Variants and Instances in Figma
Understanding Variants and Instances in Figma is crucial for creating flexible and reusable design components. These concepts allow you to manage and customize elements efficiently, enhancing your Agile Design process.
Key Concepts
- Variants
- Instances
1. Variants
Variants are a collection of related components that share the same base structure but differ in specific attributes. They allow you to create multiple versions of a component while maintaining consistency. For example, you can create variants of a button component with different colors, sizes, or states (e.g., default, hover, active).
Example:
Imagine designing a set of buttons for a website. You can create a variant for each button type (primary, secondary, tertiary) with different colors and styles. This ensures that all buttons follow a consistent design language while offering flexibility for different use cases.
2. Instances
Instances are individual copies of a component that inherit properties from their parent component. Instances can be modified without affecting the original component, allowing for customization while preserving the base design. This is particularly useful for maintaining design consistency across a project.
Example:
Consider a form component with multiple input fields. Each input field can be an instance of a base input component. If you need to change the font size or color for a specific input field, you can modify the instance without altering the original component. This ensures that other input fields remain unchanged, maintaining design consistency.
Analogies
Variants
Think of variants as different flavors of ice cream. Each flavor shares the same base (ice cream), but they differ in taste (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry). Similarly, variants share a common structure but vary in specific attributes.
Instances
Consider instances as individual servings of ice cream. Each serving is a copy of the original ice cream but can be customized with toppings (sprinkles, nuts, syrup). Like instances, these servings inherit the base properties but allow for unique modifications.
By mastering Variants and Instances in Figma, you can create flexible and reusable design components, streamlining your Agile Design process and ensuring consistency across your projects.