In the bustling tech scene of Stockholm, a new startup is tackling a persistent pain point for web designers worldwide. Publish Ninja, founded in 2024 by UX designer Marcus Ahlstrand, is revolutionizing the way designers transform their Figma creations into fully functional websites.
From Frustration to Innovation
The genesis of Publish Ninja stems from a common frustration in the web design workflow: the redundant effort of creating designs in Figma, only to rebuild them from scratch when implementing the actual website. When Ahlstrand couldn’t convince developer colleagues to tackle this challenging problem, he took matters into his own hands.
“Everyone said it was too hard to generate clean code directly from Figma,” Ahlstrand recalls. Rather than waiting for others to solve the problem, he channeled his expertise as a UX designer to meticulously craft the concept, user flows, and requirements. His conviction in the product’s potential led him to personally finance the development, bringing on board a developer to turn the vision into reality.
Seamless Design-to-Web Pipeline
Publish Ninja’s core innovation is its AI engine that converts Figma designs into responsive HTML/CSS code. What sets it apart is its deep integration with Figma through a custom plugin, allowing designers to publish websites directly from their familiar design environment. The platform handles everything from code hosting to custom domain setup and SEO configuration, all without leaving Figma.
With an MVP already developed and beta testing on the horizon, Publish Ninja is positioning itself as a streamlined alternative to established website builders. While drawing inspiration from companies like Framer, known for their designer-friendly approach, Publish Ninja aims to create an even more optimized workflow for Figma users.
Looking to the Future
Drawing inspiration from Swedish tech success story Spotify, which successfully challenged industry giants from its Stockholm roots, Publish Ninja has ambitious plans for the next four years. The company aims to become the go-to choice for Figma-proficient designers, freelancers, startups, and marketers needing to publish small to medium websites.
“We’re not just building another website creator,” says Ahlstrand. “We’re empowering designers by eliminating the gap between design and implementation, making their workflow more efficient and enjoyable.”
As the startup prepares for its soft launch, it’s clear that Publish Ninja isn’t just solving a technical challenge – it’s reimagining the entire web design workflow for the modern era. For the growing community of Figma users worldwide, this could be the solution they’ve been waiting for.
