Style organization and naming conventions in Figma - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Style organization and naming conventions

Goal

Help designers keep their Figma styles neat and easy to find by using clear naming rules and organizing styles well.

Sample Styles

Style Name	Type	Color / Font	Description
Color / Primary / Blue 500	Color	#2563EB	Main brand blue
Color / Neutral / Gray 300	Color	#D1D5DB	Light gray for backgrounds
Text / Heading / H1 / Bold	Text	Roboto, 32px, Bold	Page titles
Text / Body / Regular	Text	Roboto, 16px, Regular	Paragraph text
Effect / Shadow / Card	Effect	Drop shadow, 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.1)	Card shadows
Grid / Layout / 8px	Grid	8px spacing	Base grid for layout

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Shows the count of styles by type.
  Formula: Count styles grouped by Type.
  Result: Color=2, Text=2, Effect=1, Grid=1
• Bar Chart: Number of styles per category (Primary, Neutral, Heading, Body, Shadow, Layout).
  Formula: Count styles grouped by category extracted from name.
  Example: Primary=1, Neutral=1, Heading=1, Body=1, Shadow=1, Layout=1
• Table: Lists all styles with columns: Style Name, Type, Color/Font, Description.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+---------------------+
|      KPI Card        |     Bar Chart       |
|  (Style counts by    |  (Styles per        |
|   type)              |   category)         |
+----------------------+---------------------+
|                      Table                    |
|          (All styles with details)           |
+----------------------------------------------+

Interactivity

Filter by style type or category using dropdown menus.

• Selecting a type (e.g., Color) updates KPI Card, Bar Chart, and Table to show only Color styles.
• Selecting a category (e.g., Primary) filters all components to styles in that category.
• Clear filters to see all styles again.

Self Check

Add a filter for Type = 'Text'. Which components update and what do they show?

• KPI Card updates to show count only for Text styles (2).
• Bar Chart updates to show categories only within Text styles (Heading=1, Body=1).
• Table shows only Text styles rows.

Key Result

Dashboard showing style counts and categories with filters for style type and category in Figma.

Practice

1. Why is it important to use clear and consistent naming conventions for styles in Figma?

easy

A. It changes the colors of the styles.

B. It makes the file size smaller.

C. It automatically fixes design errors.

D. It helps find and reuse styles quickly, saving time and keeping designs consistent.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of naming conventions

   Clear and consistent names help users quickly identify and reuse styles without confusion.

2. Step 2: Connect naming to design consistency

   Using good names ensures styles are reused properly, keeping the design uniform across the project.

3. Final Answer:

   It helps find and reuse styles quickly, saving time and keeping designs consistent. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Clear naming = easy reuse [OK]

Hint: Good names save time and keep designs uniform [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking naming affects file size
• Believing naming fixes design errors
• Assuming naming changes style colors

2. Which of the following is the correct way to organize styles using categories and subcategories in Figma?

easy

A. Button-Primary-Active

B. Button/Primary/Active

C. Button Primary Active

D. Button.Primary.Active

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the correct separator for categories

   Figma uses slashes (/) to separate categories and subcategories in style names.

2. Step 2: Compare options with Figma naming rules

   Only Button/Primary/Active uses slashes correctly to organize styles hierarchically.

3. Final Answer:

   Button/Primary/Active -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Use slashes (/) for style categories [OK]

Hint: Use slashes (/) to separate style categories [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using dashes or dots instead of slashes
• Using spaces without separators
• Mixing separators inconsistently

3. Given these style names in Figma: Text/Heading/H1, Text/Heading/H2, Button/Primary/Default, which style will appear first in the style list when sorted alphabetically?

medium

A. Button/Primary/Default

B. Text/Heading/H1

C. Text/Heading/H2

D. They all appear at the same time

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand alphabetical sorting in Figma

   Styles are sorted alphabetically from left to right, starting with the first category.

2. Step 2: Compare the first parts of each style name

   "Button" comes before "Text" alphabetically, so any style starting with "Button" appears before "Text" styles.

3. Final Answer:

   Button/Primary/Default -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Alphabetical order starts with first word [OK]

Hint: Alphabetical order sorts by first word first [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming H1 comes before Button
• Thinking subcategories affect order first
• Believing all styles appear simultaneously

4. You notice your Figma styles are named inconsistently: some use spaces, others use slashes, and some use dashes. What is the best way to fix this?

medium

A. Rename all styles to use slashes consistently for categories and subcategories.

B. Leave them as is because Figma accepts all formats.

C. Use spaces only because they look cleaner.

D. Use dashes only because they are shorter.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the recommended naming convention

   Figma recommends using slashes (/) to organize styles into categories and subcategories clearly.

2. Step 2: Apply consistent naming across all styles

   Renaming all styles to use slashes ensures easy navigation and reuse, avoiding confusion.

3. Final Answer:

   Rename all styles to use slashes consistently for categories and subcategories. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Consistent slashes improve style organization [OK]

Hint: Fix inconsistent names by using slashes everywhere [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring inconsistent naming
• Using spaces or dashes inconsistently
• Thinking Figma accepts all naming equally

5. You have these styles in Figma: Color/Primary/Light, Color/Primary/Dark, Color/Secondary/Light, Color/Secondary/Dark. You want to create a new style for a medium shade between light and dark for Primary colors only. What is the best naming convention to keep your styles organized?

hard

A. Primary/Color/Medium

B. Color/PrimaryMedium

C. Color/Primary/Medium

D. Color-Medium-Primary

Solution

1. Step 1: Follow existing naming pattern

   Current styles use the pattern Category/Subcategory/Variant with slashes.

2. Step 2: Insert new variant in the same subcategory

   Adding "Medium" as a variant under "Primary" keeps the naming consistent and organized.

3. Final Answer:

   Color/Primary/Medium -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Match existing pattern for new styles [OK]

Hint: Match existing slash pattern for new style names [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Combining words without slashes
• Changing category order
• Using dashes instead of slashes