What I design in Figma never looks the same when it’s translated to code. It’s not because the engineer couldn’t be bothered polishing the UI; they just have more things to worry about than just how the UI looks. Component libraries help in this regard, but it’s also common for them to be behind their Figma counterparts.
I tend to think that designs made in Figma (or other design tools) represent a goal, not the reality. Distant technical issues far away from the task at hand can significantly impact a shipped experience. However, if your head is stuck in Figma, you’ll never see these technical hurdles coming until it’s too late. Conversely, spending time exploring your app’s codebase will tell you precisely what challenges engineers face and why the quality of experience (you’re responsible for) could be lacking.
You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish by learning how your app works and some popular frontend languages. Instead of being frustrated with the status quo, start talking with your engineers about making some changes. In my experience, engineers will support you 100% if they think your goal makes a meaningful impact on their coding experience.
As a designer, you’ll have goals to reach for a product or feature. Achieving these goals can be accelerated directly or indirectly with coding experience. Directly by tweaking the styles of, say, a component or layout yourself. Or Indirectly by using your coding knowledge to instigate initiatives that systematically improve UI quality. Either way, you’ll learn a lot.
So yeah, I do think designers should code. You’ll naturally become more empathetic to the challenges engineers have, and this will show in your designs and how you conduct technical discussions. It will definitely improve your relationship with your product team, and you’ll celebrate your wins together.