Prototyping

About prototyping with the Design System  

You should prototype your service to test with users. 

The Design System has prototyping kits for Figma and Axure RP.  

If you need Figma or Axure RP licenses, check how to buy digital products on the Scottish Government Service Manual. 

You can also prototype in HTML using the Design System's plugin for the GOV.UK prototype kit. 

Prototyping kit updates  

We release regular updates to the prototyping kits. This includes accessibility improvements.  

Your local copy does not automatically update. You must download the latest version of the kit to get the latest versions of components, patterns and styles.  

Check for updates in: 

• the design System newsletter – email designsystem@gov.scot to sign up 
• latest updates on the homepage 
• the Figma community file 
• the Design System GitHub

How to prototype in Figma  

Follow these steps to prototype Design System components and patterns in Figma: 

1. Find the Scottish Government Design System Kit in the Figma community
2. Select ‘open in Figma’ to add the kit to your Figma account 
3. Publish the library from the assets panel to access the styles and components in your project’s files 

Figma prototyping kit file

Download this file if you cannot get the Scottish Government Design System kit from the Figma community.  

How to prototype in Axure RP 

Design System components and patterns are available in an Axure widgets library. All widgets have styles and interactions built into them. 

Follow these steps to prototype Design System components and patterns in Axure RP: 

1. Install the latest version of Axure RP from the Axure website  
2. Download the Design System Axure Library from this page 
3. Select ‘Add Library +’ in the libraries pane 
4. Select the scottishgovernment_designsystem_v2.1.rplib file to get the Design System widgets  
5. Click and drag widgets from the libraries pane to the canvas to start designing 

Axure RP prototyping kit file

How to prototype in HTML 

You can prototype in HTML using the Design System’s plugin for the GOV.UK prototype kit.  

Follow the instructions for installing the Design System plugin on GitHub.  

The plugin is a new service from the Design System. We’ll be improving it based on feedback from users. Send feedback by emailing designsystem@gov.scot.