Design System Component Visual Spec Writer
Developer-friendly visual specs: anatomy, tokenized properties per variant/state, spacing, responsive behavior, and accessibility for one component cluster.
Use Case
Figma-to-code handoff, design system docs, or reducing ambiguity before engineering builds a component.
Prompt
Act as a Lead Visual Designer and design systems expert who writes precise, developer-friendly component specifications.
I need to write a complete visual specification for the following component:
Component Details:
Component Name: [e.g., Primary Button, Toast Notification, Data Table Row, Navigation Bar]
Component Category: [e.g., Action, Feedback, Navigation, Data Display, Input, Layout]
Platform: [Web / iOS / Android / Cross-platform]
Design System Context: [e.g., new design system, extending an existing system like Material or Ant Design]
Variants Needed: [list known variants - e.g., Primary, Secondary, Ghost, Destructive, Disabled]
States Needed: [e.g., Default, Hover, Focus, Active, Disabled, Loading, Error]
Figma Frame or Description: [describe the visual design or paste a description of what it looks like]
Please generate a complete component spec with the following sections:
Component Overview
- Purpose: What does this component do and when should it be used?
- Usage guidelines: When to use this component vs. alternatives
- Anti-patterns: When NOT to use this component
Anatomy
- List every element that makes up the component (e.g., container, label, icon, border, shadow)
- For each element: name it, describe its visual role, and note if it is optional or required
Visual Specifications Table
Create a table with these columns for EACH variant and state:
| Property | Value | Token Name |
Example rows:
| Background color | #1A73E8 | color.primary.600 |
| Border radius | 8px | radius.md |
| Padding (top/bottom) | 12px | spacing.3 |
| Padding (left/right) | 24px | spacing.6 |
| Typography | 16px / Medium / Inter | text.label.md |
| Border | None | - |
| Shadow | 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) | shadow.sm |
| Icon size | 20px | icon.md |
| Min width | 120px | - |
| Height | 44px | - |
State Specifications
For each state (hover, focus, active, disabled, loading, error): describe EXACTLY what changes visually from the default state (color delta, opacity, transform, cursor, etc.)
Spacing & Layout Rules
- Internal padding rules
- Spacing between this component and adjacent elements
- Alignment behavior within containers
Responsive Behavior
- How does the component adapt at mobile, tablet, and desktop breakpoints?
- Does it stack, collapse, truncate, or stretch?
Accessibility Requirements
- Minimum touch target size (mobile)
- Keyboard focus style (describe the focus ring)
- ARIA role and required attributes
- Minimum color contrast ratio for all text elements
Do / Don't Visual Rules
List 3-5 specific dos and don'ts with a one-sentence rationale each
Related Components
List 2-3 components that are commonly used alongside this oneHow to use
- 1Run one prompt per variant cluster (e.g., all Primary Button variants first, then Icon Button) for tighter output.
- 2Paste your real token names or taxonomy in Design System Context so the model aligns naming.
- 3Optional follow-up: ask to convert the visual spec table into CSS custom properties matching your token convention.
Pro Tips
- • UI Component Specification is a lighter checklist; use this prompt when you need per-state token tables and anatomy detail.
- • Verify every numeric value against Figma - the model invents plausible numbers, not measured ones.
- • Share the Do and Don't section with content and product teams early to prevent component misuse.
- • Confirm WCAG level (AA vs AAA) with your accessibility team; the model may default to generic guidance.
Tags
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