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There doesn’t seem to be much new in here, but it’s good to hear Dylan’s perspective. I really hope Figma find a way of transforming Adobe from the inside. I’m

There doesn’t seem to be much new in here, but it’s good to hear Dylan’s perspective. I really hope Figma find a way of transforming Adobe from the inside. I’m still pained by the Adobe/Macromedia acquisition. Fireworks was the best UI, and arguably “screen” focused, graphic design tool of the time. So much better in every way than Photoshop (because thats not what it was trying to be!), but Adobe couldn’t see that, thought they were competing products, and killed it. If Adobe had kept Fireworks, invested in it, and eventually added the UI focus and collaboration feature of newer products they would continue to own this market. Fireworks is the true predecessor to products like Figma and Sketch. I fear Adobe are not particularly good at seeing how a new product tailored to a new design pragmam doesn’t compete with the older products. Reinvention is good! Maybe this is the start of them approaching that differently.

lbriner 4y ago
I hate to be the pessimist but I suspect it has never happened and why would it? To allow Figma to bring their culture into Adobe will mean massive changes to a lot of people who have been doing a terrible job for years, it will mean power shifting, it will mean older people accepting that the world has changed and they aren't worth their inflated salaries any more. Even if they wanted to, I doubt they could change, these things just don't scale. 26K employees, most will just carry on doing what they do. I think the best way to run any of these things is to keep Figma at arms length. Own it, yes, but let them carry on doing what they are already doing well. Don't force them to make their product more enterprise friendly otherwise they will start doing loads of one-offs, complicating it, basically turning it into Creative Suite.
- null_object 4y ago
  > it will mean older people accepting that the world has changed and they aren't worth their inflated salaries any more. Kind of a sideline - but very worried to see this combination of ageism and the "we're hiring" in your profile.
  - doctor_eval 4y ago
    As an “older” person I think you’re right to call this out, but perhaps a more generous reading would suggest “old timer” rather than “elderly”; as in, the people who have been at Adobe for years, and underlie the culture that gives us the Adobe of today.
whywhywhywhy 4y ago
For those that don’t know Fireworks was essentially Sketch 10 years earlier. Adobe had a tool with vector based bitmap graphics creation and non destructive styling. That could how multiple pages, states and a basic form of component all in 1 file with one click export to flats. Adobe didn’t understand their own software or users so killed it to try and force us to use a painting/photography tool for UI layouts. Makes this all a cruel joke for those of us who used it daily then moved to Sketch then moved to Figma.

lbriner 4y ago

I hate to be the pessimist but I suspect it has never happened and why would it? To allow Figma to bring their culture into Adobe will mean massive changes to a lot of people who have been doing a terrible job for years, it will mean power shifting, it will mean older people accepting that the world has changed and they aren't worth their inflated salaries any more. Even if they wanted to, I doubt they could change, these things just don't scale. 26K employees, most will just carry on doing what they do. I think the best way to run any of these things is to keep Figma at arms length. Own it, yes, but let them carry on doing what they are already doing well. Don't force them to make their product more enterprise friendly otherwise they will start doing loads of one-offs, complicating it, basically turning it into Creative Suite.

null_object 4y ago
> it will mean older people accepting that the world has changed and they aren't worth their inflated salaries any more. Kind of a sideline - but very worried to see this combination of ageism and the "we're hiring" in your profile.
- doctor_eval 4y ago
  As an “older” person I think you’re right to call this out, but perhaps a more generous reading would suggest “old timer” rather than “elderly”; as in, the people who have been at Adobe for years, and underlie the culture that gives us the Adobe of today.

whywhywhywhy 4y ago

For those that don’t know Fireworks was essentially Sketch 10 years earlier. Adobe had a tool with vector based bitmap graphics creation and non destructive styling. That could how multiple pages, states and a basic form of component all in 1 file with one click export to flats. Adobe didn’t understand their own software or users so killed it to try and force us to use a painting/photography tool for UI layouts. Makes this all a cruel joke for those of us who used it daily then moved to Sketch then moved to Figma.