When you first jump into Figma Make to create or prototype a new idea or feature, it usually goes completely off brand. Colours drift, spacing feels off and components don’t match your product at all.
That’s because Figma Make has no context.
By attaching your design system at the start of the process, you give it the rules it needs to stay on brand and get you to a usable result much sooner.
How to use your design system with Figma Make
If you want clean, on brand results from Figma Make, this is the process that actually works.
1. Start your idea in Figma Make
When you open Figma Make, you’ll see the prompt asking what you want to make. This is where teams usually just start typing and hope for the best.
2. Attach your design system library before generating anything
Before you generate or prototype, select the library option in the Make prompt and attach your design system. This step is critical. Without it, Figma Make defaults to generic styles and layouts. With it, Make can reference your colours, typography, spacing and components.
3. Make sure your design system is atomic
Figma Make works best when your library is structured properly. That means: The clearer your components are, the less guesswork Figma Make has to do.
- Atoms like buttons, inputs and text styles are individual components
- Variants are used for size, type and state
- Spacing and layout are locked using auto layout
4. Build larger components from atoms only
Cards, headers and sections should be composed entirely of atomic components. No recreated buttons, no detached text styles. This mirrors how front end components are built and keeps everything predictable.
5. Prototype using library components only
When Figma Make generates screens, stick to system components. If something looks missing or wrong, update the design system first rather than fixing the screen. This keeps your prototype aligned with how the product will actually be built.
6. Refine by fixing the system, not the output
If Figma Make produces something off brand or inconsistent, it’s usually a sign the design system needs tightening up. Once the system is fixed, rerun Make and the output improves straight away.
Why this works so well
Figma Make relies on patterns. Attaching your design system gives it those patterns upfront, instead of letting it invent its own.
This is no different to software development. When components, naming and structure are consistent, everything downstream becomes faster and cleaner.
Teams without a design system usually end up with:
- Multiple versions of the same component
- Inconsistent spacing and typography
- Extra rework once designs hit development
An atomic design system removes that friction.
Faster handoff, better builds
With a proper atomic design system connected to Figma Make:
- Designers assemble screens instead of redesigning basics
- Developers can map designs directly to UI components
- Prototypes stay on brand from the first iteration
Most importantly, you spend less time fixing visual debt and more time moving ideas forward.
The bottom line
Figma Make isn’t meant to design in isolation. It works best when it’s anchored to a strong design system.
By attaching an atomic design system at the very start, you keep things on brand, reduce rework and get to the end result faster. That’s where Figma Make actually delivers value, instead of creating more cleanup work later.