Hype check: Hype
Figma ships more AI features, adoption still uneven
Figma's product blog keeps adding AI-assisted tools, but plenty of teams — especially smaller or open-source-curious ones — aren't using them fully yet.
figma.com
Practice brief · Design tools
Penpot's Figma-switch guide gets specific
Published 24 August 2026 · Source dated 1 September 2025
Used for: Design-system tidy; Stakeholder brief; Portfolio proof; Tool experiment. Practice brief for the gate you are in — not an industry digest dump.
Hype check: Adoption. Teams are using this — still check the source date (1 September 2025).
Saves the claim and source date (1 September 2025) on this device. No account.
Penpot published a practical walkthrough for moving files and workflows over from Figma, leaning on its open CSS-based Inspect tab and native Flex/Grid layout support. Worth a look if you're curious about open-source alternatives — it's not a Figma-killer, but it's maturing.
The guide covers real detail: Penpot's Inspect tab hands over actual SVG, CSS and HTML for any element — no plugin translation layer needed. It natively supports CSS Flex and Grid, so devs don't have to re-implement layout logic from scratch. Because it's open source, teams can wire it into their existing dev stack via its API, and there's a Figma-to-Penpot exporter plugin for migrating existing files (Penpot's own docs note it isn't 100% reliable yet for every feature).
This is adoption, not hype — it's a genuine option for teams wanting more control, but Figma still leads on plugin ecosystem and prototyping depth.
Coach
Rebuild one small component you already have in Figma inside Penpot, then compare the CSS its Inspect tab gives you against what you'd hand a dev from Figma.
Source: penpot.app ·
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Related in Design tools
More practice briefs on the same topic — not today's five from UCD Coach.
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Adobe keeps folding Firefly AI into Creative Cloud
Adobe continues rolling generative AI (Firefly) across its design apps rather than keeping it as a separate product. Worth knowing even if your day-to-day is Figma/Penpot.
blog.adobe.com
- Hype check: Adoption
Your AI tools still live inside Figma, not outside it
A junior designer's real-world AI workflow turned out to be Figma-first with AI bolted on, not an AI-native replacement for the canvas. Worth knowing before you chase every new 'AI design tool' launch.
medium.com