Figma Question

@Carlisle1500 To answer your question simply - yes, XD is dead. Adobe will likely provide a converter in the future from XD to Figma. For now you can Copy as CSS or SVG and copy into Figma. Or migrate your large files from XD to Figma easily here now (for a price $): https://magicul.io/converter/xd-to-figma

I've been an Adobe user, trainer, and endorser since 1986. I've seen Adobe acquire or merge with several companies. Yes, they killed a lot of stuff, but they also saved, cherished, and invented a lot of tools. You can't blame them for running their business in a way they think is necessary and profitable. Figma needs to grow in order to become profitable, and Adobe is in desperate need of a proper UI, wireframing and prototyping tool. You do the math...

Some points to note:

Figma is 100% web-based, but offers an off-line app and the use of off-line files.

Collaboration is a breeze; it's not required, but you'll quickly learn how easy it is.

Figma can already import XD files, and this option can be improved, if neccesary.

It has a richer feature set (with much more refinements) compared to Adobe XD.

The only XD feature Figma lacks, is the Repeat Grid's auto-fill/alternating content.

It has a similar approach for plugins, and most plugins will offer a Figma version.

Figma offers everything XD users been shouting and waiting for since many years.

The design approach is similar, with some differences in jargon, setup, and handling.

The interface looks similar at first sight but is far more efficient and more logical.

The vector-drawing will offer you a feature you'll wish in Illustrator: T-sections !

Will Adobe bring Figma down by "a slow lethal injection of Adobe bureaucracy" (as some one very rightfully and frighfully stated) ? Let's hope not. By acquiring Figma, they acknowledge they failed –again– and clearly seem to miss the vision and technologies for a new era of designing for digital media. Let's hope they eventually learned their lesson.

The XD team is full of brilliant people. Unfortunately it's an Adobe product and as a result has been stuck for years. The innovation stopped in the end of 2017 when they started to build partiy with the Windows version. Figma beat them by going with a crossplatform web app development from the start. Can't beat that model. Apps built on operating systems don't work any more. Web apps are the future. 

...and the day started out so well this morning.

What a mess. Bad news for Figma users, and bad news for XD users.

Obviously XD's development will end with the acquisition of Figma. And Figma's successful business model will be turned on its head and ruined by Adobe management in a few years time.

Chances are a new upstart company will provide an alternative to Figma that uses Figma's old successful business model, and after a decade or two or so Figma will but remain a pleasant memory.

I shudder at the thought of having to install the CC app to merely be able to open a Figma file. Or be dependent on the CC Cloud. Urgh!

I suppose it is time to look for alternatives if this acquisition pulls through. Adobe's history of acquisitions and their inability to respond quickly and innovatively to industry changes are reasons enough for me to avoid putting all my eggs in one basket.

And I won't be the only one, let me tell you: I foresee a small exodus of Figma users leaving or preparing to leave.

Let's hope this deal doesn't happen - but Figma's owners must be dancing in the streets now.

What it means is Adobe has finally accepted their abysmal failure.

XD will wind down. Figma will receive lots of cash and a slow lethal injection of Adobe bureaucracy.

It's not a great time to be a user of XD or Figma, tbh.

At least the UI of XD and Figma are near identical so the migration will be relatively painless 😀

My hot take without all the facts:

Figma & XD aren't well differentiated enough to make a clear path for running them in parallel indefinitely. When they say 'we will continue to supportt XD' while 'reducing our investment in XD' it sounds similar to what they've done with Adobe Dimensions since introducing the Substance Suite. The difference is that as the premium product, Figma would have to become a subscription (?). 

I'm having flash backs of when Adobe acquired Macromedia. They mainly wanted Flash I think, but Dreamweaver replaced GoLive!, which I was actually using at the time. On the other hand, I had already jumped ship from Freehand to Illustrator, which was the survivor there. That precedent makes me think they would be pragmatic in siding with Figma (which the valuation shows that they acknowledge they can't out conpete) rather than contemplating killing it. I think it has a larger user base still, so not annoying them will be the major challenge.  

I guess now we need to wait to see what the XD team say at MAX on their future roadmap, but I fear that 'continue to support' is just a stepping stone towards the fate of Adobe Muse which remained ignored for the years until they quietly shut it off with the fewest complaints. 

Not only do I use XD, I have class loads of students and a growing catalogue of training resources invested in it. I'm ok with changing ship, as I say, I've done it before... but a little more clarity from Adobe on this would sure help me plan my future training and start building that out. 

and if you're wondering why they're acquiring for 20B:

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/25/figma-growing-inside-microsoft-testing-longtime-deal-with-adobe.html

What a shame. Adobe had how many years to get XD right? So much for competition creating innovation at Adobe. Better to just consume the competition instead.

Sounds to me like XD will soon no longer be. From an email this morning:

Dear Valued Customer,

We're writing to share some exciting news we announced today. Adobe has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire Figma, a leading web-first design platform for teams who build products together.

Figma and FigJam make it possible for all stakeholders designing interactive mobile and web applications to collaborate through multi-player workflows, sophisticated design systems and a rich extensible developer ecosystem.

While we have been reducing our investment in XD, we will continue to support it. We are excited about Figma's vision for the future of product design and the potential of our teams coming together to benefit our customers. After the transaction closes (expected in 2023), we will share more information.

They did say support for XD won't end. I have to believe both will merge into one super-duper UX app.

(FigmaD? Xigma?) xD

It's all speculation, of course. I wonder what Figma users are thinking right now, though.