Figma has been popular inside Microsoft for years. Some Microsoft design teams have preferred it over Adobe’s offerings. According to CNBC “Figma’s become, I would say, sort of the No. 1 common tool we use to collaborate across all of the design community in the community and beyond,” said corporate vice president of design and research Jon Friedman, who’s worked at Microsoft for over 18 years. It’s “really great at helping us collaborate at scale, and at a global scale. I can collaborate with teams we have in India, China, Europe, Israel and Africa.”
The problem is Adobe and Microsoft have kept a very cozy relationship for decades as Microsoft Windows operating systems have been a pathway for Adobe to reach its customers using its design products. Employees inside of Microsoft may have gotten a break last week when Adobe agreed to buy Figma for upwards of 15 billion dollars.
With both companies soon to be under one roof Microsoft employees should be able to choose their design tool of choice without having to worry about a potentially strained relationship with one of its biggest clients.
