The MCP Tool That's Changing How I Use Figma

Over the past year, I’ve been watching MCP tools quickly make their way into conversations and workflows around design systems. I’ve been really curious, but if I’m being completely honest, I’ve also been a bit intimidated.

Our industry moved quickly before the introduction of AI, and now with AI, well… phew. It’s tough, and sometimes tiring, to keep up. When it came to MCP meeting Figma, I wasn’t completely sure where to begin. And if I did spend the time trying to learn yet another new thing, would it actually be worth it?

Earlier this month, I decided to stop looking in from the outside and just dive in. I’m soo glad I did.

I set up Figma Console MCP by TJ Pitre inside of Figma and recorded the process as I went. I didn’t go into it trying to automate my design process, or anything like that. In fact, my goal was almost the opposite, because that part of the work is something I care deeply about and genuinely enjoy. Like so many others, I’d hate to lose it.

What I wanted to explore was something else: whether I could let go of parts of the process that matter, but can be incredibly time-intensive and tough (hello, wrist pain) when building out libraries.

And now, trying Figma Console MCP has completely opened my eyes into what I can offload. Not because it replaces the enjoyable work that I was doing before, but because it handled some of the longer, more repetitive tasks so quickly, and actually so well. Creating 200+ variables took seconds, and mapping them to color swatch instances so the team could preview values was way easier than I expected.

This change in my workflow is already starting to give me a little space back. Space to focus on the experience of the system and its components, rather than spending even more time on the mechanics of building it.

For me, the surprising part wasn’t how powerful it was. It was how approachable it felt once I stopped hesitating.

If you’ve been watching this space with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty, like I have, you’re not alone. You don’t need to overhaul your workflow overnight or automate everything. Heck, you probably shouldn’t! But spending a little time experimenting may just be worth it.

I recorded a short walkthrough showing how I got started, in case it’s helpful. And if you do end up trying it yourself, I’d genuinely love to hear what you discover and how it helps.

Thanks for reading! Take care. 💛
Joey

In case you missed it...

In case you missed it, I also teach a course called Level Up with Figma. Just over 3,000 designers have gone through it so far, and our 20th cohort starts next month!

The course includes nearly 30 modules covering Figma foundations, shortcuts, and the workflows I use daily when designing and building libraries and design systems.

If you or your team are interested in joining the upcoming cohort, you can use the code newsletter for 20% off enrollment. I’d love to have you there! 🎓