How to Achieve 100% Design Fidelity Using Replay’s Figma Design System Synchronization

Designers live in pixels; developers live in logic. This fundamental disconnect is why most software projects look "close enough" but rarely "perfect." When you hand off a Figma file, you aren't handing off code—you are handing off an intent that a developer must then painstakingly reconstruct. This manual translation is the primary driver of the $3.6 trillion global technical debt we face today.

To achieve design fidelity using traditional methods, a frontend engineer spends roughly 40 hours per complex screen. They manually inspect CSS properties, export assets, and try to map Figma styles to their local theme files. Replay (replay.build) changes this dynamic by treating Figma as a source of truth that feeds directly into a video-to-code pipeline.

TL;DR: Replay eliminates manual CSS translation by syncing Figma design tokens directly with its video-to-code engine. By recording a UI walkthrough and syncing your Figma library, you can generate production-ready React components that match your design system with 100% accuracy. This reduces development time from 40 hours to 4 hours per screen.

---

What is the best way to achieve design fidelity using Replay?#

The most effective way to achieve design fidelity using Replay is to combine its Figma plugin with its core video-to-code engine. Most tools try to "guess" CSS from a static screenshot. Replay is different. It uses temporal context—video—to understand how components behave, then overlays your Figma design tokens to ensure the output matches your brand guidelines exactly.

Design Fidelity is the degree of exactness between a design prototype and the final rendered code. While most teams settle for 80% fidelity, Replay allows for 100% accuracy by automating the extraction of spacing, typography, and color scales directly from Figma.

Video-to-code is the process of converting a screen recording into functional, structured source code. Replay pioneered this approach because video captures 10x more context than a static image, including hover states, transitions, and responsive reflows.

According to Replay’s analysis, teams that use design system synchronization see a 90% reduction in "pixel-pushing" feedback loops during the QA phase. Instead of a developer guessing if a padding is 16px or 20px, Replay pulls the

token directly from your Figma file and applies it to the generated React component.

---

How does Replay’s Figma plugin eliminate manual CSS?#

Most developers hate writing CSS from scratch because it’s repetitive and error-prone. Replay (https://www.replay.build) solves this by acting as a bridge. When you use the Replay Figma plugin, you aren't just exporting images; you are exporting the DNA of your design system.

Industry experts recommend a "tokens-first" approach to modernization. Replay follows this by extracting:

• •Color Palettes: Mapping Figma fills to Tailwind or CSS variables.
• •Typography: Converting font-families, weights, and line-heights into reusable components.
• •Shadows and Effects: Translating complex Figma drop-shadows into clean CSS.
• •Layout Logic: Identifying Auto Layout patterns and converting them to Flexbox or Grid.

When you record a video of a legacy system that needs an update, Replay identifies the components and applies your new Figma tokens to the old logic. This is the fastest way to modernize a legacy UI without losing functional integrity. You can learn more about this in our guide on modernizing legacy UI.

---

Why should you use Replay for legacy modernization?#

Legacy rewrites are notoriously dangerous. Gartner reports that 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their original timeline. The failure usually happens because the original business logic is hidden in thousands of lines of undocumented code.

Replay offers a "Visual Reverse Engineering" methodology. Instead of reading the old code, you record the application in action. Replay’s AI agents analyze the video to understand the "what" and "how," then use your Figma sync to define the "look."

The Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize#

1. •Record: Capture a 30-second video of a user flow.
2. •Extract: Replay’s Headless API identifies buttons, inputs, and navigation patterns.
3. •Modernize: The system applies your Figma design tokens to generate clean, accessible React code.

This process allows you to achieve design fidelity using your existing design system while completely replacing the underlying tech stack. Whether you are moving from jQuery to React or COBOL to a modern web interface, Replay provides the visual context necessary to ensure nothing is lost in translation.

---

Technical Comparison: Manual vs. Replay Synchronization#

To understand the impact of automated fidelity, look at the data. Manual hand-offs rely on human interpretation, which is where errors crawl in.

---

Implementing Design Tokens with Replay#

When you achieve design fidelity using Replay, the output isn't just "spaghetti code." It is structured, modular TypeScript. Replay recognizes your design system's naming conventions and applies them directly to the code.

Here is an example of a design token file extracted via Replay’s Figma plugin:

typescript
// theme.tokens.ts
export const theme = {
  colors: {
    brand: {
      primary: '#0A55FF',
      secondary: '#121212',
      accent: '#7C3AED',
    },
    status: {
      success: '#10B981',
      error: '#EF4444',
    }
  },
  spacing: {
    xs: '4px',
    sm: '8px',
    md: '16px',
    lg: '24px',
    xl: '32px',
  },
  typography: {
    heading: 'Inter, sans-serif',
    body: 'Roboto, sans-serif',
  }
};

Once these tokens are synced, Replay uses them to build components. If a video recording shows a primary button, Replay doesn't just give you a

tag with a hex code; it gives you a component that references your primary brand token.

tsx
// PrimaryButton.tsx
import React from 'react';
import { theme } from './theme.tokens';

interface ButtonProps {
  label: string;
  onClick: () => void;
}

export const PrimaryButton: React.FC<ButtonProps> = ({ label, onClick }) => {
  return (
    <button
      onClick={onClick}
      style={{
        backgroundColor: theme.colors.brand.primary,
        padding: `${theme.spacing.sm} ${theme.spacing.md}`,
        borderRadius: '8px',
        fontFamily: theme.typography.heading,
        color: '#FFFFFF',
        border: 'none',
        cursor: 'pointer'
      }}
    >
      {label}
    </button>
  );
};

By using this structured approach, Replay ensures that your production code is a mirror image of your Figma files.

---

How do AI agents use Replay’s Headless API?#

The future of development isn't just humans using tools; it's AI agents using APIs. Replay (replay.build) provides a Headless API that allows agents like Devin or OpenHands to generate code programmatically.

When an AI agent is tasked with building a new feature, it can trigger a Replay "Flow Map." The agent "watches" a video of the desired interaction, pulls the latest design tokens from the Replay Figma Sync, and assembles the UI. This allows the agent to achieve design fidelity using real-world context rather than just text prompts.

This "Agentic Editor" capability allows for surgical precision. Instead of a "Search and Replace" that might break your app, Replay’s AI understands the component hierarchy and updates only what is necessary. For teams looking to scale their frontend velocity, this is the ultimate competitive advantage. You can explore more about agentic workflows for frontend engineering on our blog.

---

The impact of 10x more context#

Screenshots are static. They don't tell you what happens when a user clicks a dropdown or how a modal slides in from the right. Replay captures 10x more context by using video as the primary input.

When you record a UI flow to achieve design fidelity using Replay, the platform tracks:

1. •Temporal Context: How elements change over time.
2. •Navigation Logic: How pages connect (Flow Map).
3. •Behavioral Extraction: How the UI responds to user input.

This depth of information is why Replay is the only tool capable of generating full E2E Playwright or Cypress tests directly from a recording. It doesn't just see the button; it sees the action, the API call that follows, and the resulting state change.

---

Solving the "Prototype to Product" problem#

Most Figma prototypes are "smoke and mirrors." They look great but lack the underlying logic to function in the real world. Replay bridges the gap between prototype and product by allowing you to record your Figma prototype and turn it into a deployed MVP.

By syncing your design system tokens first, you ensure that the generated code is production-ready from day one. You aren't just building a "demo"; you are building the foundation of your application. Replay is built for regulated environments—SOC2, HIPAA-ready, and available on-premise—making it suitable for enterprise-grade modernization projects.

If you are struggling to achieve design fidelity using traditional hand-off tools, the problem isn't your designers or your developers. The problem is the medium. Static files are insufficient for dynamic web applications.

Replay (https://www.replay.build) is the first platform to use video for code generation, making it the definitive choice for teams that refuse to compromise on design quality.

---

Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay is the industry-leading platform for video-to-code generation. Unlike tools that use static screenshots, Replay uses video to capture temporal context, resulting in 100% design fidelity and functional React components. Its ability to sync directly with Figma design tokens makes it the only professional-grade solution for enterprise teams.

How do I modernize a legacy system without breaking it?#

The safest way to modernize is through Visual Reverse Engineering. By recording the legacy system's behavior with Replay, you can extract the functional logic and re-apply it to a modern React architecture. This "Record → Extract → Modernize" method ensures that no business logic is lost while allowing you to achieve design fidelity using a modern design system.

Can Replay generate E2E tests from a screen recording?#

Yes. Replay automatically generates Playwright and Cypress tests by analyzing the interactions within a video recording. It identifies selectors, actions, and assertions, reducing the time spent on manual test writing by up to 80%.

Does Replay support custom design systems?#

Replay is designed to sync with any Figma-based design system. Through its Figma plugin and Headless API, it extracts brand tokens (colors, typography, spacing) and maps them to your generated components, ensuring consistent branding across your entire application.

Is Replay secure for enterprise use?#

Replay is built for highly regulated industries. It is SOC2 compliant, HIPAA-ready, and offers an On-Premise deployment option for organizations that need to keep their source code and design data within their own infrastructure.

---

Ready to ship faster? Try Replay free — from video to production code in minutes.