Figma Dev Mode: What it can and can’t do for a UX designer

Figma Dev Mode, introduced in June 2023 as a successor to Inspect Mode, offers enhanced tools for designers and developers collaborating on projects, although it necessitates paid seats and has faced criticism for its pricing model. Designed to streamline workflows, Dev Mode facilitates the handoff process by allowing developers to inspect design attributes, access annotations, and integrate with platforms like Jira and GitHub, thus improving communication and reducing errors. Despite its advantages, such as real-time inspection and code editor access, some users find the need to toggle between Design and Dev Mode inconvenient, and the pricing model is viewed as restrictive, particularly for smaller teams. While not perfect, Dev Mode bridges some gaps in designer-developer collaboration, with potential for improvement in pricing and functionality, making it a tool to watch for future updates.