figmaJul 28, 2025

A Tale of Two Parameter Architectures—and How We Unified Them | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Figma’s component properties and variables both let users define a value once and apply it across a design, but they were originally built on separate architectures. This led to conflicting bindings, inconsistent rendering, and duplicated engineering effort. Figma unified the systems into one parameter architecture, improving consistency and creating a scalable foundation for future products. ## Two Different Parameter Systems - **Component properties**, introduced in 2022, addressed the gap between design and code. - They enabled **scoped parametrization**: parameters could be defined by a component and applied only to its internal layers. - This gave design-system authors a clear customization contract and mirrored how component properties work in code. - The model supported features such as: - Boolean properties - Text and instance customization - Component variants and states - Component properties helped power products including Figma Sites, Figma Make, and Code Connect. ## Variables and Global Parametrization - Variables provided a broader, more globally reusable parameter system. - They supported values such as colors and could define different values for contextual modes, such as light and dark themes. - Unlike component properties, variables were designed to be reused across many unrelated layers and components. - This made variables well suited to design tokens and system-wide configuration. ## Problems Caused by Separate Architectures - The two systems evolved independently despite having similar goals. - A variable and a component property could bind to the same layer property, producing inconsistent results in the editor. - Users had to learn different behaviors and rules for concepts that appeared similar. - Maintaining two implementations increased engineering complexity and slowed feature development. - Extending parametrization to other Figma products risked reproducing the same technical limitations. ## Unifying the Architecture - Figma built a single underlying parameter architecture to support both component properties and variables. - The unified system preserves the distinction between: - Parameters scoped to a component - Parameters reused globally across a project - It eliminates competing bindings and makes parameter behavior more predictable. - The change also improves developer velocity by allowing new capabilities to build on shared infrastructure. ## Broader Impact - Designers receive a more consistent mental model for configuring components and design systems. - Rendering behavior is more reliable when multiple parameter types interact. - Figma can extend parametrization across existing and future products without maintaining separate technical foundations. - The unified architecture supports Figma’s broader goal of connecting design-system behavior with code and interactive products. Figma’s recommendation in practice is to treat component properties and variables as complementary uses of one parameter model: use scoped properties for component contracts and variables for reusable, contextual design tokens.

variablesfigmadesign-systemsresponsive-design+3

figmaApr 15, 2024

Alaska Airlines Reaches Cruising Speed With the Help of Variables | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Alaska Airlines uses Figma and its Auro design system to create consistent experiences across websites, mobile apps, kiosks, and digital signage. Moving away from Sketch and InVision resolved fragmented workflows, improved collaboration with engineers, and accelerated product development. Figma variables further help the 45-person design team adapt designs across screen sizes, themes, and the needs of more than 23,000 employees. ## Building a Reliable Design System - Alaska’s previous Sketch and InVision workflow lacked: - A single source of truth - Intuitive prototyping and collaboration tools - Consistent reusable components - Easy synchronization between design and engineering - Designers frequently made small but important inconsistencies in colors, buttons, checkboxes, modals, and date pickers. - Manual copying between platforms created version-control problems and contributed to accessibility issues. - Figma enabled Alaska to document Auro clearly for both designers and engineers, creating a more consistent digital ecosystem. ## Redesigning the Flight Status Experience - Severe storms exposed weaknesses in Alaska’s underused flight status page, which lacked information such as flight tracking and aircraft details. - A cross-functional “tiger team” rebuilt the page using approximately 90% Auro components. - The team completed the work in one sprint instead of the estimated four or five sprints without Figma. - Afterward, average time spent on the page increased from 36 seconds to 5 minutes and 10 seconds—a 761% increase. ## Connecting Design and Engineering - Figma components mirror the web components used by engineers, making designs easier to implement accurately. - This alignment improved product consistency and increased trust between design and engineering teams. - Alaska also documented Figma practices such as auto layout, merging, and branching to encourage adoption. - Designer education reduced conflicts and helped teams make better use of Figma’s capabilities. ## Using Variables at Scale - Figma variables allow Alaska to adapt designs for: - Different screen sizes - Light and dark modes - Themes for internal teams and external partners - The approach saves designers an average of 11 hours per week. - Variables help the team support the needs of more than 23,000 employees while maintaining a coherent design system. Alaska’s experience suggests that a well-documented design system, shared tooling, and variables can significantly reduce repetitive work while improving consistency, accessibility, and collaboration across an organization.

variablesfigmadesign-systemsdesign-tokens+4

figmaApr 15, 2024

How Carvana Fuels Consistency and Scale | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

Carvana scaled its design operations by moving from scattered tools to Figma as a centralized source of truth. Its design systems team uses Figma variables to enforce consistency, support rapid rebranding, and reduce design-development friction. The approach helped Carvana adapt quickly during rapid growth and integrate acquired businesses such as ADESA. ## Creating a Single Source of Truth - By 2019, Carvana’s design system was fragmented across a PDF UI kit, Principle, and Sketch. - Designers relied heavily on copying and pasting, causing small changes to diverge across repeated components. - Moving the system to Figma centralized libraries and connected design and engineering workflows. - The transition became especially valuable during the pandemic, when car sales surged and Carvana needed to scale quickly without adding process friction. ## Using Variables to Improve Consistency - Rapid growth introduced inconsistencies in: - Colors - Spacing - Typography - Corner radii - Figma variables let Carvana define reusable values for design properties. - Number variables standardized spacing and corner radii, while color variables helped maintain brand accuracy. - Although setting up variables required an initial learning period, the team achieved more polished designs and fewer revision cycles. ## Supporting New Brands and Business Lines - Variables allowed Carvana to create new themes without rebuilding its component library. - After acquiring ADESA, Carvana added an ADESA theme and applied the new branding to existing designs quickly. - The redesign took less than a week instead of the estimated month required to restyle the component library manually. - Themed components also enabled the team to create ADESA design comprehensives three times faster than usual. ## Connecting Design and Development - Figma’s shared libraries and variable-based system help designers and developers work from the same standards. - Centralized component structure and functionality make handoffs clearer and reduce inconsistencies between design files and implementation. - Carvana’s 40-person design systems team uses these practices to support consistency across a 10,000-person organization. Carvana’s experience suggests that a centralized design system, combined with reusable variables and themes, can make rapid growth more manageable. Investing in the system early reduces rework while making future products, brands, and acquisitions faster to integrate.

variablesfigmadesign-systemsdesign-tokens+4