EXP [design] v2.1 — Bring the work in. Send the meaning onward.

EXP [design] v2.1

Bring the work in. Send the meaning onward.

EXP [design] 2.1 is the release where the workflow opens up. Existing Adobe XD
documents can be rescued into editable EXP layers, Figma files can come through
Figma's sanctioned REST API, large documents can be divided into clear canvas
pages, and the new Handoff panel puts visual exports, semantic artifacts, and an
optional local agent connection in one place.

The goal is not to replace every tool in a designer's workflow. It is to get out
of the way: preserve as much editable structure and meaning as the source format
allows, let the designer make real changes, and hand the result onward in the
form the next step needs.

Editable XD and Figma import

• Import local .xd documents through a bounded, cancellable offline reader.
• Import a Figma URL or file key through the official REST API. Personal access
  tokens stay in memory and are sent only to api.figma.com.
• Figma pages become EXP canvas pages; top-level frames become artboards.
• Artboards, groups, text, shapes, vector paths, lines, images, gradients,
  strokes, effects, masks, auto layout, local component sources/instances, and
  named paint/type styles map to editable EXP structures where the source data
  supports it.
• Import reports stay quiet when everything maps cleanly and call out only
  approximations or unsupported constructs that deserve review.
• Imported text bounds, image resources, dashed/dotted strokes, rotated line
  geometry, nested alignment, masks, and absolute children in auto layout all
  received live-file fidelity corrections during acceptance testing.

Advanced Figma constructs that EXP cannot reconstruct exactly remain visible in
the fidelity report rather than being silently presented as exact. OAuth,
Keychain token storage, and Enterprise Variables mapping remain explicit future
choices, not hidden requirements in this release.

Browser-style canvas pages

• Split a document into named page tabs without burying pages beside ordinary
  layers.
• Each page keeps its own camera position, guides, Layers presentation, and
  selection.
• Add, rename, deep-duplicate, reorder, and delete pages with undo.
• Move or duplicate single layers, multiple layers, nested children, or one or
  more artboards to another page from both menus and contextual actions.
• Moving work to a page reveals the result immediately instead of leaving it
  somewhere off-screen.
• Component sources and Design Language stay shared across the document.

Components that stay understandable as they grow

• Place component instances inside other component sources from every normal
  placement surface.
• Direct and indirect source cycles are rejected before they can damage the
  document.
• Layers discloses nested component structure recursively and keeps the instance
  name separate from the source name.
• Choose component states independently at every nested level using stable
  instance paths.
• Parent components can expose selected nested public properties; reset returns
  to the nearest source value.
• Component-state appearance now includes opacity, fill, typography, visibility,
  outlines, and blend mode without leaking changes into Default or sibling states.
• Duplicate Component creates a new independent working source instead of another
  instance of the original.
• Deleting a source preserves every visible use as ordinary editable work, and
  detaching or duplicating nested structures keeps IDs and relationships safe.

One Handoff home

The new dockable, detachable Handoff panel brings together:

• Current or selected artboard export as PNG, JPEG, PDF, or SVG.
• All-artboard export, including multi-page PDF.
• A complete inspectable .exph Handoff Package.
• Standalone semantic HTML/CSS.
• W3C Design Tokens Community Group token export.
• An optional local agent connection.

Existing File-menu commands remain available; the panel is an additional clear
home, never the only route.

Local, read-only agent access

Agent access is off by default. When the designer explicitly enables it, EXP
starts a protected current-user Unix socket and provides setup snippets for
Claude Code, Claude Desktop, or another stdio MCP client. There is no network
listener and EXP does not require a vendor API key.

Connected clients can use six read-only tools:

• get_orientation
• list_artboards
• get_artboard
• get_selection
• get_node
• get_tokens

EXP shows connection readiness, client identity, and the read-only boundary in
the Handoff panel. Write-back is not part of v2.1.

Accessibility at the core

• Components can carry approachable ARIA-role categories, accessible names,
  relationships, states, and structured notes into semantic handoff.
• Context-aware containment guidance recommends meaningful child roles without
  removing the designer's choice.
• Relationship controls use plain-language explanations, with technical
  aria-* details available when useful.
• Text can preserve paragraph or heading intent independently of its visual Type
  Style.
• Contrast checks remain available where colors and component states are edited.
• The app and the v2.1 panel work were accepted across keyboard order, VoiceOver,
  light/dark appearance, increased contrast, reduced motion, and reduced
  transparency.

EXP helps authors make and preserve better decisions; it does not claim that a
design file alone certifies an implementation as accessible. Generated output
still needs browser, keyboard, and assistive-technology testing in its real
product context.

Design Language and panel refinements

• Design Language holds reusable colors, gradients, and complete typography
  styles with shared categories and list/grid views.
• Design decisions can travel through EXP JSON, CSS, and W3C design tokens.
• Vector conversion, Outline Stroke, Pathfinder operations, Align/Distribute,
  component semantics, and handoff actions now have clearer selection-aware panel
  homes while retaining menu, contextual, and keyboard routes.
• Handoff actions use the same compact neutral control rhythm as the rest of the
  inspector and panel system.

Reliability fixes closed during the cycle

• Layer Copy/Paste now works while the Layers list owns keyboard focus.
• Duplicate Layer duplicates only the selected nested layer and keeps it inside
  the same group.
• A component source can be duplicated into a new independent component.
• Deleting a component source no longer moves preserved instances off-canvas.
• Component-state blend modes stay local to the selected state.
• Align and Distribute operate on multiple selected children inside a group.
• Text overflow indicators no longer report clipping from harmless font-metric
  padding.
• Temporary Spacebar panning reliably returns to the active selection tool and
  cursor.
• Canvas page tabs remain opaque and stable during fast panning.

EXP [design] 2.1 is build 12 and requires macOS 26.2 or later.