I Converted Figma to Code with AI in Seconds — Why Are We Still Paying Frontend Developers?

Let’s face it: something big is happening in tech, and many of us are pretending it’s not. If you’ve ever opened Figma, tried to export a few designs, and sat there wondering how to turn those wireframes into React or Flutter code, AI just answered your prayers. And not slowly—instantly.

I recently asked a simple question: “Do you think there’s a way to convert Figma designs to any technology code?” And what I uncovered not only shocked me, but made me question a lot about how we hire, design, and develop products today.

My AI-Powered Experience

As a UI/UX designer and a fullstack developer, I manage my website, client website and Apps, blog, and social media platforms all by myself. I used to rely on Canva for visuals, which worked… until it didn’t. I needed something faster and sharper. That’s when I turned to AI.

I gave AI a simple prompt: ‘generate a Happy New Month design for a woman and a premium iPhone brand‘. Within seconds, it created beautiful designs that looked more polished than anything I’d ever built with Canva. What’s more? I didn’t spend a dime or waste time.

But it didn’t end there.

Yesterday, I wanted to mock up a homepage for a new web app I’m building. I explained my vision to AI, color palette, components, and structure—and it returned a production-ready layout that could be exported directly into React and Tailwind CSS. Something that would have taken a UI/UX designer days (and hundreds of dollars) was now delivered in seconds.

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Real-Life Case: Figma to Inventory App in One Day

A friend of mine, Isaac, recently turned a complex Figma prototype for an inventory management system into a fully deployed web application in just one day.

Here’s how he did it:

1. Figma Design

He started with a well-layered Figma file that defined every part of the system. This included:

• Dynamic inventory tables
• Filter and search modals
• CRUD forms for adding, editing, and deleting products
• Dashboard panels with key analytics
• User login and settings pages

Every component was styled with a clear design system—spacing, typography, and button states were all handled properly.

2. Used Locofy.ai

Isaac integrated his Figma project into Locofy.ai and spent time configuring:

• Responsive behavior across desktop, tablet, and mobile
• Properly naming and mapping components
• Adding Tailwind CSS classes directly within Locofy’s plugin

Locofy allowed him to visually connect logic, such as button interactions and form validations. Within a couple of hours, he exported well-structured React components that followed best practices for maintainable code.

3. Hooked Up Firebase

Isaac used Firebase to handle:

• Authentication (email/password)
• Cloud Firestore for storing inventory data
• Real-time sync for dashboard updates
• Role-based access control (admin vs user access)

He built reusable service functions to interact with Firebase, ensuring everything was modular and secure. Thanks to Firebase’s simplicity, it took him just a few hours to implement a fully functional backend.

4. Deployed to Vercel

With the frontend React code ready and Firebase powering the backend, he deployed the web app via Vercel. Vercel’s tight integration with GitHub made CI/CD seamless.

In under 24 hours, Isaac had a working Inventory Management Web Application that could:

• Track and manage stock levels
• Handle user authentication
• Visualize data on an analytics dashboard
• Provide a mobile-friendly experience

This project—which would typically take a team of frontend developers, designers, and a backend engineer over a week—was built by one person using smart tools and AI assistance.

Categorized List of Tools to Convert Figma to Code

Here are the best tools categorized by tech stack that can turn Figma into frontend code:

For all Project:

• Bolt

For React / Next.js (Tailwind CSS Supported)

• Locofy.ai
  
  • Output: React, Tailwind, Next.js
    
  • Feature: Auto-responsiveness, smart interactivity
    
  • Best for: Developer-grade frontend code
    
• Anima
  
  • Output: React, Vue, HTML/CSS
    
  • Feature: Exports functional components
    
  • Best for: Design-to-code pipelines
    
• TeleportHQ
  
  • Output: React, Next.js, Gatsby
    
  • Feature: Custom UI builders
    
  • Best for: Structured component design
    

For Flutter (Mobile Dev)

• Parabeac
  
  • Output: Dart
    
  • Best for: Full-scale mobile apps
    
• FlutterFlow (Figma import)
  
  • Output: Flutter/Dart
    
  • Best for: Visual logic builders
    

For HTML/CSS (Basic Web)

• Builder.io Figma Plugin
  
  • Output: HTML/CSS/JS
    
  • Best for: Clean exports for web
    
• Figma to Code Plugin
  
  • Output: Basic HTML/CSS
    
  • Best for: Simple prototypes
    

For Native Mobile (Swift/Android)

• Bravo Studio
  
  • Output: Mobile app screens
    
  • Best for: Connected prototypes
    
• Designer2Developer (Judo)
  
  • Output: SwiftUI / Jetpack Compose
    
  • Best for: Native components
    

AI-Powered General Tools

• Galileo AI
  
  • Input: Text/Sketches
    
  • Output: Web UIs
    
  • Best for: MVPs & ideas
    
• Uizard
  
  • Input: Screenshots
    
  • Output: Editable designs
    
  • Best for: Non-dev founders
    
• Builder.io + AI
  
  • Input: Visual + Figma
    
  • Output: React/Angular/Vue
    
  • Best for: Full app workflow
    

What Kind of Frontend Engineers Will AI Replace?

Let’s be brutally honest: AI is not out to kill your job—but it will replace the parts of it that don’t require deep thinking, creativity, or system understanding.

At Risk:

• Pixel Pushers: If your main skill is slicing up Figma files and converting them into HTML/CSS or simple React components without considering performance, accessibility, or reusability—you’re already replaceable.
• Junior Devs With Shallow Skills: Those who only know how to copy-paste from Stack Overflow or follow YouTube tutorials without grasping core logic, debugging, or architectural principles will struggle to stand out.
• Single-Stack Specialists: Engineers who have boxed themselves into just HTML, CSS, or even just React without exploring backend, deployment, or databases will soon be outperformed by tools that do the same, faster.

AI automates the mechanical. Your job is to become irreplaceably human.

How Can Developers Stay Valuable?

AI will do the heavy lifting. But there are things only humans can do (for now):

What You Should Do:

• Learn Fullstack: Master backend frameworks like Spring Boot, Rust, Node.js, or Firebase.
  
• Get Good at Problem Solving: Think like an engineer, not a template adjuster.
  
• Specialize in Systems: Understand architecture, database management, and CI/CD.
  
• Upskill in AI Integration: Know how to use AI APIs, not fear them.
  
• Build Reusable Components: AI can generate code, but it can’t reason about system-wide consistency.
  

Community Tip:

Ask your fellow developers:

“What do you recommend engineers start learning now to stay ahead of AI?“

Final Thoughts: It’s Not the End, It’s the Evolution

The way I manage my online presence—from creating graphics to publishing blogs to automating UI development, and backend service—has become AI-powered. And yes, I still write custom features and logic, but AI has given me a 10x advantage.

So I ask: Why are we still hiring devs to do what AI can handle in seconds?

Because smart developers will evolve. They will collaborate with AI, not compete. They will solve business problems, not just push pixels. They will architect systems, mentor juniors, and bridge the gap between idea and execution.

The question is: Will you be one of them, or will AI take your spot?