Okay, here is how you add and update Material Design components in Figma using libraries.
You typically add Material components to your Figma projects by enabling a Material Design library and utilizing the library swap feature when updating to a new version.
Adding Material Design components in Figma usually involves accessing them from a shared library. These libraries contain pre-built components like buttons, cards, text fields, and more, conforming to Material Design guidelines.
Initial Steps: Adding a Material Design Library
Before you can add components, you need access to a Material Design library in Figma. This could be:
- An official Google Material Design kit available in the Figma Community.
- A third-party Material Design kit from the Community.
- A custom Material Design library created by your team.
Once you have access, you enable the library in your Figma file via the Assets panel or the file menu, making its components available in the Assets panel for you to drag and drop onto your canvas.
Updating Components Using Library Swap
When a new version of your Material Design library becomes available (e.g., with new components, updated styles, or fixes), Figma's library swap feature is the recommended and most efficient method for updating components across multiple existing projects. This process involves:
- Add the new version of the design kit as a library. You must first make the updated library available in your Figma environment and enabled in the projects you wish to update.
- Use the new Figma library swap feature. This powerful feature allows you to swap all instances of components from the old Material Design library to their corresponding components in the new library.
- Crucial Requirement: For the library swap to work correctly, the components must have the same names in both libraries (the old and the new versions). Figma uses component names to match and replace instances.
- Observe the new component and re-apply the changes to the existing projects. After the swap, Figma replaces the component instances. However, you should carefully review your designs. Any overrides you applied to the original component instances (like specific text content, colors, or visibility settings) are typically preserved, but you may need to make minor adjustments or re-apply specific changes to ensure the updated components display exactly as intended within your layouts.
This is the recommended approach when you need to update multiple projects that utilize the same Material Design library, saving significant time compared to manually replacing each component instance.
In summary, adding components initially is about enabling and using a library, while updating them efficiently across projects is best handled by adding the new library version and leveraging the library swap feature, provided component names remain consistent.
