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Build a seamless light/dark UI experience with scalable component logic
Dark mode is no longer a luxury feature—it’s an expectation. Whether you’re designing for mobile, web, or desktop, users now anticipate the ability to switch between light and dark themes. But implementing dark mode correctly isn’t just about inverting colors or adding a darker background. It requires a thoughtful structure, semantic token logic, and attention to contrast, accessibility, and consistency across your entire system.
This guide walks you through how to implement dark mode in Figma using scalable, maintainable practices that will save you time and ensure high-quality design output.
Before Figma introduced Variables, managing dark mode often meant duplicating styles, creating separate files for each theme, and manually updating components. It was inefficient and error-prone. Now, Variables make dark mode implementation significantly more streamlined. You can define all your colors for both light and dark themes in one place, apply them as tokens instead of raw hex values, and switch themes dynamically without touching your components.
With this system in place, you no longer need to manage two parallel design files. Instead, a single structure supports multiple themes—reducing rework and making your UI system future-proof.
Start by setting up your Variable collections. In Figma’s Local Variables panel, create two collections: one for light mode and one for dark. Within each, define your core tokens—such as --color-bg, --color-surface, --color-text-primary, and so on. The key is to use the exact same token names across both collections. This allows you to switch between modes simply by toggling the variable mode—no need to rebuild anything.
Next, link those tokens directly to your components. Avoid using hardcoded colors or even Figma’s local styles like “Gray-900.” Instead, bind fill, stroke, and text properties to your token values. This ensures that every component adapts instantly when the theme changes. Whether you’re building buttons, cards, modals, or full layouts, each element should draw from your defined variables—not isolated values.
For even greater control, structure your tokens into two distinct layers: primitives and semantics. Primitives are raw color values like --gray-100 or --blue-500. Semantics, such as --color-button-bg or --color-card-surface, define their functional use. This separation gives you the flexibility to rebrand, theme, or scale your system without needing to refactor every component.
Don’t forget that dark mode affects more than just backgrounds and text. Your shadows, borders, and effects also need adjustment. In dark mode, large or soft shadows can feel muddy, so it’s often best to reduce blur sizes and opacity. Subtle borders that work in light mode may become invisible on dark surfaces—adjust them to brighter grays for clarity. Most importantly, check that your color combinations meet WCAG AA accessibility standards, especially for text and interactive elements.
To test your implementation, create a theme switcher frame. Set up two side-by-side instances of your base components—one using the light collection, the other using the dark. This approach allows you to compare how tokens perform across themes, spot bugs, and ensure layout alignment remains intact. It’s a quick way to validate your system before scaling it across full pages and flows.
If setting up all of this from scratch feels like too much overhead, Voit offers a complete design system with dark mode already built in. With over 550 variables, semantic token layers, and more than 10,000 components, it’s designed to support seamless theme switching out of the box. Each component adapts to light and dark modes, with hover, active, and disabled states built in. Everything is token-driven and developer-ready—making it a solid option for startups or teams that need to move fast without compromising on structure.
Implementing dark mode in Figma isn’t about duplicating your work—it’s about building a smart foundation that supports theming from the start. By using variables, semantic token naming, and a testing process that scales, you can create a UI system that adapts to any theme with minimal effort. Whether you’re launching a new product or refining an existing system, dark mode should no longer be an afterthought. It’s a core part of user expectations and design maturity—and with the right setup, it doesn’t need to slow you down.
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