How to Build a Design Audit Checklist for Your Figma Files

Design systems grow. And over time, they grow messy.

Buttons multiply, tokens fall out of sync, and layers start looking like a game of UI Jenga. That’s why every design team—whether you’re solo or at scale—needs a design audit checklist.

A good audit isn’t just about cleaning house. It’s about restoring trust in your system, identifying risk before handoff, and setting up your team for future success.

In this guide, we’ll walk through a practical, repeatable checklist you can use to audit Figma files—whether it’s a one-off cleanup or a quarterly design ops ritual.

🧭 Why Audit Your Figma Files?

Here’s what regular audits help you uncover:

Duplicate or outdated components
Misused design tokens
Inconsistent naming and labeling
Missing documentation
Bloated variants or unnecessary branches
Unused styles or frames
Accessibility gaps
Handoff blockers for Dev Mode

Think of an audit as design debt detection.

✅ Pre-Audit Preparation

Before diving into frames and layers, make sure:

You’re working on the latest file version or a fresh branch
Everyone knows an audit is happening—designers, developers, PMs
You’ve defined the scope: whole design system? one component set? a full product flow?

Use a copy or branch of the main file to avoid disrupting in-flight work.

🧾 The Design Audit Checklist

Below is a practical checklist you can use and adapt.

1. Component Inventory

All base components are named consistently (e.g. Button / Primary / L)
No duplicate components doing the same job
Variants are clear, purposeful, and grouped logically
Instance swaps are working as expected
No detached instances unless intentional

2. Token Hygiene

Color, spacing, and typography tokens are applied consistently
Variables are used instead of raw values
Token naming follows agreed conventions (e.g., color.bg.primary)
Semantic tokens align with themes and modes

3. Layer & Frame Structure

All layers are named (no more Rectangle 23)
Autolayout is used correctly (especially in interactive areas)
Frames are grouped logically and not overflowing
Hidden or unused layers have been removed

4. Styles and Text

Text styles use the design system’s base styles
Color styles aren’t hard-coded unless necessary
There are no redundant or duplicate styles
Text content is up-to-date and intentional (e.g., no lorem ipsum)

5. Accessibility Readiness

Color contrast meets WCAG AA at minimum
Interactive elements are clear and distinguishable
Font sizes are legible and scalable

6. Documentation & Dev Mode

Components have attached notes or descriptions
Dev Mode inspection shows correct measurements and tokens
Interactive flows are prototyped or clearly labeled
Handoff-ready components are marked or grouped

🧹 Optional Extras (For Power Auditors)

🔍 Use the Similayer plugin to spot inconsistencies in tokens and layers
🧠 Run the Design Lint plugin to catch missing styles and rogue elements
🧰 Use the Figma Token Studio to realign variable sets across themes
🔁 Create a dedicated Audit Report Page in the file with your findings

📅 When Should You Run a Design Audit?

Before a major release or sprint handoff
When inheriting a legacy file or merging systems
As a quarterly design ops process
When onboarding new designers

The key is consistency—make it a habit, not a last resort.

✨ Bonus: Create a Template for Repeat Audits

You can turn your audit checklist into a Figma template page or Notion doc, so the team can run it themselves every time.

Include:

Audit steps
Example screenshots
Plugin recommendations
Links to your naming or token guidelines

🎯 Results of a Successful Audit

A faster handoff process
Fewer dev questions or surprises
Cleaner file structure and fewer bugs in production
Better onboarding for new team members
Greater confidence across design and dev

In short, a design audit turns chaos into clarity.

Ready to declutter your Figma world?
Start with one file. Build your checklist. And keep your system clean, consistent, and future-proof.

➡️ Next up: “Smart Animate Demystified: Creating Smooth Transitions in Figma Prototypes”