Figma Launches Markdown Editor and Public Beta of Code Layers to Guide AI-driven Design Agents

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Figma introduces Figma Specs, a markdown-based design language editor, plus public beta of code layers feature for interactive prototypes, enhancing AI agent collaboration and integration with headless CMS Payload.

Design collaboration platform Figma has announced new features aimed at improving how human and AI agents work within its environment. At its first Config event in India, the company unveiled Figma Specs, a markdown-based editor allowing teams to define and document their design language, rules, and context in a centralized and accessible format. This specification document can coexist within the design canvas, referencing design elements, embedding diagrams, code layers, and other resources to provide a cohesive reference point.

This approach aims to guide AI agents in adhering consistently to a company's brand and design guidelines, a key challenge given AI’s non-deterministic outputs. By integrating design and code libraries along with clear guidelines, Figma hopes to create more predictable and brand-aligned AI-generated designs.

Additionally, Figma announced that its code layers feature, which adds coding capabilities directly to designs on the canvas for more interactive prototypes, is now available in public beta. Originally launched in private beta in June, this feature allows users to convert designs into code or iteratively modify the prototype’s code through agent commands, streamlining the transition from design to functional product.

The company also highlighted the expansion of its Multimodal Collaboration Platform (MCP) to support over 20 new tools, including partnerships with Open Code, Dia, Grok Bot, and Indian AI startup Sarvam, enhancing the ecosystem around Figma's AI and design tools.

Integrating further with content management workflows, Figma has connected its Make product with Payload, an open-source headless CMS it acquired last year. This integration allows dynamic website generation and direct content management within Figma, with Payload’s usage reportedly growing sixfold in the past year.

Figma’s growing presence in India was also emphasized, noting it as the company’s largest user market outside the U.S., with 40% of India’s top 100 Bombay Stock Exchange companies utilizing the platform. The new office opened last year serves sales, partnerships, product support, and go-to-market operations.

Figma's chief design officer Loredana Crisan summarized the company’s vision by highlighting AI's transformative impact on software creation, noting a surge in code production aimed at discovery and design, rather than immediate release. These new tools and features seek to bridge that gap, making the design-to-code process more seamless and predictable within a collaborative AI and human ecosystem.