Integrating a Protégé ontology and Figma Prototypes

[buddhi2020]

Question

I want to build up an ontology in Protégé and connect it with Figma prototypes. My purpose is to build up an adaptive UX design using an ontology. Is this feasible? I have no knowledge where I should start. What are the tools, plugins and APIs I should use? Please be kind to explain me the process.

I built up the ontology and Figma prototypes are ready. I want to integrate them together and I want the Figma prototypes to behave and response to the ontology I built.

[phgoncalves2603]

Yeah, it’s totally feasible, but there’s no direct way to plug Protégé into Figma. You’ll need a middle layer — basically, some code that reads your ontology and tells Figma how to react.

Start by exporting your ontology from Protégé (as OWL, RDF/XML, or JSON-LD) and use something like OWLready2 (Python) or Apache Jena (Java) to load and query it. Then build a small API (Flask or Express.js) that sends this information to Figma. For example, your backend could say, “User = beginner → use simplified layout.”

On the Figma side, you can make a custom plugin using the Figma Plugin API or REST API. That plugin listens for messages from your API and updates the prototype, switching components, layouts, or styles based on what your ontology decides.

So in short: Protégé → backend reasoning → API → Figma plugin → adaptive UI. It takes some setup, but once that bridge is built, you’ll have a prototype that actually responds to your ontology’s logic in real time.

[tmilost]

Yes, it is feasible to integrate an ontology built in Protégé with Figma prototypes to create adaptive UX designs. Here’s an overview and a practical starting guide:

1. Understanding the Process

Goal:
You want your Figma prototypes to adapt dynamically based on knowledge and relationships defined in your ontology.

Workflow:

• Build your ontology (already done, using Protégé).
• Create Figma prototypes (already done).
• Connect the ontology to Figma so that Figma can adapt its UI/UX based on ontology-driven logic.

2. Tools & Technologies

• Protégé: For editing and exporting your ontology (usually as OWL/RDF).
• Figma API: To programmatically interact with and update Figma prototypes.
• Middleware (Custom App/Script): To interpret ontology data and communicate with Figma.

3. Integration Steps

Step 1: Export Ontology Data

• Use Protégé to export your ontology in RDF/OWL format.
• You may need to transform the ontology into a format suitable for your middleware (e.g., JSON-LD).

Step 2: Set Up a Middleware

• This is a custom application or script that:
  • Loads ontology data.
  • Interprets rules/relationships.
  • Uses the Figma API to change your prototype dynamically.
• You can use Python, Node.js, or any language with good libraries for RDF/OWL and HTTP requests.

Step 3: Use Figma API

• Figma API lets you read and write to your prototypes, update frames, components, texts, etc.
• Documentation: Figma REST API

Step 4: Connect Everything

• Your middleware loads the ontology, interprets it, and triggers updates to the Figma prototype via the API.
• Example: If your ontology defines that “UserType = Expert” should show advanced features, your middleware will update the relevant Figma frames/components.

Step 5: Optional – Dynamic Demo

• For more interactivity, consider a web front-end that:
  • Reads ontology-based user profiles.
  • Calls the middleware/Figma API to generate or update prototypes live.

4. Plugins and Libraries

• Ontology Processing:
  • Python: rdflib, Owlready2
  • Node.js: rdf-ext
• Figma API:
  • JavaScript: figma-js (unofficial)
  • Direct HTTP requests to Figma REST API
• No direct Figma–Protégé plugin exists, so you need to build the bridge via middleware.

5. Example Architecture

[Protégé Ontology] → (Export RDF/OWL) → [Middleware: Python/Node.js] → (Figma REST API) → [Figma Prototype]