Why we use Figma

Supporting consistent, accessible, and efficient digital design across the Commonwealth.

Figma is more than a design tool

Figma helps the Commonwealth create accessible and consistent digital services. It gives teams a shared place to design and work. 

• Designers can create and update designs. Shared libraries help them follow the same design and accessibility standards.
• Researchers can test designs with constituents. Teams can use what they learn to improve designs before they're built.
• Content writers can work within the actual designs and see how the content will display
• Accessibility specialists can review designs before development starts. This helps teams find accessibility errors earlier in the design process.
• Stakeholders and product owners review and comment directly in files, minimizing back-and-forth revisions
• Developers can use Dev Mode to view design details, variables, and assets. This helps them build designs as intended.

Request access to Figma 

Joining the Mass Digital Figma account

Mass Digital manages a shared Figma Enterprise account available to state organizations. This reduces statewide administrative burden and costs.

This structure allows organizations to:

• Pay only for the seats they use through a simple chargeback model managed by Mass Digital
• Reduce design and development rework by using the same component libraries
• Build accessibility in from the start, reducing the need for post-delivery fixes

Shared design system resources

Organizations and vendors that join the Mass Digital Figma account get access to:

• Massachusetts Design System styles for color, typography, spacing, corner radius, and elevation
• Prebuilt components for commonly used interface elements, including:
  • Color variants
  • Usage guidance
  • Responsive behavior
  • Accessibility requirements
• An icon library of open-source and custom assets
• Templates for navigation, content layouts, and common patterns
• Support from the Design System team

Shared assets help every service look and work like part of the same trusted experience. They can also save project setup time and improve design-to-development alignment across teams.

Privacy control and asset management with Figma Enterprise

Mass Digital’s Figma Enterprise account supports secure and flexible design collaboration across state government.

• Organizations and vendors create and manage designs in an environment managed by Mass Digital
• Role-based permissions and workspace controls ensure project visibility for approved users only
• Central ownership retains designs and other project assets when staff or vendors change

 These shared tools and practices help the Commonwealth create digital services that stay consistent and accessible over time.