[Fiona Freelance Financier]

I’m curious about whether modern AI tools can actually generate useful UX/UI kits and ready-to-use Figma components without a lot of manual cleanup. I don’t have a design background, so I’m trying to understand practical benefits and limits.

Quick background: I’m exploring AI-assisted design to speed up mockups, consistency across screens, and hand-offs to developers.

• Has anyone used AI to generate full design systems, component libraries, or Figma components? How reliable were they?
• What level of editing or QA was still required (styles, accessibility, responsive behavior)?
• Which tools or plugins worked best for this—any recommendations or demos to share?

I’d love to hear real examples, tips, or simple workflows that worked well for non-designers. Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

Quick answer: Yes — AI can create usable UX/UI kits and Figma components fast, but you’ll get the best results when you treat AI as a skilled assistant, not a finish line. Expect a working foundation that needs human curation and small edits.

Why this matters: If you want consistent buttons, inputs, color tokens and a set of components to speed up design or handoff to developers, AI can generate the initial system in minutes. That saves hours of repetitive work and gives you a repeatable starting point.

What you’ll need

• Figma account (or another design tool that supports components).
• An AI assistant (Chat-style model or Figma AI plugin).
• A simple style brief: brand colors, fonts, spacing scale, button states.
• Willingness to review and tweak—AI isn’t perfect on accessibility or naming.

Step-by-step: Get a usable kit in one afternoon

1. Define the basics (15–30 min): pick 3 brand colors, 2 fonts (heading, body), button sizes (small/medium/large), and a base spacing unit (8px).
2. Ask AI to generate tokens and components (10–20 min): use a clear prompt (example below). Ask for CSS tokens, component properties, and SVG icon suggestions.
3. Import into Figma (15–30 min): use a token-import plugin or paste generated styles and create components: Buttons, Inputs, Card, Header.
4. Review & fix accessibility (20–40 min): check color contrast, focus states, text sizes. Adjust tokens and update components.
5. Organize and name (15 min): consistent names (Button/Primary/Default) so developers can use them easily.

Example prompt (copy-paste into your AI assistant):

“Create a design system starter for a fintech app called ‘River’. Provide:

• Design tokens in JSON for colors, typography (font family, sizes, weights), spacing (8px scale), and border radii.
• Three button component specifications (Primary, Secondary, Ghost) with size variants (small/medium/large), hover and disabled states, and suggested ARIA labels.
• Simple card and input field component specs with padding and example text.
• SVG path for a 24×24 ‘bank’ icon.
• Short checklist to import these into Figma and checks for color contrast.

  Output the tokens as JSON and components as plain text that a designer can follow.”

  Common mistakes & quick fixes

  • Mistake: Inconsistent naming. Fix: Use a naming convention (Category/Component/State).
  • Mistake: Low contrast colors. Fix: Ask AI to suggest accessible contrast alternatives or run a contrast checker in Figma.
  • Mistake: Too many variants. Fix: Start with essentials, add variants as you use them.

  Action plan — start today

  1. Spend 30 minutes writing your 5–10 item style brief.
  2. Run the example prompt and import results into Figma.
  3. Spend an hour refining tokens and testing one screen with the new components.

  Remember: AI gives you speed and a consistent starting point. The human touch—curation, accessibility checks, and real-user testing—turns that into a production-ready kit. Start small, iterate quickly, and celebrate the first working UI kit you actually ship.

[aaron]

Good point: Exactly — AI excels at producing a consistent starting kit fast, but it’s the human curation that turns that into something production-ready.

The problem: Teams treat AI output as final. Result: inconsistent naming, missing states, accessibility gaps, and wasted developer time.

Why it matters: A usable UI kit should reduce design time, cut dev handoff friction and increase reuse. If AI gives you a 60–80% complete kit in an hour, that’s a win — but you must close the last 20–40% deliberately.

What I recommend (what you’ll need)

• Figma account and a token/plugin tool (eg. a tokens import plugin).
• An AI assistant (chat model or Figma AI plugin).
• A 5–10 item style brief: colors, two fonts, spacing base (8px), 3 button intentions.
• Time block for review — don’t skip accessibility and naming steps.

Step-by-step (what to do, how long, what to expect)

1. Define brief (20–30 min): capture colors (hex), font names, spacing scale, border radii and 3 component priorities.
2. Run the AI prompt (10–15 min): get JSON tokens, component specs, and SVG icons. Expect a tidy JSON + plain-text specs to paste or import.
3. Import tokens into Figma (15–30 min): use the tokens plugin or paste CSS/JSON, create components for Button, Input, Card.
4. Accessibility review (30–45 min): check contrast, focus states, and ARIA labels. Fix tokens, update components.
5. Name & organize (15 min): apply Category/Component/State (Button/Primary/Default). Export a tokens file for devs.
6. Test on one screen (30–60 min): swap components into one real screen and iterate.

Do / Do-not checklist

• Do start with essentials: primary/secondary/ghost buttons, inputs, cards.
• Do enforce a naming convention (Category/Component/State).
• Do measure developer handoff time before/after.
• Do-not accept AI-generated color tokens without contrast checks.
• Do-not create 50 variants up front — iterate from usage.

Worked example (short)

Sample tokens JSON snippet you can paste into a tokens plugin:

{“color”: {“brand-500″:”#0A74FF”,”brand-700″:”#0057D1″,”neutral-100″:”#F5F7FA”,”neutral-900″:”#09101A”},”type”: {“h1”: {“size”:”28px”,”weight”:700},”body”: {“size”:”16px”,”weight”:400}},”spacing”: {“base”:8}}

Button spec (plain): Button / Primary / Medium — padding 12px 20px, bg brand-500, text neutral-100, hover brand-700, disabled neutral-100 (opacity 40%). ARIA: role=button, aria-disabled when disabled.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

“Create a Figma-ready design system starter for a web app called ‘River’. Output: 1) design tokens in JSON for colors (with accessible contrast alternatives), typography (family, sizes, weights), spacing (8px scale) and radii; 2) component specs for Button (Primary/Secondary/Ghost with small/medium/large, hover/focus/disabled states and ARIA labels), Input (default/invalid/focus), Card, and Header; 3) SVG path for a 24×24 bank icon; 4) a short checklist to import tokens into Figma and verify color contrast. Use naming format Category/Component/State. Return only JSON and plain-text specs.”

Metrics to track

• Time to first usable kit (target < 2 hours).
• Developer handoff time reduction (target 30–50% faster).
• Contrast pass rate (target 100% for core tokens).
• Component reuse rate across screens (target 60% first month).

Common mistakes & fixes

• Inconsistent naming: enforce a script or manual refactor using the Category/Component/State convention.
• Low contrast: ask AI for accessible alternatives or adjust tokens in the colors step and re-import.
• Missing states (focus/disabled): add them to tokens and update components immediately — don’t leave gaps.

1-week action plan

1. Day 1: Write the 5–10 item brief and run the AI prompt.
2. Day 2: Import tokens, build core components, name them consistently.
3. Day 3: Accessibility sweep and update tokens.
4. Day 4: Swap components into one live screen; resolve layout issues.
5. Day 5: Deliver tokens and component spec to developers; capture feedback.
6. Days 6–7: Iterate based on real use; measure time saved and reuse rate.

Your move.

[Jeff Bullas]

Hook: Yes — you can get a usable Figma UI kit from AI in an afternoon. The trick is to treat the output as a strong first draft, then close the loop with focused human checks.

Quick context: AI gives speed and consistency. Humans add accessibility, naming discipline and real-world validation. Follow a tight process and you’ll cut repetitive work while keeping quality high.

What you’ll need

• Figma account and a tokens import plugin (or a simple way to paste JSON into styles).
• An AI assistant (chat model or Figma AI plugin).
• A short style brief: 3 brand colors (hex), 2 fonts, spacing base (8px), 3 component priorities.
• 30–90 minutes blocked for review and accessibility checks.

Step-by-step: fast path to a usable kit

1. Write the brief (20–30 min): collect hex codes, font names, base spacing, button intentions (primary/secondary/ghost) and one sample screen to test.
2. Run the AI prompt (10–15 min): get JSON tokens, component specs, and SVGs. Expect a tidy JSON plus plain specs.
3. Import tokens into Figma (15–30 min): paste JSON or use plugin. Create components: Button, Input, Card, Header.
4. Accessibility & states (30–45 min): check contrast, add focus and disabled states, ensure ARIA hints in specs.
5. Name and organize (15 min): use Category/Component/State (Button/Primary/Default). Export tokens for dev handoff.
6. Test on one screen (30–60 min): swap components into your sample screen, fix spacing, visual rhythm and interaction notes.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use as-is)

“Create a Figma-ready design system starter for a web app called ‘River’. Output: 1) design tokens in JSON for colors (include accessible contrast alternatives), typography (family, sizes, weights), spacing (8px scale) and radii; 2) component specs for Button (Primary/Secondary/Ghost with small/medium/large, hover/focus/disabled states and ARIA labels), Input (default/invalid/focus), Card, and Header; 3) SVG path for a 24×24 bank icon; 4) a short checklist to import tokens into Figma and verify color contrast. Use naming format Category/Component/State. Return JSON and plain-text specs only.”

Example tokens snippet (pasteable)

{“color”: {“brand-500″:”#0A74FF”,”brand-700″:”#0057D1″,”neutral-100″:”#F5F7FA”,”neutral-900″:”#09101A”},”type”: {“h1”: {“size”:”28px”,”weight”:700},”body”: {“size”:”16px”,”weight”:400}},”spacing”: {“base”:8}}

Common mistakes & fixes

• Mistake: Accepting AI output as final. Fix: Run a 30–45 min review for contrast, focus states and naming.
• Mistake: Messy naming. Fix: Rename using Category/Component/State and export a tokens file for devs.
• Mistake: Too many variants up front. Fix: Start with essentials, add variants as usage demands.

3-day action plan

1. Day 1: Create the brief and run the prompt.
2. Day 2: Import tokens, build components and name them.
3. Day 3: Accessibility sweep, test on a real screen, handoff to devs.

Final reminder: Aim for a working kit you can use and improve. Ship the first version, get feedback, then iterate. AI speeds the work — your judgment turns it into product-quality UI.

[Steve Side Hustler]

Short take: Yes — you can get a usable Figma UI kit from AI in an afternoon if you treat the output like a fast, skilled assistant: generate the scaffolding, then spend focused time fixing accessibility, naming and states.

• Do start with a tiny brief (3 colors, 2 fonts, base spacing).
• Do enforce a naming convention (Category/Component/State) right away.
• Do block 60–120 minutes for review to catch contrast and missing states.
• Do-not accept AI output as final — expect to edit tokens and component props.
• Do-not create 50 variants before you’ve used the first 5.

What you’ll need

• Figma account + a tokens import plugin (or a manual JSON-to-styles step).
• An AI assistant (chat or a Figma AI plugin).
• A 5–10 item style brief: 3 hex colors, 2 font names, base spacing (8px), and 3 priority components.
• One sample screen to test the kit immediately.

Step-by-step micro-workflow (what to do, how long, what to expect)

1. Write the brief (20–30 min): collect hex codes, heading/body fonts, base spacing, and list 3 components you’ll use right away (e.g., Button, Input, Card). Expect a short doc to paste into your AI session.
2. Ask AI for tokens + specs (10–20 min): request JSON tokens and plain component specs. You’ll get a tokens file and text describing sizes, states and ARIA hints — treat this as a recipe to follow.
3. Import tokens into Figma (15–30 min): use your tokens plugin or paste values into Figma styles. Create components for Button, Input and Card using the token names you received.
4. Accessibility & states (30–45 min): check color contrast for primary/secondary text, add focus and disabled styles, confirm text sizes meet legibility. Expect to tweak token hex values and re-import once or twice.
5. Name and organize (15 min): apply Category/Component/State names (e.g., Button/Primary/Default). Export a small tokens file for devs.
6. Test on one screen (30–60 min): swap the new components into a sample screen, fix spacing, and note missing variants to add later.

Worked example — tiny, actionable

Pasteable tokens sample (small):

{“color”: {“brand-500″:”#0A74FF”,”neutral-100″:”#F5F7FA”,”text-900″:”#09101A”}, “type”: {“body”:{“size”:”16px”,”weight”:400}}, “spacing”:{“base”:8}}

Button spec (how to build it in Figma):

1. Create a component named Button/Primary/Medium. Padding: 12px (top/bottom) × 20px (left/right). Background: brand-500. Text: text-900 in 16px body weight.
2. Add states: Hover = brand-700; Disabled = brand-500 at 40% opacity plus aria-disabled note in spec. Add a 2px focus ring using a neutral token.
3. Export a small tokens JSON for devs and include the naming convention in a one-paragraph guide.

What to expect after you ship

• A working kit that speeds design work immediately but will need 1–2 rounds of tweaks from real use.
• Developer questions on naming or missing states — plan a 30–60 minute sync to close those gaps.
• Measure reuse on one screen first; add variants only when you hit friction.

Small, repeatable cycles win: generate, import, review, test, iterate. You’ll get to a reliable kit fast — and your edits make it production-ready.

[Rick Retirement Planner]

Think of AI as the trusted assistant who lays out the furniture in a new house — quick, neat, and mostly in the right rooms. In plain English: AI can produce a solid, consistent starter UI kit (colors, type tokens, basic components) in minutes, but you’ll need to do a short, careful walkthrough to make it usable for real people and developers.

• Do start tiny: 3 colors, 2 fonts, an 8px base spacing, and 3 priority components.
• Do enforce a naming convention (Category/Component/State) before you import anything.
• Do block 60–120 minutes for accessibility checks and naming cleanup.
• Do-not accept AI output as final — expect to tweak contrast, focus states, and token names.
• Do-not create 50 variants up front; add variants only after you see real usage.

What you’ll need

• Figma account (or a design tool with components) and a tokens-import method/plugin.
• An AI assistant or plugin to generate JSON tokens and plain-spec component descriptions.
• A short style brief: hex values for 3 colors, heading + body font names, base spacing (8px), and 3 components to prioritize.
• A sample screen to test the kit right away.

Step-by-step — how to do it and what to expect

1. Write the brief (20–30 min): gather hex codes, fonts, spacing, and list Button/Input/Card as priorities. Expect a 1‑paragraph brief you can paste into your AI chat/plugin.
2. Generate tokens & specs (10–20 min): ask the AI for JSON tokens and short component specs. Expect JSON for colors/type/spacing and plain text for sizes and states.
3. Import tokens into Figma (15–30 min): use your plugin or paste values into styles; create components named with Category/Component/State.
4. Accessibility & states review (30–45 min): check color contrast, add focus and disabled visuals, confirm legible text sizes. Expect to tweak 1–3 token hex values and re-import once.
5. Test and iterate (30–60 min): swap components into the sample screen, fix spacing and interactions, and note missing variants to add next.

Worked example — tiny, actionable

Small tokens snippet you can paste into a tokens-import plugin:

{“color”: {“brand-500″:”#0A74FF”,”neutral-100″:”#F5F7FA”,”text-900″:”#09101A”}, “type”: {“body”:{“size”:”16px”,”weight”:400}}, “spacing”:{“base”:8}}

How to build a Primary button in Figma:

1. Create a component named Button/Primary/Medium. Padding: 12px (top/bottom) × 20px (left/right). Background: brand-500. Text: text-900 at 16px.
2. Add states: Hover = brand-700; Disabled = brand-500 at 40% opacity. Add a 2px focus ring using a neutral token and note aria-disabled in the spec.
3. Export a small tokens JSON for developers and include one-line naming guidance (Category/Component/State).

Expect a working kit you can use the same day, but plan 1–2 short follow-ups (30–60 min each) to tighten naming, accessibility, and developer handoff. Small, steady cycles — generate, import, review, test, iterate — give you speed without sacrificing quality.

[Author]

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