For years, designers and developers have lived in two separate worlds. Specs got lost in Slack. Inspect tools missed nuance. And pixel-perfect designs didn’t always make it to production.
Enter Figma Dev Mode—a purpose-built space for developers that transforms the handoff experience from clunky to collaborative. If you’ve ever wondered how to make the most of this powerful mode, this guide walks you through the why, how, and when to use Dev Mode to tighten your design-to-code pipeline.
🧭 What Is Dev Mode in Figma?
Dev Mode is a specialized view in Figma designed for developers. It provides:
- Code-friendly UI: No design clutter—just specs, tokens, and assets.
- Structured file access: Navigate by section or frame instead of layer-by-layer.
- Clear handoff tools: Variables, design tokens, measurements, and asset exports—ready to copy or sync.
Think of it as a read-only cockpit for implementation—developers don’t edit designs, they extract what they need, fast and reliably.
🚀 Why Dev Mode Matters for Teams
Before Dev Mode, designers relied on the Inspect panel or external tools. But that introduced issues like:
- Misreading spacing or variables
- Missing updates after a design change
- Ambiguity in naming or token usage
- Manual tracking of feedback and reviews
Dev Mode fixes this by putting design and code in sync.
It’s not just about specs. It’s about making design systems actionable for developers.
🧪 Dev Mode vs Design Mode: What’s Different?
| Feature | Design Mode | Dev Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Editing | Yes | No (read-only) |
| Layers & Frames | Full layer tree | Only developer-marked frames or sections |
| Tokens & Variables | Optional | Highlighted and structured |
| Code Output | Not shown | Shown in CSS, iOS, Android, etc. |
| Inspect Panel | Limited | Upgraded, token-aware |
| Exporting Assets | Basic | Batch export, dev-focused |
🧱 Setting Up Files for Dev Mode
For Dev Mode to shine, your designs need structure. Here’s how to prep:
✅ 1. Use Sections for Logical Navigation
Group related screens or flows with Sections. These appear as top-level items in Dev Mode, making it easy for developers to jump to the right place.
✅ 2. Mark Handoff-Ready Frames
Use the “Ready for Dev” toggle to indicate which frames are final. This reduces confusion and helps devs focus on what matters.
✅ 3. Apply Design Tokens + Variables
Use Figma’s variables and tokens to define colors, spacing, typography, and border radii. Dev Mode reads these—and shows token names instead of raw values.
Example:
spacing.mediuminstead of16px
✅ 4. Label Layers Clearly
Meaningful layer names (e.g. Primary Button / Medium) make Dev Mode easier to navigate—and reduce the number of questions from developers.
🧰 What Developers Can Do in Dev Mode
Here’s what developers get access to:
🔍 Inspect Measurements and Styles
Get pixel-perfect spacing, padding, font styles, and more.
💬 View and Leave Comments
Keep the conversation in context.
🔗 See Connected Variables and Tokens
Understand theming and responsive logic right from the UI.
📥 Export Assets
Batch download icons, images, and illustrations at the right resolution.
🧑💻 Copy Code Snippets
Grab CSS, iOS (Swift), or Android (XML) snippets in one click.
🧑🤝🧑 Dev Mode for Cross-Functional Collaboration
Figma Dev Mode isn’t just for engineers. It’s a collaboration hub for:
- Designers to indicate what’s ready to build
- Developers to inspect and implement
- PMs to track progress and understand scope
- QA to validate designs during testing
It reduces back-and-forth and eliminates “Can you export that icon again?” forever.
🔐 Dev Mode + Permissions
Teams using Figma’s paid plans can restrict editing access and enable Dev Mode-only viewers. This lets developers:
- Access Dev Mode features
- Leave comments
- Without editing designs
It’s perfect for large orgs where not every dev needs full design access.
📋 Dev Mode Handoff Checklist
Before marking a frame as ready for Dev Mode:
- ✅ Use tokens and variables
- ✅ Group content with Sections
- ✅ Mark frames as “Ready for Dev”
- ✅ Name layers clearly
- ✅ Set export settings for assets
- ✅ Document interactions (e.g., hover, click, motion)
💡 Bonus Tip: Use Dev Mode With GitHub
Figma now integrates with GitHub, letting devs reference design specs from pull requests. This makes reviews easier and reduces design drift during code review.
🎯 Conclusion: Why Dev Mode Is a Game Changer
Dev Mode doesn’t just improve specs—it improves team trust.
When developers can confidently build what’s been designed, and designers know they’ll be implemented correctly, the gap between intention and execution disappears.
Start using Dev Mode today to:
- Simplify handoff
- Reduce design debt
- Scale your design system with ease
➡️ Next up: “Creating Multistate Components with Figma Variables and Boolean Logic”
Designilo 