Proposal: Update the Figma design toolkit to modern figma standards and new UI Kit support

[mdtauk]

Proposal: Update the Figma design toolkit

Summary

It has been over 2 years since the Figma design kit has seen an update. Fabric 2 UI Kits have had many updates in that time. Figma has launched a "UI Kit" feature with Apple and Google already supporting it with their iOS / iPadOS 18 kits, and Material 3 UI design assets and components.

Rationale

• With Microsoft abandoning the designer phase of working with XAML, it becomes more and more difficult to do actual design work for Win UI apps. Figma has become the defacto standard, and without support for UI Kits, Xaml code connect export, Microsoft has no presence for where UI design is at the moment.

Scope

Capability	Priority
This proposal will allow designers to actually design and brainstorm their UI design	Must
This proposal will allow developers to be given XAML ready to implement from their design teams	Should

Important Notes

UI Kit support should be the priority, to allow for always updating UI components, to be used as a library of components

If XAML code export were also supported, it would help bridge a VERY REAL detriment with not having any design time support for your app development.

WPF's new Windows 11 styled components could also be supported with their own figma kit, based on the same design tokens the Fluent design teams develop.

Open Questions

Should Microsoft's internal design teams, be using a live and updatable UI kit within figma, ensuring both internal and external WinUI developers and designers, are on equal footing, so everyone benefits?