StretchLearn Course

Build a Figma design system that teams actually use

Variables and modes, component properties, auto layout, a published library, documentation, and the governance that makes it stick.

Preview Curriculum Back to Catalog

Beginner9 hr 50 minSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

This course teaches the concrete craft of building and running a design system inside Figma, from the smallest decision (what to name a color) to the organizational one (who is allowed to change it). You will set up a token foundation with Figma variables, primitive and semantic collections, and light and dark modes, then build components that scale using component properties, variant sets, and slots so one button covers dozens of states instead of being copy-pasted. You will make every component resize correctly with auto layout, constraints, and min and max width, then assemble the whole thing into a published library, manage updates and breaking changes, and keep the file performant. Finally you will write the documentation, naming conventions, and contribution and review workflow that decide whether the system is adopted or abandoned. By the end you can take a product team from inconsistent one-off screens to a single library that ships consistent, maintainable UI.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Structure a token foundation in Figma using variables, primitive and semantic collections, and modes for theming

Build scalable components with component properties, variant sets, and nested instances instead of duplicated copies

Apply auto layout, constraints, and resizing rules so components and frames respond correctly to content and size

Publish and consume a Figma library, then manage updates, deprecations, and breaking changes without disrupting teams

Document components with usage guidance, do and do-not examples, and props using a method like EightShapes Specs

Run a governance workflow covering naming, contribution, review, versioning, and measuring real adoption

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: What a Design System Is and How to Set the File Up

Separate the design system from a UI kit, learn the layers it is built from, and structure your Figma files and team so the work scales.

3 lessons

Design system vs. UI kit vs. style guideContent · 40 min

Preview Enabled

Atomic design and Figma's building blocksContent · 45 min

LMS Access

File structure, pages, and team setupContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Tokens: Variables, Styles, and Theming

Build the value foundation of the system with Figma variables, primitive and semantic collections, and modes for light, dark, and brand themes.

3 lessons

Variables, collections, and modesContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Primitive and semantic token structureContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Light, dark, and multi-brand themingContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Components: Properties, Variants, and Auto Layout

Build flexible, responsive components using component properties, variant sets, nested instances, and auto layout instead of duplicated copies.

3 lessons

Component properties and variant setsContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Auto layout, constraints, and responsive behaviorContent · 55 min

LMS Access

Nesting, slots, and component architectureContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Publishing, Documentation, and Governance

Publish and version the library, document components so they get used correctly, and run the contribution and adoption workflow that keeps the system alive.

3 lessons

Publishing libraries and managing updatesContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Documenting components for adoptionContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Governance, contribution, and measuring adoptionContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

figma design systemsdesign systemfigma variablescomponent variantsauto layoutdesign tokensui component librarydesign system governance