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Comments so far are not mentioning the biggest advantage and motivation for switching to Figma: 1. Freedom from Mac hardware dependency 2. Cross platform comp

by achow 7y ago

Comments so far are not mentioning the biggest advantage and motivation for switching to Figma: 1. Freedom from Mac hardware dependency 2. Cross platform compatibility. Heck even cross device - it would open up on iPad as well I assume (haven't tried it though).

zippergz 7y ago
Almost every Figma user I know (and I know a lot) uses it on a Mac, so I’m not convinced that that’s a benefit they care about.
- nailer 7y ago
  A lot of web developers have been put off Apple due to macOS and Mac hardware issues, and simultaneously attracted to Windows due to WSL. Figma gives them an option to switch.
- toastal 7y ago
  As a developer consuming their designs on Linux, I care. Most platforms don't check that box.
  - bhhaskin 7y ago
    Check out Avocode. It is designed to do just that and is cross platform (electron). It works with PSD, AI, sketch, and figma files.
- achow 7y ago
  Figma user myself. Use on Mac at home, on Windows at office. At office Windows machine due to corporate security policies.
- j-kent 7y ago
  I went from a macbook to a surface pro, Sketch was the only thing keeping me on the mac until I switched to Figma. I use it for UI design.
- whywhywhywhy 7y ago
  As a Mac user who has had to Switch my workstation machine to PC for performance anything that reduces my reliance on Apple hardware is a great thing.
- comis 7y ago
  Most designers use Macs, sure. But just giving a link to product owners, QA, clients, and developers is a whole lot easier than trying to get them to successfully use Zeplin or manually keep track of what static images I've copy/pasted in tickets etc. Also: I use Mac at work and PC at home. So now you know one designer who uses Figma on PC.
  - paol 7y ago
    Zeplin is just a link too. That's what we've been using quite successfully for GUI apps development: designers work in sketch, everyone else consumes the result through Zeplin.
    - comis 7y ago
      I do really love Zeplin, and I use it at work since my company prefers Sketch over Figma. It's great if you have to use Sketch.
- httpsterio 7y ago
  you're living in a bubble then :) I also was a designer using mac but that was only because the tools forced me to, but in reality I can't afford a proper mac so I now have the option.
- pjmlp 7y ago
  About 50% of our local office cares that their tools work on Windows as well.
- andybak 7y ago
  Figma user. As I do real time 3D stuff I constantly switch between Mac and PC.
- AlfeG 7y ago
  Our designer runs Windows. His friends running Windows. I'm convinced. They all use Figma.
Blaiz0r 7y ago
Except for fonts, there are issues using custom fonts with Linux.
- diggan 7y ago
  "Issues" might be a understatement. As the font-loading tool only supports windows and macOS, it's straight up impossible to have custom fonts in a official manner. Seems to be some 3rd party solutions for this though, but since local font-exposing tools/servers are frequently used in vulnerabilities (Adobe's font loading tool that now comes built-in in Windows [and possibly macOS?] is one example, was recently exploited), it's a bit scary to run them.
- tarjei 7y ago
  THIS! I hate that Figma cannot support adding external webfonts when it is a webapp. This is the nr. 1 and only reason why I do not give them my money.
- oh_boy 7y ago
  You can use the Figma Linux wrapper to solve that issue. I have thrown my MacBook in a corner since them. I'm fully designing and developing on Pop_OS since 3 months. https://github.com/Figma-Linux/figma-linux https://github.com/Figma-Linux/figma-linux
  - Blaiz0r 7y ago
    It's great that you can use it, but it's still quite buggy for a lot of users, for me I can't even load it without it crashing, there are issues logged in the github
Mobius01 7y ago
It opens on an iPad, and with yesterday’a release of iOS 13.4 and proper mouse support its almost completely usable. I had issues with the viewport, but managed to create a simple UI flow with interactions and run a prototype.
maram 7y ago
>Freedom from Mac hardware dependency. I view this as positive and negative. It resonates with me because users should have the freedom. I ran Boston Sketch meetups https://www.meetup.com/Sketch-Design-Boston/ https://www.meetup.com/Sketch-Design-Boston/ for two years and several users couldn’t participate because they were using windows. I see it as a problem because designing on windows puts you in a different state of mind and atmosphere...and one way or another we are products of our environment. I found out that the environment of windows reflects negatively on design. I worked at TBWA advertising, I had a startup, and I recruit many freelancers all the time... When I look at designers portfolios I can immediately know whether they are/were using Windows or Mac. For design Mac is the winner. For crunching numbers nothing beats Windows excel.
- achow 7y ago
  That's sounds very pretentious. I work at a product company, I ask my team (and myself) to use paper and pencil, which could be on any scrappy piece of paper or notebook. This discussion is not about Windows vs Mac, and those who still discuss that, have not really moved with times. [Edit] FWIW, I'm a Sketch user, adopted it very early. Now I have started using Figma on my Mac which already has Sketch; and I find it very liberating (can continue work when I move from home-office-home, without needing to carry a 3 pound machine), and also see no difference in my productivity - no performance issues, all features present that I need.
  - nicky0 7y ago
    The fact that you suggest pencil and paper indicates you do actually see that the working environment makes a difference, however pretentious you may find it.
    - achow 7y ago
      Are they really 'environment'? They are tools which do not place any restriction on where and when you can use them.
      - 7y ago

by achow 7y ago

zippergz 7y ago

Almost every Figma user I know (and I know a lot) uses it on a Mac, so I’m not convinced that that’s a benefit they care about.

nailer 7y ago
A lot of web developers have been put off Apple due to macOS and Mac hardware issues, and simultaneously attracted to Windows due to WSL. Figma gives them an option to switch.
toastal 7y ago
As a developer consuming their designs on Linux, I care. Most platforms don't check that box.
- bhhaskin 7y ago
  Check out Avocode. It is designed to do just that and is cross platform (electron). It works with PSD, AI, sketch, and figma files.
achow 7y ago
Figma user myself. Use on Mac at home, on Windows at office. At office Windows machine due to corporate security policies.
j-kent 7y ago
I went from a macbook to a surface pro, Sketch was the only thing keeping me on the mac until I switched to Figma. I use it for UI design.
whywhywhywhy 7y ago
As a Mac user who has had to Switch my workstation machine to PC for performance anything that reduces my reliance on Apple hardware is a great thing.
comis 7y ago
Most designers use Macs, sure. But just giving a link to product owners, QA, clients, and developers is a whole lot easier than trying to get them to successfully use Zeplin or manually keep track of what static images I've copy/pasted in tickets etc. Also: I use Mac at work and PC at home. So now you know one designer who uses Figma on PC.
- paol 7y ago
  Zeplin is just a link too. That's what we've been using quite successfully for GUI apps development: designers work in sketch, everyone else consumes the result through Zeplin.
  - comis 7y ago
    I do really love Zeplin, and I use it at work since my company prefers Sketch over Figma. It's great if you have to use Sketch.
httpsterio 7y ago
you're living in a bubble then :) I also was a designer using mac but that was only because the tools forced me to, but in reality I can't afford a proper mac so I now have the option.
pjmlp 7y ago
About 50% of our local office cares that their tools work on Windows as well.
andybak 7y ago
Figma user. As I do real time 3D stuff I constantly switch between Mac and PC.
AlfeG 7y ago
Our designer runs Windows. His friends running Windows. I'm convinced. They all use Figma.

Blaiz0r 7y ago

Except for fonts, there are issues using custom fonts with Linux.

diggan 7y ago
"Issues" might be a understatement. As the font-loading tool only supports windows and macOS, it's straight up impossible to have custom fonts in a official manner. Seems to be some 3rd party solutions for this though, but since local font-exposing tools/servers are frequently used in vulnerabilities (Adobe's font loading tool that now comes built-in in Windows [and possibly macOS?] is one example, was recently exploited), it's a bit scary to run them.
tarjei 7y ago
THIS! I hate that Figma cannot support adding external webfonts when it is a webapp. This is the nr. 1 and only reason why I do not give them my money.
oh_boy 7y ago
You can use the Figma Linux wrapper to solve that issue. I have thrown my MacBook in a corner since them. I'm fully designing and developing on Pop_OS since 3 months. https://github.com/Figma-Linux/figma-linux https://github.com/Figma-Linux/figma-linux
- Blaiz0r 7y ago
  It's great that you can use it, but it's still quite buggy for a lot of users, for me I can't even load it without it crashing, there are issues logged in the github

Mobius01 7y ago

It opens on an iPad, and with yesterday’a release of iOS 13.4 and proper mouse support its almost completely usable. I had issues with the viewport, but managed to create a simple UI flow with interactions and run a prototype.

maram 7y ago

>Freedom from Mac hardware dependency. I view this as positive and negative. It resonates with me because users should have the freedom. I ran Boston Sketch meetups https://www.meetup.com/Sketch-Design-Boston/ https://www.meetup.com/Sketch-Design-Boston/ for two years and several users couldn’t participate because they were using windows. I see it as a problem because designing on windows puts you in a different state of mind and atmosphere...and one way or another we are products of our environment. I found out that the environment of windows reflects negatively on design. I worked at TBWA advertising, I had a startup, and I recruit many freelancers all the time... When I look at designers portfolios I can immediately know whether they are/were using Windows or Mac. For design Mac is the winner. For crunching numbers nothing beats Windows excel.

achow 7y ago
That's sounds very pretentious. I work at a product company, I ask my team (and myself) to use paper and pencil, which could be on any scrappy piece of paper or notebook. This discussion is not about Windows vs Mac, and those who still discuss that, have not really moved with times. [Edit] FWIW, I'm a Sketch user, adopted it very early. Now I have started using Figma on my Mac which already has Sketch; and I find it very liberating (can continue work when I move from home-office-home, without needing to carry a 3 pound machine), and also see no difference in my productivity - no performance issues, all features present that I need.
- nicky0 7y ago
  The fact that you suggest pencil and paper indicates you do actually see that the working environment makes a difference, however pretentious you may find it.
  - achow 7y ago
    Are they really 'environment'? They are tools which do not place any restriction on where and when you can use them.
    - 7y ago