Lecture: Creating and Publishing a Component Library in Figma

Introduction

• Component Library: A file with published items like components, variables, styles, or other reusable objects in Figma.
• Purpose: To help team members create consistent designs by using shared components.

Steps to Publish a Component in Figma

1. Creating a Component

   • Example: Button component created in Figma.
   • Aim: To publish this component for team use.

2. Accessing the Asset Panel

   • Located on the left-hand side.
   • Allows browsing and publishing of components from libraries.

3. Publishing a Library

   • Click on the Team Library icon.
   • Name of the library or file appears (e.g., "16 publishing component libraries").
   • Click Publish to start the publishing process.
   • Figma displays a list of added, modified, or removed items.
   • Option to add a description of changes, e.g., "added button".
   • After publishing, Figma compiles and completes the process.

Using Published Components

• Finding Components

  • Navigate to Asset Panel in another file.
  • Browse team libraries to find and add components.
  • Example: Adding a button from a team library.

• Inserting Components

  • Preview and insert components from the library.
  • Drag components from the assets panel into files.

Updating Components

1. Modifying Components

   • Example: Change button from rounded to squared corners.
   • Make changes in the library file.

2. Publishing Updates

   • Blue dot indicates a change ready to be published.
   • Add description of changes, e.g., "rounded to squared".
   • Publish changes to update team library.

3. Updating Instances in Other Files

   • Notifications for available updates on components.
   • Options to review and update instances.
   • Use overlay feature in Figma to compare changes.
   • Update or undo updates as necessary.

Unpublishing a Library

• Unpublishing
  • Navigate to the library and use the Team Library icon.
  • Click "Unpublish" to remove the library from availability.
  • Existing instances in other files remain intact, but no further updates or new instances can be added.

Conclusion

• Component libraries enable reusable design elements, ensuring consistency across team projects.
• Figma simplifies creating, publishing, updating, and unpublishing libraries.
• These processes ensure that team members can efficiently manage design assets.