"For years, we've preached the gospel of the design system as the "single source of truth." We built libraries, evangelised tokens, and perfected our handoffs. However, despite all our efforts, the system often remained just that: a library. It was a meticulously organised collection of design assets that lived next to the real product, a reference file that designers owned and everyone else chased."
"The Old Way: Prototypes were simulations. We linked static pictures of components together to imitate a user flow. The "truth" was split between a visual-only Figma library and a functional-only Storybook. The New Way: With Figma Make now supporting npm package imports, designers can pull actual production React components from the design system's codebase directly onto the canvas. We are no longer building with pictures of buttons; we are building with the real button."
The single source of truth has shifted from a passive reference file to an active engine that designers and engineers build with. Design systems now emphasize three pillars: interactive, intelligent, and integrated. Designers can import production React components via Figma Make's npm support, enabling prototypes that use real code components instead of static images. The component-to-code mismatch no longer impedes fidelity because design files instantiate actual coded components. The system can also act as a guardian that enforces standards and reduces manual policing. Integration between design and code reduces duplication, accelerates handoffs, and turns libraries into living product tooling.
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