Figma Acquisition: Three interesting speculations of its future.
And why you’ll do fine with or without it.
Some said it was inevitable, some say they never imagined it. But it’s here and it’s done. $20 billion is no joke, not even for Adobe. We don’t know what it brings to the community, we don’t know what the future holds. But we can speculate, and calculated speculations are tastefully interesting.
In my calculated speculations, I see 3 things happening. Let me share them with you.
#1. Figma will change. Whatever it may be, the change is coming.
I came across an interesting discussion on Twitter Spaces about Figma x Adobe. Participants were sharing insightful thoughts, but one thing was clear in the undertones of the entire conversation: Slowly but surely, the Figma we know is about to change. People keep forgetting that Adobe now officially and entirely owns Figma. Hence, it would be naive to think of it not utilizing all the x-factors of Figma to turn around its tide, however it wishes. The takeover must be in plans for a long time and the future roadmap should already be on paper.
So, this upcoming “change” can be highly drastic such as tweaking the freemium model itself or it could be as small as some internal management shift. Sure, this process may take 1–3 years, but the change is coming, and the community will feel and notice it.
#2. Tight integrations with Adobe’s flagship software.
Some of us don’t realize it but there’s a huge number of young creatives who learned design entirely on Figma. They haven’t had any meaningful connection with Adobe software at all, not even Photoshop. Those young people are the decision-makers of the future. Adobe understands this very well, so this audience and the community around Figma is one of the important aspects of the acquisition. And as with any conglomerate, Adobe wishes to remain relevant for the future, which means staying relevant to this particular audience.
To accomplish that, it wants this young bunch to understand and use its flagship software. Integration and interoperability between Figma and the core Adobe products is how that will happen.
Import .Ai files directly into Figma. Export and open .Fig file in Photoshop without ever exiting Figma. Although not a simple challenge to tackle, numerous possibilities exist.
(The multi-user and web-first nature of Figma may itself push it to become Adobe’s flagship product in the next 10 years. But that’s another calculated speculation for another day).
#3. A new tool is already being built somewhere.
After every such acquisition, in a small dorm room, around a coffee table, on a white napkin, someone is already working on the next big alternative to fill up the space. Contemplating “What did Figma do right and what did it do wrong?” The next Figma-like tool could be more open, or maybe even open-source. Have a look at Penpot.
Or it could be you working on such an idea. And if it’s indeed you, I would like to chat, and maybe work with you in crafting the product strategy. Send me a DM on Twitter and let’s connect.
You’ll be fine.
Design as a science, skill, or expertise transcends tools. An expert carpenter not carrying his tools is still an expert carpenter. No doubt he wouldn’t be able to do his job well without the right ones. But if they are taken away by someone, that doesn’t suddenly kill his essential mastery. Skills transcend tools.
Similarly, although the design community loved Figma for what it brought to the table, it will do fine if Figma loses its essence. Designers will continue to lead the way and keep making things. New tools will emerge and life will move on.
I would even ask you to begin dipping your toes (try out, test, work on a side project) in other tools such as Sketch and Affinity, maybe work in a tool that’s not built for UI design. Be ready for whatever comes your way.
Liked what you read? Pleasure is mine. Share your tasteful thoughts and speculations with me in the response.
Aamir is a partner & strategist at Sifer Design (sifer.design) where we work with visionary founders/entrepreneurs helping them design the future they imagine. We work across disciplines in branding, product design, activation, and growth. Connect with us at talk@sifer.design
