Design-to-Component Translator
Convert design specifications into pixel-perfect, production-ready React components.
Core Workflow
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Analyze design specs: Extract spacing, colors, typography, dimensions
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Map to tokens: Convert design values to design system tokens
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Generate structure: Create semantic HTML structure
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Apply styles: Implement Tailwind/CSS with exact measurements
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Add states: Include hover, focus, active, disabled states
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Handle responsive: Implement breakpoint-specific rules
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Ensure accessibility: Add ARIA labels, keyboard navigation
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Document variants: List all visual states and props
Design Spec Analysis
Extract from Figma/Design
Spacing & Layout:
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Padding: p-4 (16px), px-6 (24px horizontal)
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Margin: m-2 (8px), mt-4 (16px top)
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Gap: gap-3 (12px between flex items)
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Width/Height: w-64 (256px), h-10 (40px)
Typography:
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Font family: font-sans , font-mono
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Font size: text-sm (14px), text-base (16px), text-lg (18px)
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Font weight: font-normal (400), font-medium (500), font-semibold (600)
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Line height: leading-tight , leading-normal , leading-relaxed
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Letter spacing: tracking-tight , tracking-normal , tracking-wide
Colors:
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Background: bg-blue-500 , bg-gray-100
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Text: text-gray-900 , text-white
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Border: border-gray-300 , border-blue-600
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Opacity: bg-opacity-50 , text-opacity-75
Borders & Radius:
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Border width: border , border-2 , border-t-4
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Border radius: rounded (4px), rounded-md (6px), rounded-lg (8px), rounded-full
Shadows:
- shadow-sm , shadow , shadow-md , shadow-lg , shadow-xl
Design Token Mapping
Create Token System
// tokens.ts export const tokens = { colors: { primary: { 50: "#eff6ff", 100: "#dbeafe", 500: "#3b82f6", 600: "#2563eb", 700: "#1d4ed8", }, gray: { 100: "#f3f4f6", 300: "#d1d5db", 500: "#6b7280", 700: "#374151", 900: "#111827", }, }, spacing: { xs: "0.25rem", // 4px sm: "0.5rem", // 8px md: "1rem", // 16px lg: "1.5rem", // 24px xl: "2rem", // 32px }, fontSize: { xs: ["0.75rem", { lineHeight: "1rem" }], sm: ["0.875rem", { lineHeight: "1.25rem" }], base: ["1rem", { lineHeight: "1.5rem" }], lg: ["1.125rem", { lineHeight: "1.75rem" }], xl: ["1.25rem", { lineHeight: "1.75rem" }], }, borderRadius: { sm: "0.25rem", // 4px md: "0.375rem", // 6px lg: "0.5rem", // 8px full: "9999px", }, shadows: { sm: "0 1px 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 0.05)", md: "0 4px 6px -1px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1)", lg: "0 10px 15px -3px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.1)", }, };
Tailwind Config
// tailwind.config.js module.exports = { theme: { extend: { colors: { primary: { 50: "#eff6ff", 100: "#dbeafe", 500: "#3b82f6", 600: "#2563eb", 700: "#1d4ed8", }, }, spacing: { 18: "4.5rem", 88: "22rem", }, fontSize: { "2xs": "0.625rem", }, }, }, };
Component Translation Examples
Button from Figma Spec
Figma Specs:
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Height: 40px
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Padding: 12px 24px
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Border radius: 6px
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Font: Inter Medium 14px
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Background: #3B82F6
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Text: #FFFFFF
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Hover: #2563EB
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Shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.1)
Translated Component:
import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
interface ButtonProps extends React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement> { variant?: "primary" | "secondary"; size?: "sm" | "md" | "lg"; }
export const Button = ({ variant = "primary", size = "md", className, children, ...props }: ButtonProps) => { return ( <button className={cn( // Base styles "inline-flex items-center justify-center rounded-md font-medium", "transition-colors duration-200", "focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-primary-500 focus-visible:ring-offset-2", "disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:opacity-50", // Variant: Primary (matches Figma) variant === "primary" && [ "bg-primary-500 text-white shadow-sm", "hover:bg-primary-600", "active:bg-primary-700", ], // Size: Medium (40px height, 12px 24px padding) size === "md" && "h-10 px-6 text-sm", className )} {...props} > {children} </button> ); };
Card from Design Spec
Figma Specs:
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Padding: 24px
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Border radius: 12px
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Background: #FFFFFF
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Border: 1px solid #E5E7EB
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Shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.1)
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Max width: 400px
Translated Component:
interface CardProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> { elevated?: boolean; }
export const Card = ({ elevated = false, className, children, ...props }: CardProps) => { return ( <div className={cn( // Base from Figma "max-w-sm rounded-xl bg-white p-6", "border border-gray-200", // Conditional shadow elevated ? "shadow-lg" : "shadow-sm", // Hover state (not in Figma, but good UX) "transition-shadow duration-200 hover:shadow-md", className )} {...props} > {children} </div> ); };
Interaction States
Hover States
// Figma: Background changes from #3B82F6 to #2563EB on hover className={cn( 'bg-primary-500', 'hover:bg-primary-600', 'transition-colors duration-200' )}
Focus States
// Accessible focus ring className={cn( 'focus:outline-none', 'focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-primary-500 focus-visible:ring-offset-2' )}
Active/Pressed States
// Figma: Slightly darker on click className={cn( 'active:bg-primary-700', 'active:scale-[0.98]', // Slight scale down 'transition-all duration-100' )}
Disabled States
// Figma: 50% opacity, no interactions className={cn( 'disabled:opacity-50', 'disabled:cursor-not-allowed', 'disabled:pointer-events-none' )}
Responsive Design Translation
Breakpoint Mapping
// Figma artboards → Tailwind breakpoints // Mobile (375px): default (no prefix) // Tablet (768px): md: // Desktop (1024px): lg: // Wide (1280px): xl:
<div className={cn( // Mobile: Stack vertically, full width "flex flex-col gap-4 w-full", // Tablet: Side by side, 50% each "md:flex-row md:gap-6", // Desktop: Max width container "lg:max-w-6xl lg:mx-auto" )} />
Responsive Typography
// Figma mobile: 14px, desktop: 16px <h1 className="text-sm md:text-base lg:text-lg font-semibold"> Responsive Heading </h1>
Responsive Spacing
// Figma mobile: 16px padding, desktop: 24px <div className="p-4 md:p-6 lg:p-8">Content</div>
Design System Integration
Using shadcn/ui Patterns
// Leveraging shadcn's composable approach import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
const buttonVariants = cva( "inline-flex items-center justify-center rounded-md text-sm font-medium transition-colors focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring focus-visible:ring-offset-2 disabled:opacity-50 disabled:pointer-events-none ring-offset-background", { variants: { variant: { default: "bg-primary text-primary-foreground hover:bg-primary/90", destructive: "bg-destructive text-destructive-foreground hover:bg-destructive/90", outline: "border border-input hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground", secondary: "bg-secondary text-secondary-foreground hover:bg-secondary/80", ghost: "hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground", link: "underline-offset-4 hover:underline text-primary", }, size: { default: "h-10 py-2 px-4", sm: "h-9 px-3 rounded-md", lg: "h-11 px-8 rounded-md", icon: "h-10 w-10", }, }, defaultVariants: { variant: "default", size: "default", }, } );
Color System Translation
From Figma to CSS Variables
/* Figma colors → CSS variables / :root { / Primary from Figma #3B82F6 */ --primary: 221 83% 60%; --primary-foreground: 0 0% 100%;
/* Secondary from Figma #6B7280 */ --secondary: 220 9% 46%; --secondary-foreground: 0 0% 100%;
/* Backgrounds */ --background: 0 0% 100%; --foreground: 222 47% 11%;
/* Borders */ --border: 220 13% 91%; --input: 220 13% 91%; --ring: 221 83% 60%;
/* Radius from Figma */ --radius: 0.5rem; }
Using in Components
<div className="bg-background text-foreground border-border"> <button className="bg-primary text-primary-foreground">Button</button> </div>
Animation & Transitions
Micro-interactions from Figma
// Figma: Button scales slightly on hover <button className={cn( 'transition-all duration-200', 'hover:scale-105', 'active:scale-95' )}> Hover me </button>
// Figma: Card lifts on hover <div className={cn( 'transition-all duration-300', 'hover:-translate-y-1 hover:shadow-lg' )}> Card content </div>
// Figma: Fade in on mount <div className="animate-in fade-in duration-500"> Fading content </div>
Measurement Conversion
Figma Pixels → Tailwind Classes
Figma Tailwind Value
2px 0.5 0.125rem
4px 1 0.25rem
8px 2 0.5rem
12px 3 0.75rem
16px 4 1rem
20px 5 1.25rem
24px 6 1.5rem
32px 8 2rem
40px 10 2.5rem
48px 12 3rem
Custom Values
// Figma: 18px (not in default Tailwind) <div className="w-[18px] h-[18px]">{/* or add to config */}</div>
Accessibility Mapping
From Visual Design to A11y
// Figma shows disabled state <button disabled={isDisabled} aria-disabled={isDisabled} className={cn( isDisabled && 'opacity-50 cursor-not-allowed' )}
Submit </button>
// Figma shows error state <input aria-invalid={hasError} aria-describedby={hasError ? 'error-message' : undefined} className={cn( hasError && 'border-red-500 focus:ring-red-500' )} />
Common Patterns
Form Input Translation
Figma Specs:
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Height: 44px
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Padding: 12px 16px
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Border: 1px #D1D5DB
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Border radius: 8px
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Focus border: 2px #3B82F6
<input className={cn( "h-11 w-full rounded-lg border border-gray-300 px-4", "text-base text-gray-900 placeholder:text-gray-500", "focus:border-primary-500 focus:ring-2 focus:ring-primary-500 focus:ring-offset-0", "disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50" )} />
Icon Button Translation
Figma Specs:
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Size: 40x40px
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Icon: 20x20px centered
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Border radius: 8px
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Background hover: #F3F4F6
<button className={cn( "flex h-10 w-10 items-center justify-center rounded-lg", "text-gray-700 transition-colors", "hover:bg-gray-100", "focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-primary-500" )}
<Icon className="h-5 w-5" /> </button>
Best Practices
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Measure twice: Verify all measurements match Figma exactly
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Use design tokens: Map to tokens, not hardcoded values
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All states: Include hover, focus, active, disabled, error
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Responsive: Implement all breakpoints from design
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Accessibility: Add ARIA where Figma shows states
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Animations: Match transition timings to design
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Dark mode: If designs exist, implement with class variants
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Component variants: Create reusable variant props
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Documentation: Note any deviations from design
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Review: Get designer approval on implementation
Output Checklist
Every design-to-component translation should include:
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Exact spacing matching Figma measurements
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Typography scales and weights
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All color values from design system
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Border radius and shadows
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Hover state styling
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Focus state styling (accessible)
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Active/pressed state styling
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Disabled state styling
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Responsive breakpoint rules
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Design token mapping documented
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Accessibility attributes
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Component variants for states