I'm a recent graduate working as a designer at a small marketing agency, and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. I've been assigned a large project that includes designing a 14-page website, and my developer is asking for the designs to be almost entirely production-ready. They want everything like autolayout, responsiveness, and variable naming done so they can just start coding. I was thrown into this role without a clear understanding of the company or resources since my boss prefers not to involve other employees. I know Figma is primarily a design tool, but does it really mean I need to set everything up perfectly for development? How much detail is typically expected in a Figma design when handing off to developers?
3 Answers
As a developer, I don’t need everything to be pixel-perfect in Figma. What’s more important is that the visual hierarchy is clear, the spacing is consistent, and the designs show how elements function at different screen sizes. What really slows me down are missing states like hover or loading, unclear responsive behavior, and designs that look great on one screen size with no guidance for others. Expecting a new grad designer to produce 100% complete Figma files is a lot to ask, especially without support.
Honestly, part of the job in design is about communication. As a new grad, connecting with your developer for clarity is key. If you’re on the same team, it’s easier to talk through expectations instead of trying to guess what they need. Plus, with experience, you'll start to develop that dialogue naturally.
That's so true! Building a good rapport can save a lot of headaches.
In smaller teams, designers are often expected to deliver work that is close to production-ready. While the developer's asks aren’t unusual, handling everything as a solo new grad is quite a stretch. Don’t hesitate to set realistic milestones – maybe start with one page at a time.
It's frustrating to hear that developers sometimes have unclear expectations. Designers need clarity too, especially when new to the field.