Thinking about Figma as a $750m venture-backed business with massive expectations to generate returns makes its rising usage of dark UX patterns around plans & pricing more human — and more flawed.

ATL raised. 🐦‍🔥 // Design, music, coffee, bikes, community. //
Head of Design @decentdao

That also makes it vulnerable to be upset by another graphic design tool. Creating payment flows that build trust and improving access to account management would not only increase accessibility, but would make for a better overall-designed product experience.

Principal at Cobalt Ventures. Write @ TheItinerant.io ; BenErsing.com Host: /venturecapital /finance /adventures

it’ll be hard for another tool to get venture backed before Figma has their liquidity event because as is the value to the market is capped. 

VC to underwrite risk on the next tool will need a bigger signal.

The Adobe deal falling through does not bode well for investment into new design tools imho.

@benersing might have thoughts though

Canva has been stepping up. I went to a Canva sponsored design AI event. They’re making their way into UI design and opening up developer integrations. 

Gotchya

Adobe backed out because of regulatory threat of monopoly, which, if anything, should open more opportunity for others (don't sleep on Canva) to step up.

I was moreso referring to the idea that Figma, the venture-backed company, is much more human, imperfect and vulnerable to competition than Figma, the best-in-class design tool.