Figma Variant Matrix Skill

Defines all variants, properties, and states a component needs before building it in Figma — preventing missing variants discovered after the component is already used across 40 screens.

Required Inputs

• Component name (Button, Card, Input, Badge, Navigation item, etc.)
• Component purpose (what does it do, where is it used?)
• Platform (iOS / Android / Web / Multi-platform)
• Design system context (standalone / part of existing system)

Output Structure

1. Component Overview

Name, category (Interactive/Display/Layout/Form/Navigation/Feedback), used in contexts.

2. Variant Properties

| Property | Values | Notes | |---|---|---| | Type | Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Destructive | | | Size | Large, Medium, Small | | | State | Default, Hover, Active, Disabled, Loading | | | Icon | None, Leading, Trailing, Only | |

Total combinations: N]. Flag if over 50 — consider splitting into multiple components.

3. State Definitions

For each state, list only what changes from Default:

• Default: Full visual spec]
• Hover (web): Delta from default]
• Active/Pressed: Delta]
• Disabled: Delta — use layer-level properties, not opacity on whole component]
• Loading: What replaces label, interactive during loading?]
• Error (forms): Border colour, helper text, icon changes]

4. Anatomy Breakdown

| Layer name | Purpose | Required? | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | container | Background and bounds | Yes | | | label | Text | Conditional | Hide when icon-only | | icon-leading | Leading icon slot | No | |

5. Token Mapping

| Property | Token | Fallback | |---|---|---| | Background default | color.brand.primary | #hex | | Border radius | radius.medium | 8px |

6. Build Order

1. Default state, most common variant
2. Convert to component, add properties
3. Size variants
4. State variants
5. Type variants
6. Icon slot variants last

Quality Checks

• ] All interactive states defined
• ] Total variant count calculated, flagged if over 50
• ] Every layer named semantically
• ] Token mapping covers all visual properties
• ] Disabled state uses layer-level properties not opacity

Anti-Patterns

• ] Do not create a variant matrix with properties that overlap or conflict — each property must be independently variable
• ] Do not use opacity for disabled states — disabled states must use layer-level properties, not opacity
• ] Do not enumerate every mathematical combination if many are invalid — document only valid, buildable combinations
• ] Do not define variants without considering responsive behaviour — specify which properties change across screen sizes
• ] Do not produce a matrix without Figma implementation guidance — variant naming conventions must follow Figma's property system

Example Trigger Phrases

• "Define the variants for a component] in Figma"
• "What states does my component] need?"
• "Help me plan the variant matrix for component]"
• "Set up the Figma properties for a button/card/input]"
• "What are all the combinations I need for my component]?"