse Existing Components: Easily map Figma components to your codebase, making it simple to reuse your established components during the code generation process.

Our developers often use Builder.io to test various ideas. This helps validate concepts and make informed decisions about further development.

Locofy

Locofy is another AI-powered tool that converts Figma designs into production-ready React code. This tool can save significant time, but developers must review and refine the output to meet performance and scalability standards, as with all AI-generated code.

Key features:

Advanced Interactivity with Auto-Generated Hooks: One of Locofy's standout features is its ability to automatically generate React hooks for interactivity, making the process of adding complex behaviors simpler and more efficient.
Cross-Platform Flexibility: Beyond traditional web applications, Locofy supports the creation of code that works seamlessly across platforms, including React Native for mobile development, making it ideal for projects requiring a multi-platform presence.
Seamless Figma Integration: Locofy's deep integration with Figma enables a smoother design-to-code workflow, reducing the need for repetitive manual adjustments and helping maintain design fidelity throughout development.
Pre-Built Templates and Snippets: The tool has a library of pre-built templates and reusable code snippets that developers can leverage to speed up development, especially for common UI patterns and elements.
Team Collaboration Features: Locofy is designed with collaboration in mind, making it easy for design and development teams to work together efficiently, review code output, and iterate faster.

Our team uses Locofy to enhance communication between the design and development departments, ensuring a seamless workflow and keeping projects on track.

DhiWise

DhiWise is an advanced programming platform that empowers developers to seamlessly convert Figma designs into clean, modular, and scalable code for both web and mobile applications. It helps teams deliver high-quality applications faster and more efficiently by automating repetitive tasks and speeding up the development process.

Key Features:

Custom AI Models: DhiWise uses proprietary VisionAI models and over 2,000 in-house algorithms to accurately identify and convert over 100 UI components, including complex elements like sliders, tables, and footers, into clean, production-ready code.
Clean Code Architecture: The platform generates code with a well-structured architecture, following principles like DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) and semantic HTML to ensure maintainability and scalability.
Rapid Deployment: Developers can easily download and integrate the generated code into their preferred IDEs, expediting the workflow from design to deployment.

We use DhiWise to convert complex UI components, like sliders, tables, and footers, into production-ready code. This AI tool is the perfect assistant for projects with detailed design elements, enabling efficient and fast implementation.

If you are also interested in converting Figma designs to Angular, check out our article on Figma to Angular: 3 Methods Convert Guide, where we dive into a similar process focusing Angular’s unique requirements.

Short Summary

While these tools are excellent for converting Figma to React, they are only truly effective in the hands of a skilled React developer. Sure, anyone can generate code using these tools, but without the expertise to refine, optimize, and properly integrate it, the code becomes practically useless.

Additionally, there's no way to simply install a few plugins and get a ready-to-implement React solution. If you are considering moving your platform, business, or website to React, you need a team of developers to handle the manual conversion.

This leads us to the question: why is manual migration the only proper way to convert Figma to React, and how does it ensure a more robust and maintainable React application? Let's dive into that next.

How The Frontend Company Can Help You Convert Figma to React JS Manually?

When clients ask The Frontend Company to convert Figma designs to React, we don't just jump into AI tools to generate code. Instead, we begin with a thoughtful, strategic process to ensure the final product aligns perfectly with your business needs and technical requirements.

Our Figma to React Conversion Process

Initial Consultation and Planning. We start by conducting a comprehensive interview with our clients, asking a series of crucial questions to fully understand the project scope and requirements. This step allows us to develop a detailed transition plan and set clear expectations.
Design and Development Team Collaboration. Once the plan is in place, we mobilize our designers and developers to work collaboratively. Together, they determine the best way to convert your Figma designs into React or another technology that suits your business goals.
Leveraging AI Tools to Optimize Workflow. We understand the importance of time and efficiency, so we train our developers to use AI tools effectively to accelerate specific parts of the process. While these tools speed development, our team's expertise ensures that everything is implemented correctly.

Figma to React Conversion Stages

Stage 1: Figma Design Preparation

Before building the application from scratch, we ensure the Figma designs are well-organized with components and cleanly layered structures. If needed, we can assist you in preparing and structuring your Figma files to provide a smoother transition to React.

Stage 2: Exporting Necessary Files

Next, we extract all essential assets — icons, images, logos — directly from Figma. These files are used for seamless integration into the React codebase.

Stage 3: Creating Code with AI Tools

After preparation, it's time to create code from scratch. Here, we have the creative freedom and flexibility of React to integrate any solution. AI Tools help us with this task and speed up processes. This stage often takes the most time, but having a skilled team in charge means you stay informed and in control throughout the process.

Stage 4: Implementing React Hooks and Functionality

We add dynamic features using React hooks, such as useState and useEffect. This is where static designs are transformed into fully interactive React applications, bringing the user experience to life.

Stage 5: Final Testing and Optimization

Finally, we rigorously test the application across multiple devices to ensure full responsiveness and a polished user experience. We make any final design tweaks or performance optimizations to prepare the app for deployment.

Short Summary

This is how we approach Figma to React conversion without diving too deeply into the technical details.

The Fronted Company specializes in Figma to React or any other technology migration with advanced automation. Our devs not only understand how to write high-quality code but also know how to speed up all the processes with AI tools. Contact us now, and we will provide a free consultation and your project review, including a detailed plan for Figma to React conversion.

Final Word

Converting Figma designs to React JS requires more than just using AI tools. It demands the expertise of skilled developers to refine, optimize, and integrate the code. While AI-powered tools like Builder.io, Locofy, and DhiWise can accelerate the process and improve efficiency, they are only as effective as the developers using them.

I suggest collaborating with a team of professional developers with experience and similar migration cases. Do not choose freelancers for this purpose, as they do not provide the high-level partnership you may expect. Use AI tools to improve workflow, but do not rely on them too much, as they may disappoint you sometimes.

FAQ

Can the Figma to React conversion process be fully automated using AI tools?

No, even the most advanced AI tools cannot fully automate this process. They can assist with routine tasks, but the code still requires refinement, customization, and optimization by an experienced developer.

Do all developers use AI tools during Figma to React migration?

Surprisingly, some developers have never even tried using AI tools, considering them a waste of time. While many teams have embraced AI for streamlining workflows and automating repetitive tasks, some still prefer traditional methods, believing that AI can't deliver the precision and control they need.

Why can't I hire a freelancer for the conversion?

Freelancers may not provide the quality and support needed for complex projects. A professional development team has experience with similar migrations and can deliver stable, scalable, and maintainable code.

How long does it take to convert Figma designs to React?

The time required depends on the complexity of the design and the project as a whole. While AI tools can speed up parts of the process, final adjustments and thorough testing still take time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Vasylenko

CEO at The Frontend Company, Founder of Digital Business Card

Alex Vasylenko is the founder of The Frontend Company, DBC and several other successful startups. A dynamic tech entrepreneur, he began his career as a frontend developer at Deloitte and Scandinavia's largest banking company. In 2023, Alex was honored as one of 'Top 10 Emerging Entrepreneurs' by USA Today.

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