Figma To Spirit

Figma to Spirit Component Conversion

Component Documentation

For detailed API references, examples, and common mistakes:

• Layout Components - Flex, Grid, Stack, Box, Section, Container
• Typography Components - Heading, Text
• Card Components - Card, CardLink, CardTitle, CardDescription

Core Principles

1. ALWAYS use Spirit Web React components - Never create custom components or use raw HTML/CSS when a Spirit component exists
2. NEVER use inline CSS - Use component props and styling props instead. Only use UNSAFE_style or UNSAFE_className as a last resort
3. Use this skill's documentation as the primary reference:
   • Check Layout Components for Flex, Grid, Stack, Box, Section, Container
   • Check Typography Components for Heading, Text
   • These docs contain API references, common mistakes, and correct prop values
4. Read props from Figma CodeConnect EXACTLY:
   • Call get_code_connect_map to get CodeConnect snippets from Figma
   • Use all props from CodeConnect exactly as shown - never override or change them
   • If CodeConnect shows Card, use Card (not Flex or Box)
5. NEVER substitute icon names:
   • Use the EXACT iconName value from Figma/CodeConnect (even if it's "placeholder")
   • Do NOT choose "semantically appropriate" icons - that is the designer's decision, not yours
   • Placeholder icons are intentional - they indicate the final icon hasn't been decided yet
   • Wrong: Seeing iconName="placeholder" and changing it to "shield-dualtone" or "folder"
   • Correct: Using iconName="placeholder" exactly as shown
6. NEVER guess prop values from screenshots - ALL prop values (background colors, spacing, sizes, text colors, alignment, etc.) MUST come from Figma layer data (get_design_context, CodeConnect, layer properties). Screenshots are only useful for understanding the overall structure and layout, NOT for determining specific prop values. When Figma design data is unavailable (e.g., the Figma desktop app is not open), you MUST:
   • Inform the user which values you could not confirm from Figma data
   • List your assumptions explicitly (e.g., "I assumed size="xlarge" and no background color, but could not verify from Figma layer data")
   • Do NOT silently guess - every unconfirmed value must be flagged
   • Common traps: Figma canvas has a gray background (not part of the design), screenshot colors are unreliable, spacing/sizes cannot be accurately read from pixels
7. Use https://picsum.photos/ for all image placeholders - Format: https://picsum.photos/seed/{identifier}/{width}/{height}
8. DO NOT set props to default values - Only set props when they differ from component defaults. Common defaults to omit:
   • Layout: Flex direction="horizontal", alignmentX="stretch", alignmentY="stretch"; Grid alignmentX="stretch", alignmentY="stretch"; Box/Stack elementType="div"; Section hasContainer={true}; Container size="xlarge"
   • Typography: Heading size="medium", emphasis="bold"; Text elementType="p", size="medium", emphasis="regular"
   • Exception: Heading elementType is always REQUIRED for accessibility
   • Check component-specific documentation for complete default values
9. Context7 MCP is a LAST RESORT - Only use for components not documented in this skill:
   • Call resolve-library-id with @alma-oss/spirit-design-system
   • Call query-docs with /alma-oss/spirit-design-system and the component name
10. ASK when uncertain - If you encounter a layout, pattern, or problem you don't know how to implement with Spirit components:

• DO NOT guess or improvise - Stop and ask the user for guidance
• Describe what you're trying to achieve and what's unclear
• Ask if there's a specific Spirit component or pattern to use
• Wait for the user's response before proceeding
• This prevents incorrect implementations and teaches you new patterns for future use

⚠️ Deprecated Props and Components

NEVER use these deprecated features in your implementations:

Deprecated Props (Still Available but Will Be Removed)

• Button/ButtonLink: isBlock prop - Deprecated with no replacement. If Figma shows a full-width button, handle via layout (e.g., wrap in Flex with alignmentX="stretch") or ask the user for guidance.

• UncontrolledCollapse: hideOnCollapse prop - Replaced by isDisposable. Always use isDisposable instead.

Deprecated Components

• Header component - Use UNSTABLE_Header instead. If you encounter "Header" in Figma or user requests, import and use the UNSTABLE_Header family of components.

Already Migrated (Current Best Practices)

• Flex direction: Use horizontal/vertical (NOT row/column) - this is the current standard.

When encountering deprecated features in Figma:

• If Figma CodeConnect shows a deprecated prop/component, inform the user and use the modern alternative
• Never silently use deprecated features
• Add a comment in the code explaining why you're deviating from Figma if needed
• Suggest the user update their Figma components if they reference deprecated items

Workflow

Step 1: Analyze Figma Structure

CRITICAL: Match Figma layer hierarchy exactly. Each Figma autolayout layer should have a corresponding Spirit layout component.

IMPORTANT: All values below MUST be extracted from Figma layer data (via get_design_context, CodeConnect, or layer properties) - NOT guessed from screenshots. Screenshots only help understand the overall structure. If Figma data is unavailable, inform the user about which values are assumptions.

Extract from Figma:

• Figma text style → Spirit component - Heading* text style ⇒ Heading component; Body* text style ⇒ Text component. Never use Heading for Body styles (e.g. Body/Medium/Semibold).
• Container layers - If Figma has two or more Container layers (e.g. "Container Medium", "Container XLarge"), use Section hasContainer={false} and render that many Container components with size from each layer name. See Layout Components. When Section has a single container: if the layer is "Container XLarge", omit containerProps (xlarge is the default); otherwise set containerProps.size from the layer name (e.g. "Container Medium" → containerProps={{ size: "medium" }}).
• Component names - If Figma shows "Card Media NEW", "Button", etc., use the corresponding Spirit component
• Layer names for props - "Section XLarge" → size="xlarge", "Button Large" → size="large"
• Icon names - Use EXACTLY as shown in CodeConnect (see Core Principle #5)
• Spacing values - Read gap from autolayout properties: gap-[var(--global/spacing/space-1400,64px)] → spacing="space-1400"
• Color tokens - Read exact tokens from layer properties: accent-01-subtle, accent-02-subtle, etc.
• All wrapper layers - Each Figma layer with autolayout MUST have a corresponding Spirit component
• Alignment - Check align-items and justify-content properties
• Fill width/height - Figma uses align-self: stretch for "fill" dimensions
• Max-width constraints - Check which specific layer has max-width, apply only to that layer
• Padding values - Check for pr, pl, pt, pb, px, py on layers; apply using Box padding props
• Link colors - Check for themed/link/... tokens; these indicate clickable elements (use CardLink for Card titles)

Layout guides (grid columns): Figma's Layout guides (e.g. "content limited to 7 grid columns") are not exposed via the Figma API (get_design_context, get_metadata, get_screenshot). If the user mentions grid/column constraints from Layout guides, implement them using Spirit's Grid (e.g. Grid cols={12} with GridItem columnStart="span 7" for 7 columns). If the total column count or gutter is unclear, ask the user to confirm or share the value.

Layer Structure Matching Example:

Figma Layers:                          Spirit Components:
├── Section XLarge                     <Section size="xlarge">
│   └── Container XLarge                 (included in Section)
│       └── Content (gap: 32px)          <Flex spacing="space-1000">
│           ├── Heading (max-w: 800px)     <Box UNSAFE_style={{ maxWidth }}>
│           │   ├── Tag                        <Flex spacing="space-700">
│           │   └── Composition                  <Tag />
│           │       ├── Title                    <Flex spacing="space-900">
│           │       ├── Description                <Heading />
│           │       └── ActionGroup                <Text />
│           │                                      <ActionGroup />
│           └── Column (4 items)             </Flex></Box>
│               ├── number                   <Grid cols={4}>
│               ├── number                     <StatCard />
│               ├── number                     ...
│               └── number                   </Grid>

Step 2: Choose Container Type

Important: Section includes Container by default - don't nest another Container inside.

Step 3: Choose Layout Pattern

IMPORTANT: Check Layout Components for API reference, prop values, and common mistakes before implementing.

Step 4: Set Alignment Props

Check Figma Children for W-Full Before Setting Alignment

When analyzing Figma, check if children have w-full (full width) or shrink-0 w-full:

• If children have w-full → Parent should use alignmentX="stretch" so children fill the container width
• If children do NOT have w-full → Parent should use alignmentX="left" to prevent unwanted width expansion
• Children with both w-full AND max-width → Parent uses alignmentX="stretch", child stretches UP TO its max-width constraint

// WRONG - alignmentX="left" prevents children from filling width even when Figma shows w-full
<Flex direction="vertical" spacing="space-1000" alignmentX="left">
  <Box UNSAFE_style={{ maxWidth: "800px" }}>...</Box>  {/* Won't stretch to 800px */}
  <Grid cols={4}>...</Grid>  {/* Won't fill container width */}
</Flex>

// CORRECT - alignmentX="stretch" lets children fill width (respecting their max-width if set)
<Flex direction="vertical" spacing="space-1000" alignmentX="stretch">
  <Box UNSAFE_style={{ maxWidth: "800px" }}>...</Box>  {/* Stretches up to 800px */}
  <Grid cols={4}>...</Grid>  {/* Fills container width */}
</Flex>

Value Mapping (CSS → Spirit)

Direction-based mapping:

• Vertical Flex: align-items → alignmentX, justify-content → alignmentY
• Horizontal Flex: justify-content → alignmentX, align-items → alignmentY

Important: Always set alignmentX explicitly on vertical Flex. Choose stretch when Figma children have w-full, otherwise use left.

Step 5: Set Typography

Accessibility rules:

• Use h1-h6 only for actual semantic headings
• For styled text that isn't a heading (stats, labels): elementType="div" or "span"
• Maintain heading hierarchy (h1 → h2 → h3, don't skip levels)
• Add marginBottom="space-0" to typography elements that have siblings AFTER them in Flex/Grid/Stack (last-child elements don't need it)

Use Full Accent Color Token Names

Heading and Text accept accent colors, but you must use the full token name (not short form).

// WRONG - short form "accent-02" causes TypeScript lint error
<Heading elementType="div" size="xlarge" textColor="accent-02">300K+</Heading>

// CORRECT - use full token name "accent-02-basic"
<Heading elementType="div" size="xlarge" textColor="accent-02-basic" marginBottom="space-0">300K+</Heading>

Valid accent tokens: accent-01-basic, accent-01-subtle, accent-02-basic, accent-02-subtle, etc.

IMPORTANT: Check Typography Components for API reference, prop values, and common mistakes before implementing.

Step 6: Responsive Design

When only one breakpoint is provided in Figma:

1. Identify the breakpoint - Check Figma frame width (mobile < 768px, tablet 768-1024px, desktop > 1024px)
2. Add responsive props for other breakpoints:

// Grid: reduce columns on smaller screens
<Grid cols={{ mobile: 1, tablet: 2, desktop: 4 }} />

// Flex: change direction on mobile
<Flex direction={{ mobile: 'vertical', tablet: 'horizontal' }} />

// Spacing: reduce on smaller screens
<Flex spacing={{ mobile: 'space-400', tablet: 'space-800', desktop: 'space-1200' }} />

3. Design must match exactly on the provided breakpoint

Step 7: Crosscheck Design

Before finalizing, re-fetch Figma data and verify:

1. CodeConnect snippets match code exactly - Every prop from CodeConnect is present
2. Component names match - Spirit components used match Figma component names
3. Icon names match EXACTLY - If CodeConnect shows iconName="placeholder", code must use "placeholder" (NOT a substituted icon)
4. Spacing values match - Read from Figma autolayout properties
5. Color tokens match - Exact tokens from Figma layer properties
6. Layer structure matches - All wrapper layers represented
7. Alignment matches - Explicit alignment props matching Figma

Step 8: Visual Comparison in Browser

After implementing, visually compare the result against the Figma design using the browser.

If you have access to browser automation tools (e.g. a browser MCP server, Playwright, Puppeteer, or similar), use them to open the running dev server and compare visually with the Figma screenshot. If no browser tools are available, skip this step.

Procedure:

1. Ensure the dev server is running - Check the terminal for a running dev server (e.g. yarn dev, npm run dev). Note the local URL (usually http://localhost:3000).

2. Get the Figma screenshot - Call get_screenshot for the Figma node to have it fresh for comparison.

3. Open the page in the browser - Navigate to the local dev server URL. Wait for the page to load, then capture the current page state (screenshot or snapshot).

4. Compare visually - Look at both the Figma screenshot and the browser output. Check for:

   • Layout structure - Does the overall arrangement match? (spacing, alignment, nesting)
   • Typography - Are font sizes, weights, and colors correct?
   • Spacing - Are gaps between elements consistent with the design?
   • Component rendering - Do buttons, tags, cards, etc. look correct?
   • Alignment - Is content left/center/right aligned as in the design?
   • Width constraints - Does the content respect max-width values from Figma?
   • Colors - Do backgrounds, text colors, and borders match?

5. Fix discrepancies - If anything doesn't match:

   • Identify the specific component or prop causing the mismatch
   • Update the code to fix it
   • Reload the page in the browser and re-check

6. Responsive check (optional) - If the Figma design specifies a particular viewport width, resize the browser viewport to match before comparing. For other breakpoints, verify responsive behavior looks reasonable.

Important notes:

• The browser comparison is a best-effort visual check, not pixel-perfect validation
• Focus on structural correctness: layout, spacing, alignment, colors, and component usage
• Minor rendering differences between Figma and browser are expected (font rendering, anti-aliasing, etc.)
• If no browser tools are available or the dev server is not running, skip this step and note it in your response

Step 9: Check Linters

After implementation is complete, run the linter on all edited files to catch errors.

1. Run ReadLints on every file you created or modified during the implementation
2. Fix any new linter errors you introduced (TypeScript errors, invalid prop values, missing imports, etc.)
3. Ignore pre-existing linter errors - only fix errors caused by your changes
4. Common linter issues to watch for:
   • Invalid prop values (e.g., short-form accent colors like "accent-02" instead of "accent-02-basic")
   • Missing or incorrect imports from @alma-oss/spirit-web-react
   • TypeScript type mismatches on component props
   • Unused imports or variables

Quick Reference

Space Tokens

Color Token Examples

Note: Always use full token names for accent colors (accent-02-basic, not accent-02). See Typography Components.

Link Color Tokens (CRITICAL for Card Detection)

When Figma shows these color tokens on text, it indicates the element should be a link:

If CardTitle has a link color token, use CardLink inside CardTitle, NOT Heading with textColor.

See Card Components for full documentation.

Implementation Checklist

Before finalizing code:

Figma Data Extraction:

• [ ] CodeConnect snippets used exactly as provided
• [ ] Component names verified (Figma → Spirit mapping)
• [ ] Icon names used EXACTLY as shown (if iconName="placeholder", use "placeholder" - NEVER substitute)
• [ ] Layer names checked for size/color/variant props
• [ ] Spacing values read from Figma autolayout properties
• [ ] Color tokens read exactly from Figma layer properties
• [ ] No deprecated props used (check: isBlock, hideOnCollapse, row/column direction values)
• [ ] No deprecated components used (Header → use UNSTABLE_Header)

Layout:

• [ ] Figma Container layers: Two or more Container layers ⇒ Section hasContainer={false} and that many Container components with size from layer names (e.g. "Container Medium" → size="medium").
• [ ] Layout components have explicit alignment props
• [ ] Vertical Flex has alignmentX set explicitly
• [ ] Grid has both alignmentX and alignmentY set
• [ ] Figma "fill" width uses parent alignmentX="stretch"
• [ ] All Figma wrapper layers represented in code (match hierarchy)
• [ ] Uniform items use Grid, different structures use Flex columns
• [ ] Max-width constraints applied to correct innermost wrapper only

Typography:

• [ ] Figma text style respected: Heading* style ⇒ Heading component; Body* style ⇒ Text component (never Heading for Body/Medium/Semibold etc.)
• [ ] Heading elementType set appropriately (h1-h6 for headings, div/span for styled text)
• [ ] Heading hierarchy maintained (no skipped levels)
• [ ] marginBottom="space-0" added to typography with siblings after them (not needed on last-child elements)
• [ ] Accent text colors use full token names (accent-02-basic, NOT accent-02)

Styling:

• [ ] No inline CSS (except UNSAFE_style as last resort)
• [ ] UNSAFE_style maxWidth only on innermost wrapper containing constrained content
• [ ] Box + Flex pattern used when both styling and layout needed
• [ ] ALL prop values confirmed from Figma layer data (NEVER guessed from screenshots)
• [ ] If Figma data was unavailable, assumptions are listed and flagged to the user
• [ ] Box colors/borders match Figma exactly
• [ ] Padding values (pr, pl, pt, pb, px, py) from Figma applied using Box props or Flex elementType={Box}
• [ ] Default prop values omitted (direction="horizontal", alignmentX="stretch", size="medium", elementType="div", etc.)

Cards & Links:

• [ ] CardTitle with themed/link/... color tokens uses CardLink (not Heading with textColor)
• [ ] CardLink used inside CardTitle for clickable cards
• [ ] isHeading set on CardTitle when appropriate
• [ ] Horizontal Card with IconBox in CardArtwork uses Flex wrapper for vertical centering (see Card Components)

Responsive:

• [ ] Responsive props added for other breakpoints
• [ ] Design matches exactly on provided breakpoint

Images:

• [ ] Placeholders use picsum.photos format

Visual Comparison:

• [ ] Opened the implementation in the browser (if browser tools are available)
• [ ] Compared browser rendering against Figma screenshot
• [ ] Fixed any visual discrepancies found

Linters:

• [ ] Ran linter on all created/modified files
• [ ] Fixed any new linter errors introduced by the implementation
• [ ] No TypeScript errors on Spirit component props

Uncertainty:

• [ ] Asked user for guidance on any layouts/patterns you weren't sure how to implement (don't guess!)

Common Mistakes

1. Substituting Icon Names

CRITICAL: Never substitute icon names with your own choices.

// WRONG - Developer substituted "semantically appropriate" icons
<Icon name="shield-dualtone" />  // Was "placeholder" in Figma
<Icon name="folder" />           // Was "placeholder" in Figma
<Icon name="reload" />           // Was "placeholder" in Figma

// CORRECT - Use EXACTLY what Figma/CodeConnect specifies
<Icon name="placeholder" />      // Matches Figma exactly
<Icon name="placeholder" />      // Matches Figma exactly
<Icon name="placeholder" />      // Matches Figma exactly

Why this is wrong:

• Placeholder icons indicate the designer hasn't finalized the icon choice yet
• Choosing icons is a design decision, not a developer decision
• Your "semantically appropriate" choice may conflict with the design system's icon usage patterns
• This violates the core principle: "Use all props from CodeConnect exactly as shown"

The rule: If CodeConnect shows iconName="placeholder", your code MUST use iconName="placeholder". Period.

2. Using Deprecated Props or Components

CRITICAL: Never use deprecated features even if they appear in older Figma files.

// WRONG - using deprecated hideOnCollapse prop
<UncontrolledCollapse id="collapse-1" hideOnCollapse>
  Content
</UncontrolledCollapse>

// CORRECT - use isDisposable instead
<UncontrolledCollapse id="collapse-1" isDisposable>
  Content
</UncontrolledCollapse>

// WRONG - using deprecated Flex direction values
<Flex direction="row" />
<Flex direction="column" />

// CORRECT - use current direction values
<Flex direction="horizontal" />
<Flex direction="vertical" />

// WRONG - using deprecated Button isBlock prop
<Button isBlock>Full Width Button</Button>

// CORRECT - handle full-width buttons via layout
<Flex alignmentX="stretch">
  <Button>Button</Button>
</Flex>

Why this is wrong:

• Deprecated props/components will be removed in future Spirit versions
• Using them creates technical debt and maintenance burden
• Modern alternatives provide better functionality
• Figma files may contain outdated component versions

The rule: Always use current, non-deprecated APIs even if Figma shows older patterns. If needed, add a comment explaining the deviation.

3. Guessing Prop Values From Figma Screenshots

Never derive prop values from how a Figma screenshot looks. Screenshots are for understanding structure only.

All prop values must come from Figma layer data (get_design_context, CodeConnect, layer properties). When that data is unavailable, inform the user about your assumptions instead of silently guessing.

Common traps:

• Background colors: The Figma canvas is gray - sections with no background look gray in screenshots. This does NOT mean the section has backgroundColor="secondary".
• Spacing values: You cannot accurately determine spacing tokens from pixel distances in a screenshot.
• Text colors: Screenshot rendering may not accurately represent color tokens.
• Sizes: Component sizes (e.g., Section size, Tag size) cannot be reliably read from screenshots.

// WRONG - Guessed backgroundColor from screenshot appearance
<Section backgroundColor="secondary" size="xlarge">
  <Heading elementType="h1">Title</Heading>
</Section>

// CORRECT - Only set props confirmed from Figma layer data
<Section size="xlarge">
  <Heading elementType="h1">Title</Heading>
</Section>

When Figma data is unavailable, tell the user:

"I could not retrieve Figma layer data (the Figma desktop app may not be open). The following values are assumptions I made from the screenshot and may be incorrect:

• Section size="xlarge" (could not verify exact padding)
• No backgroundColor set (screenshot background may be canvas, not design)
• Tag size="small" (guessed from visual size)

Please verify these against the Figma file."

The rule: Every prop value must be confirmed from Figma data. If it can't be, flag it to the user as an assumption.

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