Figma to Web App: How to Turn Your Design Into a Real Product
November 22, 2024•7 min read
Turning Figma design into a fully functional web application is the final milestone in your goal of making your product vision a tangible reality. To transform these static designs into a responsive, interactive web app, you need a team of skilled developers who understand how to seamlessly bring every element to life. This conversion process requires more than just translating pixels into code — it demands thoughtful planning, careful execution, and a focus on performance and scalability.
In this article, I will guide you through every step of collaboration between your business and the web development team during Figma to web app conversion. Together, we will go from point A — where you have your completed design in Figma — to point B — where your vision becomes a fully operational web app, including details and highlights of the critical aspects you should pay attention to.
Stage 1: Design Analysis
The first step in converting Figma to a web application is design analysis and preparation. Here, the development team takes an in-depth look at every design aspect to understand the required resources and estimate how long the implementation will take.
In real-life scenarios, developers review the design and provide comprehensive feedback on the technical feasibility of specific features. Sometimes, a design might be complex or include elements that are difficult to implement within a budget or timeline.
For example, intricate animations or highly custom UI components might require additional development time and resources. A single developer might need anywhere from one to two weeks to implement and refine these features.
How to prepare?
First, make sure your design is polished and organized. Consistent components, clear naming conventions, and detailed interaction notes will simplify the process and save everyone time. Be prepared to discuss your priorities: if your design includes resource-intensive features, developers will need to know which ones are critical and which could be simplified if necessary.
Additionally, clearly understanding your project's timeline and budget will help the team provide realistic estimates.
This stage is about collaboration and setting expectations. By aligning the design vision with technical realities, you will create an ambitious and achievable plan, setting your Figma to web app conversion for success.
Stage 2: Choosing the Right Technology
After discussing the design, the next step is to choose the right technology for your project. This decision is essential as it impacts your web app's performance, scalability, and future maintainability. The development team collaborates closely with your business to understand your app's requirements and to recommend the most suitable frameworks, libraries, and tools.
For instance, you might consider using React or Angular if your project needs a highly interactive user interface. React, a powerful JavaScript library is known for its flexibility and high performance when building dynamic user interfaces. On the other hand, Angular, a comprehensive framework, provides a more structured and opinionated approach, making it ideal for large-scale enterprise applications. To learn more about migration on these technologies, check out our last articles: Figma to React and Figma to Angular.
Here are the criteria that you must consider when choosing a technology for your project:
- Scalability: Will the technology support your app as it grows and handles more users?
- Development Speed: Does the technology allow for rapid prototyping and efficient development?
- Community Support and Documentation: Is the technology well-documented and widely used, making it easier to find solutions and support?
- Long-term Viability: Is the technology actively maintained and backed by a strong community or a reputable organization?
How to Prepare?
Be ready to discuss your app's future plans, such as anticipated user growth, potential feature expansions, or the need for integrations with other platforms. Understanding your business's goals will help the development team choose a technology that aligns with your current and future vision.
Stage 3: Setting Up the Project Architecture
After you select the suitable technology, it's time to lay down the technical foundation of your web app.
Setting up the project architecture is like building the structural foundation of a house: it determines how stable, scalable, and maintainable your app will be in the long run. This stage includes carefully planning, defining folder structures, and configuring necessary tools and services.
Key Considerations During This Stage:
- Scalability: The architecture should support future growth without requiring major overhauls.
- Maintainability: A clean, well-organized codebase makes it easier for developers to add features or fix issues down the line.
- Security Measures: Developers also set up basic security measures, such as authentication and authorization mechanisms, to protect user data.
How to Prepare?
Start by sharing any specific constraints, such as data privacy regulations, the number of expected users, or any necessary integrations with existing systems.
During this phase, remain open to suggestions from the development team — they might propose architectural decisions that improve scalability or simplify future updates. Your active engagement and detailed input will help the team design an architecture that perfectly aligns with your goals and sets the foundation for a successful project.
Stage 4: Coding
After acquaintance with the development team and building a collaboration plan, it's time to start coding and transforming a design from Figma to web app.
During this phase, developers take the lead and need your trust. This is the time when your collaboration bears fruit, and while you are waiting for features to come to life, you are getting reports outlining what's been completed and what's up next. These updates ensure that you always stay on track and allow you to provide any feedback promptly.
With the foundation set and communication flowing, the actual development work begins.
Developers meticulously build each component, implement user interactions, and integrate the app's business logic and data handling. Let's break down what this process looks like and how each step is carefully managed to bring your vision to reality.
- Component Development: Developers build pixel-perfect UI components from your Figma design, ensuring they are fully responsive across all devices.
- Implementing User Interactions: They add functionality for a smooth user experience, including handling clicks, form submissions, and any necessary animations.
- Setting Up Business Logic: The app's core features are developed, ensuring it behaves correctly according to your business requirements.
- API Integration: Developers connect the app to external APIs to handle data securely and efficiently, enabling essential functions like fetching user information.
How to Prepare?
When you are at this stage, you do not need to prepare, as your Figma design started to transform into a high-functioning web app, and you just enjoy this process. This phase is very exciting because your motivation to see the final product grows daily, and developers get to focus on doing what they do best.
It's a rewarding part of the work for both sides, with the development team bringing your ideas to reality while you see your hard work taking shape.
My advice is to enjoy the process, stay engaged, and not hesitate to provide feedback when necessary.
Stage 5: Testing
After all the coding and integration are complete, you and the devs must ensure everything functions perfectly. Quality Assurance (QA) and Testing is a critical phase where the development team thoroughly examines the web app to catch any issues or bugs and guarantee a seamless user experience.
They also test cross-browser and cross-device compatibility, ensuring the app adapts smoothly to different screen sizes and optimizing performance to load quickly and run efficiently. Accessibility is also crucial — your app needs to be available for everyone, including people with disabilities, following best practices for inclusive design.
How to Prepare?
Although the heavy lifting happens on the development side, your role is to test the app from a user's perspective. This means checking the overall flow, ensuring the app meets your expectations, and providing feedback on anything that needs to be corrected. Your insights are valuable and help refine the product before launch.
This stage gives you the confidence that your Figma to web app conversion is polished and ready to deliver a top-notch experience to your users.
Stage 6: Deployment
After testing, it's time for the big moment: Deployment. This stage involves your app release, making it accessible to users. The development team sets up the hosting environment, configures security measures, and ensures everything is optimized for performance. Special attention is given to smooth transitions and minimizing downtime.
But deployment is not the end — it's just the beginning of the app's lifecycle. Ongoing maintenance and support are also very important to keep your web app running smoothly and securely. This includes security updates, fixing bugs, and rolling out new features as needed.
How to Prepare?
Be ready to collaborate with the development team for a successful launch. This involves communicating with your marketing team, preparing for user feedback, and planning future updates or improvements.
This final development stage ensures your product launches successfully and stays relevant and practical.
Stage 7: Gathering Feedback
Once your web app is live, the next step is to collect feedback from real users and use it to improve the product. Gathering Feedback involves:
- Monitoring how users interact with your app.
- Analyzing usage statistics.
- Collecting input from stakeholders and end-users.
The development team uses this data to make iterative improvements, ensuring that the app meets user needs and aligns with your business goals. The process is continuous, with regular updates and refinements keeping your app up-to-date and user-friendly.
How to Prepare?
Engage with your users by encouraging feedback through surveys, user testing, or direct communication channels.
Be open to suggestions and prepared to prioritize which updates or features will have the most impact.
Stage 8: Scaling and Future Planning
As your web app grows in popularity and usage, the focus shifts to Scaling and Future Planning. This phase involves preparing your app to handle increased traffic, adding new features to meet user demands, and strategically planning for long-term success.
Future Planning also means staying ahead of the curve. The development team works with you to identify emerging trends, anticipate user needs, and map out a roadmap for future updates.
How to Prepare?
Think about your business's long-term goals and be prepared to discuss how your app can grow and change to support those objectives.
Collaborate with the development team to prioritize scalability and plan strategic feature releases that align with your vision. Staying agile and adaptable will keep your product competitive and effective.
This final stage ensures your app is built not just for today but for sustained success in the future.
Conclusion
The process described in this article is not standard for all web development companies, but it is how I personally and my company work during Figma to web app conversion.
The Frontend Company appreciates structure in work, life, and projects. We know how important it is to estimate time, how crucial it is to hear each other, and how to build a comfortable workflow for you and us. If it matches your style, feel free to contact us, and our manager will consult you for free about your project and the best ways to realize it.
Figma to web app conversion is not just about the technical side, tools, and step-by-step instructions, it's about teamwork with people.
FAQ
Can I make changes to the design or features during development?
Yes, but remember that changes may impact the timeline and budget. It's best to finalize your design as much as possible before starting development.
How involved should I be in the development process?
Your involvement is important, especially in the early and final stages. Providing feedback, answering questions, and participating in regular check-ins will ensure the project aligns with your vision.
However, you can trust your development team to handle the technical work while you focus on strategic decisions.
What happens after my web app is deployed?
Deployment is just the beginning. Your app will require ongoing maintenance, including performance monitoring, security updates, and the addition of new features. The development team will work with you to plan a maintenance strategy and ensure your app continues to meet user needs.
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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