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Migrating a Design System in Figma

· 4 min read
Philip Wee
Philip Wee
Co-Founder, FireJet

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Migrating a design system can feel like an overwhelming task. It’s not just about moving components from one place to another; it’s about managing countless details, maintaining consistency, and ensuring everything still functions as expected. And, let's be honest, the process is rarely straightforward.

Why It’s Hard​

There are so many moving parts in a design system migration. You're dealing with multiple teams—designers, developers, product managers, and stakeholders—all with their own expectations and concerns. Keeping everyone aligned on goals and progress is challenging. As you try to update your system, new priorities will crop up, screens will need to be revisited, and you might feel like you’re playing a never-ending game of catch-up.

We spoke to a UX lead at a healthcare company recently about this, and she emphasized that maintaining consistency throughout the process is key. It’s easy to let details slip through the cracks when you're managing such a large change, but that's where things can start to unravel. Consistency across all assets, components, and screens ensures that the team can collaborate effectively and that stakeholders remain confident in the product’s integrity.

Keeping the Team Aligned​

Communication is crucial. It's not just about keeping your immediate design team on the same page, but also making sure other stakeholders are in the loop. Product managers will care about timelines and milestones, while developers will be concerned with code implementation. As designers, we care about pixel-perfect execution, smooth user flows, and preserving the integrity of the user experience.

Understanding these differences can help guide conversations and manage expectations. A designer might care about the alignment of a button on a page, while a stakeholder might only care that the page delivers on its functionality. Balancing these perspectives is essential to a smooth transition.

Common Pitfalls in Design System Migration​

  1. Instance Hell: This is when you find yourself trapped in layers of nested components. Reorganizing these instances can feel like pulling on a loose thread that unravels everything else. Careful file organization and naming conventions will save you a lot of headaches here.

  2. Recreating Screens and Components: Chances are, you’ll need to recreate some existing screens or components to match your new system. This can be time-consuming, but it’s necessary to ensure that the new system fits seamlessly into the current product without breaking any user flows.

  3. File Organization: Your file structure needs to support easy navigation for everyone involved. Poor file organization will slow down your migration and frustrate team members. Clear naming conventions and a logical hierarchy can make all the difference.

  4. Annotations: Keeping thorough annotations will make it easier for everyone, from developers to stakeholders, to understand what has been updated and why. It reduces back-and-forth and keeps your workflow efficient.

  5. Unhappy Flows: While we naturally focus on ideal user flows, it’s crucial not to forget the "unhappy" ones—the scenarios where users encounter errors or unexpected results. These need to be handled with just as much care to ensure a smooth and satisfying experience.

Tools to Help​

There are some fantastic tools out there to help streamline the process of migrating a design system. For instance, proper version control software can prevent the chaos of multiple team members working on the same file simultaneously. Tools like Figma, Sketch, and Abstract offer great collaboration features.

But tools can only take you so far. It’s all about how you organize, communicate, and plan with your team that will ultimately determine the success of your migration.

Website To Design​

If you’re migrating a website along with your design system, Website To Design can be a real game-changer. It lets you import live websites directly into Figma as editable designs, making it much easier to migrate and redesign components that already exist on the web. Rather than painstakingly recreating every page from scratch, you can take the current structure and adapt it to your new design system. This saves time, reduces manual effort, and helps keep your designs aligned with the current product experience.

Migrating a design system is tough, no doubt about it. But with careful planning, clear communication, and the right tools, it’s possible to pull off a successful migration that enhances your product and empowers your team.