Guides for Designers

Designer-focused Figma guidelines for consistent, collaborative work across squads.

Good Housekeeping

  • Avoid generic frame names, such as Frame 201.
  • Follow the naming conventions where appropriate.
  • When using a frame to group items, name it Layout
  • Do not use groups; frames provide more functionality in controlling their child elements
  • Follow the guidelines for setting up page structures consistently
  • Use version history in addition to branching, as it provides a solid rollback should issues arise, particularly when collaborating with others
  • Where possible, use the design tokens, shared styles and component libraries
Example of using styles

Example of using styles

  • Remove any files or assets no longer needed. Figma allows archiving projects so they remain available for a limited time. Clearer organisation profiles and files make searching and working easier
  • Remove any unused styles manually or with a plugin
  • Keep Figma and component libraries up to date when prompted
Screenshot of updating components

Screenshot of updating components

 

  • Finally, if any information is missing from this document, please suggest a change through the contribution process

Naming Conventions

Following the same naming conventions across Figma files creates a consistent experience for people collaborating on files. It is also generally good practice to keep files tidy and maintainable.

General

  • Name all layers relevantly, not with defaults like "Frame", "Layer", "Rectangle"
  • Use UK English for language
  • Reset the text layer names to match the content. Hit delete on a layer name to reset it or run this plugin
  • All layers should:
    • Start with a capital letter on each word, for example, "Primary Button"
    • Use spaces to break up words
    • Use spaces between hyphens, for example, "User - Logged Out"