A Designer’s Guide to Figma Make → GitHub + Code

Hey there, fellow creator! 👋

You know that feeling when you have this amazing app idea in your head, but the journey from “cool concept” to “actual working thing” feels like climbing Mount Everest in flip-flops? Yeah, I’ve been there. Multiple times.

Let me introduce myself real quick, I’m Vivek (Vivi). I started as a machine learning developer, but my heart kept pulling me toward design. So I made the leap into UX design, and honestly? Best decision ever. The cool part is, I still speak fluent “developer,” so when I hand off designs, nobody can give me the classic “that’s impossible to build” excuse. 😉

But here’s the thing that changed everything for me recently…

Figma Make and GitHub to Code that literally transformed how I build portfolios and apps. And guess what? My Project is now live and hosted, all because of this process. I’m not gonna lie it felt pretty amazing!

So why am I writing this? Because I see so many talented designers struggling with the same thing. They have incredible ideas, they can visualize beautiful interfaces, but somewhere between “I want to build this” and “it’s actually built,” things fall apart. The problem isn’t creativity — it’s the execution gap.

That’s where Figma Make comes in like a superhero. It bridges that gap between your creative vision and actual working code. And I’m going to show you exactly how I do it.

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Dream It Up (But Make It Specific!)

Okay, so you have an idea. Maybe you’re thinking “I want to build a time-tracking app.” That’s great! But here’s where most people stop and that’s the problem.

Think of it like ordering food. If you tell your friend “I want something good,” they’ll be confused. But if you say “I want spicy Thai curry with extra vegetables and jasmine rice,” now we’re talking!

Your app idea needs that same level of detail. Here’s what I mean:

  • What features do I actually need? Don’t just say “time tracking.” Get specific: start/stop timer, task categories, history view, goal setting, maybe some charts? List them all out!
  • Who’s going to use this thing? Are you building for freelancers burning the midnight oil? Students juggling assignments? Corporate folks tracking billable hours? Each group needs different things.
  • What makes YOUR app special? Because let’s be honest, there are already time-tracking apps out there. What’s your secret sauce? Maybe it’s gamification (level up as you work!), AI insights, or just drop-dead gorgeous design.
  • How will people actually use it? Walk through it like a movie. User opens app → sees what? → clicks where? → ends up doing what? Map this journey out.
  • What should it look like? Minimalist and calm? Bold and energetic? Professional and trustworthy? Pick your vibe.

Once you’ve got these answers crystal clear, you’re ready for the magic to happen. Because now you can actually tell the AI what you want, and it’ll get it.

Step 2: ChatGPT Becomes Your Planning Buddy

Here’s where things get fun. Think of ChatGPT as that super organized friend who helps you plan everything down to the tiniest detail.

First: Get Your Big Picture Together

Start chatting with ChatGPT about your idea. I literally treat it like brainstorming with a friend:

  1. Start broad: “Hey, I’m thinking about building a time-tracking app for freelancers…”
  2. Let ChatGPT ask questions and suggest things
  3. Refine and tweak until it feels right
  4. End up with a solid overview that includes:
  • What your app does and why it exists.
  • The 5–7 main features that make it awesome.
  • How users will flow through it.
  • What pages/screens you’ll need.

Next: Build Your Blueprint (Page by Page)

Now comes the detailed part, but trust me, it’s worth it. For EVERY single page in your app, you need to spell out:

  • Page Name: Something clear like “Dashboard” or “Timer View”
  • Why does this page exist? What’s its job?
  • How’s it laid out? Describe the structure — header at top, sidebar on left, main content in center, etc.
  • What goes on it? Forms, buttons, cards, lists, pop-ups — all the pieces
  • What can users do here? Click buttons, fill forms, view data?
  • How do people get here? Navigation paths matter!
  • What content appears? Actual text, data types, images
  • What about edge cases? Loading states, error messages, empty states

The more detail here, the better your final result. Don’t skimp!

Then: Create Your Style Guide

This is where your app gets its personality. Work with ChatGPT to nail down:

  • Colors: Primary, secondary, accent colors (with exact hex codes!), plus background colors, text colors, success/error colors
  • Text styles: Font choices, sizes for headings and body text, how bold things should be
  • Spacing: A consistent system, like 4px, 8px, 16px, 24px, 32px
  • Components: How buttons look, input fields, cards, rounded corners, shadows
  • Layout rules: How wide things should be, grid systems, how it adapts to different screens

This design system keeps everything looking polished and consistent.

Pro Tip: Got an existing design system that’s already locked in? Just tell Figma Make to use it as your reference guide when building the app. It’ll match your established styles perfectly!

Step 3: Watch the Magic Happen in Figma Make

Okay, here’s the moment we’ve been building up to. You’re going to take ALL that planning and feed it to Figma Make in one super-prompt. Think of it like giving a master chef a complete recipe with every ingredient and instruction.

The Master Prompt Template:

Start with these best practices (copy-paste this into Figma Make):

Build this following engineering best practices:

  • Write all code to WCAG AA accessibility standards
  • Create and use reusable components throughout
  • Use semantic HTML and proper component architecture
  • Avoid absolute positioning; use flexbox/grid layouts
  • Build actual code components, not image SVGs
  • Keep code clean, maintainable, and well-structured

Then add:

I need you to build a complete application. Here’s everything:

PROJECT OVERVIEW: [Paste that big picture overview from ChatGPT]

ALL PAGES & DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS: [Paste all those detailed page descriptions]

DESIGN SYSTEM: [Paste your complete style guide]

Build out all pages as separate page components with full functionality, content, and styling according to the design system. Make this a complete, working prototype.

Hit enter, grab some coffee ☕️, and watch Figma Make build your entire app!

Step 4: Get It on GitHub

Now for the exciting part, getting your code into GitHub and making it accessible for further development.

Head over to the settings in your Figma Make file (look for that little gear icon). You’ll see an option to connect with GitHub. Click it!

Here’s what you do:

  • Create a new repository or select an existing one where you want your code to live.
  • Connect it up, Figma Make handles the technical stuff.
  • Boom! Now you’ve got a direct link between your design and your code.

The beauty of this? You can now pull your code into any IDE (like VS Code) and customize it further. Want to add some extra functionality? Tweak the styling? Optimize performance? Go for it!

Quick heads up: If GitHub and code feel new to you, don’t worry! Watch a couple of 5-minute YouTube tutorials on “GitHub basics” and “how code repositories work.” Seriously, that’s all you need to get started. This new workflow is way more approachable than you think.

Why This Actually Works

Here’s the secret: AI is amazing, but it needs clear instructions. It’s like having an incredibly talented assistant who can do almost anything but you need to tell them exactly what “anything” means.

By breaking down your idea into these detailed steps, you’re not just helping the AI you’re actually designing better. You’re thinking through all the details that make apps work well.

So go ahead, try this workflow. Build that app you’ve been dreaming about. Turn your designs into real, working code. And when you see it live on GitHub, trust me, it’s going to feel incredible.

You’ve got this! 💪

Happy building 🙂

Turn Your Design Dreams into Reality in 10x was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.