From Figma to FiveM NUI: A Practical Design-to-Code Workflow for Game UIs

# From Figma to FiveM NUI: A Practical Design-to-Code Workflow for Game UIs

A polished FiveM inventory, HUD, or phone interface rarely starts as code, it starts as a Figma file. But the gap between a beautiful static mockup and a responsive, performant NUI interface running inside FXServer's embedded Chromium browser is where many custom UI projects lose quality. A clean design-to-code handoff process closes that gap.

At **Code X Art Studios**, every custom NUI project starts in Figma before a single line of React is written. ## 1. Designing with Real Constraints in Mind

FiveM NUI runs at fixed in-game resolutions with no true responsive breakpoints the way a website has, designs need to be built around common aspect ratios (16:9, ultrawide) from the start, not adapted afterward. We prototype directly at target resolutions rather than an arbitrary desktop canvas size. ## 2. Component-Based Figma Structure

Structuring a Figma file with reusable components (buttons, item slots, modal frames) that mirror how the eventual React component tree will be organized dramatically speeds up development, a well-organized Figma file effectively becomes the visual spec for your component library. ## 3. Design Tokens for Spacing & Color

Rather than eyeballing pixel values, defining spacing and color as shared tokens in Figma (which map directly to Tailwind CSS scale values or CSS variables in code) keeps the final NUI visually identical to the design file, and makes future theme changes a config edit instead of a re-design.

// Example: Figma spacing tokens mapped directly to Tailwind classes
export const InventorySlot = () => (
  <div className="w-[64px] h-[64px] rounded-[8px] bg-[#161616] border border-white/10">
    {/* item icon */}
  </div>
);

## 4. Interactive Prototyping Before Development

Using Figma's prototyping mode to simulate hover states, drag interactions, and modal transitions before development begins lets stakeholders approve the actual feel of an interface, not just static screens, avoiding costly rework after the interface is already built in code. Want a custom FiveM interface designed and built the right way, from Figma through to production code? Browse our [NUI design work](/products) or get in touch via [Contact](/contact).