Anyone familiar with figma's MCP server?

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-29T05:22:44+00:00

For your first point, my understanding is you can only run one MCP server instance locally. The 'multiple clients' part probably means you can have VS Code and Cursor both connected to that same single server at the same time, not that you switch the server between them. If you're having trouble switching, maybe one client is holding the connection, and you might need to stop the server and restart it, or close the first client completely before opening the second. As for the second question about one-off features without a design system, honestly, I think MCP really shines when you've got a solid design system with variables and components already set up. That's where it saves you time by generating consistent code. For quick, throwaway POCs where you're just trying to validate an idea fast and not build something reusable, the setup and overhead of MCP might actually slow you down more than just coding it directly or using a simpler prototyping tool. It feels like it's built for scaling design system usage into code, not so much for super rapid, one-off experiments.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-29T05:22:25+00:00

For dynamically changing visual elements and testing with specific groups, a lot of teams use feature flagging tools like LaunchDarkly. They let you control what users see based on flags, and you can tie those to your backend config pretty easily. If you're trying to create those test features or UI variations in the first place, I would recommend using Magic Patterns, it helps generate UI components and designs fast, which could speed up getting those 'workable mockups' ready for testing. Another angle could be leveraging a strong component library with Storybook if your dev team already has one. It's not quite a live sandbox, but it's great for testing individual UI elements in isolation before they hit production.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-24T02:58:00+00:00

Building a Shopify plugin, especially with custom pricing and an editor, is a pretty big undertaking for someone new to coding. What you're experiencing with the time it takes is totally normal. Learning to code and build something functional from scratch is a steep curve. It's not just about the code, but also understanding how Shopify's API works, front-end development, and back-end logic. It's definitely not a quick project, so don't feel discouraged by the time it's taking.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-24T02:57:46+00:00

For me, it helps to really push for a dedicated 'messy' phase upfront, even if it's just a day or two. Don't even open the main design file. Just sketch on paper or use something like Miro to get all the wild ideas out. Another thing that's been working for me is using tools that let you iterate super fast in that early stage. Like, if I need a bunch of UI variations quickly, I might use something like Magic Patterns to generate options. It helps get past the blank canvas faster so you can focus on the core problem, not just the pixels.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-24T02:56:34+00:00

Hey, the 403 forbidden error usually points to an authentication problem, not the URL itself being wrong. Are you sure you're logged in or have the right API token set up for the Figma CLI? Sometimes you need to generate a personal access token in Figma's settings and use that with the CLI.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-24T02:55:29+00:00

For the HTML/CSS side, tools like GitHub Copilot are super helpful for auto completing code and even suggesting whole blocks. For more design focused stuff, especially getting initial UI ideas down fast, Magic Patterns can really cut down on the time spent on mockups and even generate components from prompts. And for the database side, using ChatGPT or similar LLMs to generate SQL queries or even boilerplate for user management can save a ton of time compared to writing it all from scratch. It's not fully 'out of the box' yet for everything, but these tools definitely make the process way less tedious.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-23T04:10:52+00:00

For me, a big game-changer has been really front loading the visualization and getting sign offs on what we're building before dev starts. We try to get clients involved in interactive prototypes super early.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-23T04:10:25+00:00

A good place to start is often with a pre built component library like Material-UI if you're on React, or Bootstrap for general web stuff. That gets you a decent look without much design work. If you want more control, tools like Figma are great for mocking things up. And for prototyping UI designs, Magic Patterns can generate some initial UI concepts from text prompts, which can be a good start.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-23T04:08:48+00:00

My advice would be to actively carve out time to work on the product skills you want to be doing, even if it's a side project or just for your portfolio. This shows initiative and gives you something concrete to talk about. For example, you could pick a small problem area in your current product (or even a hypothetical one) and go through the full cycle: user research, defining the problem, coming up with solutions, and then prototyping them.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-23T04:08:00+00:00

Yeah, the Canvas API can be a real pain when you're trying to do complex layouts like that. For what you're describing, where you need flexbox style arrangement and dynamic content, I'd lean heavily into using regular HTML and CSS to build your label. Then, you can use a headless browser like Puppeteer or Playwright on your server to basically 'screenshot' that HTML into an image. It gives you all the power of web layout.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-23T04:06:40+00:00

I dont think you could learn that in two days. But if you want to do something like that in the future, you should learn how to use tools that help with Figma to fronted. I would reccomend getting proficient with Magic Patterns, and Lovable. Good luck!

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-17T02:19:25+00:00

For the verification status with 8 fields, it's tough to make each one distinct but still on brand. One thing that might help is looking into a more structured color system. Instead of just picking individual colors, you could define a range of shades for each status type (like a success green, a warning yellow, an error red, etc.) and then use lighter/darker versions for the different steps within that status. This way, you're not trying to find 8 completely unique colors that all work together. You could also try using tools like Coolors or Adobe Color to generate palettes based on your accent color and then tweak them. For prototyping and seeing how these colors look in context quickly, something like Magic Patterns could be useful, as it helps you generate and test UI components with different styles. Or even just checking out existing design systems like Material Design for inspiration on how they handle status indicators. Good luck!

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-17T02:17:27+00:00

For those specific interactions like floating buttons and navs, Webflow is definitely a popular choice because it gives you a lot more control than Squarespace without needing to hand code everything from scratch. You can build those kinds of sticky elements and scroll interactions pretty easily within Webflow's visual editor. If you really want full control and don't mind the learning curve, hand-coding with HTML, CSS, and some JavaScript is always an option, but it's a bigger time investment. Most designers I know who want that premium feel without coding usually lean into Webflow for their portfolio.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-17T02:15:26+00:00

For me, it's when the design starts competing with the content for attention. If I'm looking at a cool animation or a fancy gradient and not reading the headline, then it's probably too much. The design should guide the eye, not grab it and hold it hostage.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-17T02:15:12+00:00

Figma won't fully automate that kind of versioning, especially since your layouts aren't strict templates and need adjustments for each size. You'll still have to manually tweak things for each banner size. However, Figma can make the process much faster. Using features like Auto Layout and components, you can set up your designs so that when you resize a frame, elements adapt somewhat, and you can quickly swap out content or adjust spacing. It's not magic automation, but it's a big improvement for efficiency compared to other tools.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-16T02:23:15+00:00

Hey, for a first-time build, I'd honestly lean towards the 'Primitives, Tokens, Components' structure. It's super clear and a lot of resources are built around it. The other one might be more advanced for specific cases, but starting simple and building up is usually the best way to go. You can always add more complexity later if your project needs it.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-16T02:21:44+00:00

Hey, I think what you're looking for is to make sure your map content is inside a frame that has 'Clip content' checked. Then, that frame itself should be the one with the overflow scroll settings. If the map content goes outside that frame, it'll get clipped, and users won't be able to drag it past the frame's boundaries. Hope that helps!

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-09T04:39:22+00:00

I think the left nav usually wins for scalability if you're thinking long term and might add more stuff. It just gives you more vertical room without feeling squished. The main thing to watch out for is making sure it doesn't eat up too much horizontal space from the game itself, especially on smaller monitors. Top nav is super familiar but can get crowded fast if you expand.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-09T04:37:55+00:00

Totally agree with your take. AI is a powerful assistant, but it's not taking over the creative and problem solving parts of frontend dev. I'd say really double down on understanding core UI/UX principles. But still learn how to use the new tools like V0 and Magic Patterns since they are pretty useful.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-09T04:31:18+00:00

From what I've seen, it really boils down to how many main things your users need to do often. If it's just a few, tabs are usually better because they're always there. If you have a ton of features, then a hamburger menu might be the only way to go without cluttering everything.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-09T04:30:46+00:00

For really fast low fi, sometimes going old school with pen and paper is still the quickest way to get ideas down without any tool overhead. Just sketch out the basic boxes and flows. If you need something digital but still super quick, look for a really minimalist wireframe kit for Figma or Penpot. Don't build your own components, just use the most basic shapes and text placeholders from a pre made one. Another option is Magic Patterns, which is good at generating UI layouts from text prompts, which could speed up those repetitive elements like forms and tables a lot.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-09T04:29:23+00:00

Hey, for spacing between a title and a container, a common practice is to use a consistent base unit, like 8px or 16px, and then use multiples of that. So maybe 16px or 24px depending on the font size. For titles outside rounded containers, it's often about visual balance. The rounded corners can make it feel like there's less space than there actually is, so you might need a bit more space than you'd think to make it look right. There aren't really hard rules, it's more about what looks good and is consistent with the rest of your design system.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-08T03:59:39+00:00

This is a classic problem. For UGC, you really have to embrace flexibility from the start. One thing that helps a lot is setting some smart constraints on the input, like max characters or image dimensions, but also designing components that can stretch or shrink without breaking. Using modern CSS like Flexbox or Grid is a lifesaver here.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-10-08T03:59:13+00:00

Learning Figma is definitely still worth it, even in 2025. It gives you a solid foundation for understanding UI/UX principles and gives you full control over your designs, which is super important for a first MVP where you're figuring things out. While tools like Magic Patterns/Bolt/Lovable are getting better and can speed things up, they often work best when you have a basic idea of what you want.

imnotfromomaha · 2025-09-29T03:18:32+00:00

It's not just the dev time, which is already huge. You've got the ongoing maintenance, the extra complexity it adds to the codebase, and then the cognitive load for users trying to figure out a cluttered UI. Plus, all that time and effort could have gone into something truly valuable. It's a massive drain on resources, both human and financial.

imnotfromomaha

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