I was a Figma early adopter. When I started folks were addicted to Sketch. When I learned Sketch, some couldn’t move off of Photoshop. When I learned Photoshop I still had to slice designs to HTML in Dreamweaver. When I got my Flash AS certificate, I had to learn XML and PHP to fetch data from the MySQL database and populate my designs. Designers should remember their role. It’s not a tool operator.
Newer designers worship Figma. Experienced designers? Not so much. When you’re just starting out, Figma feels like the magic. You think the tool gives you power. You chase features, plugins, shortcuts. But over time you realize... you’re the one creating the magic. Not the tool. Designers who’ve been around? They used Sketch. XD. Framer. Photoshop. And they’ll use something else next year too. They’re not loyal to tools. They’re loyal to outcomes. The best designers are tool agnostic. They shape ideas with whatever’s in reach. They understand design at its core. They adapt fast to whatever comes next. Because good design doesn’t die when a tool does. Figma is great. Lovable is great. Cursor is great. Framer is great. Just don’t let the tool become your identity. You are the value, not the software.
