Adoption
Figma Make: AI drafts now sit inside your design file
Figma folded AI prototyping straight into the file with Figma Make, previewed at Config 2025. A year on, teams use it for first-pass screens, not finished UI.
figma.com
Design tools
Tooling is where hype is loudest. This hub tracks design tools worth your attention: updates to Figma and open-source alternatives, plugins that save real time, and AI features that change workflow rather than slide decks. UCD Coach reads release notes and practitioner reports, then filters for what early-career and working designers actually need. Every briefing links to a primary source and includes Your move — a small experiment to run before you recommend a tool to your team.
- Adoption
Penpot's matured, but Figma's still the UK default
A 2026 head-to-head shows Penpot as a genuinely capable free, open-source, self-hostable alternative to Figma. It's not a drop-in replacement yet — but the gap is closing fast, especially on cost.
hedrick.io
- Hype
Penpot Pitched as Figma's Open-Source Rival — Again
A widely-shared Medium piece argues Penpot's open-source, code-native approach makes it the future of design tools over Figma. It's a strong personal take, not evidence teams are actually switching en masse.
medium.com
- Adoption
Penpot Pitches Itself to Enterprise Teams vs Figma
Penpot's own comparison page argues its open-source, self-hostable model beats Figma on data control and pricing predictability for enterprise teams. It's Penpot's marketing, so weigh the pitch against Figma's still-dominant plugin ecosystem.
penpot.app
- Established
Penpot's still the steady open-source Figma option
A mid-2024 walkthrough shows Penpot's full platform: wireframes, prototyping, CSS Grid/Flex layout, and self-hosting. It's established, not new — a maturing free alternative rather than a flash-in-the-pan tool.
youtube.com
- Adoption
Penpot's dev handoff features are closing the gap on Figma
Penpot's Inspect tab plus native CSS Grid and Flexbox support now export straight to SVG, CSS and HTML — real feature parity with Figma's dev mode. It's free, open-source and self-hostable, which matters if you're comparing tools for a portfolio or a future employer's stack.
penpot.app
- Adoption
Penpot's maturing — is it Figma-ready yet?
Penpot's open-source design tool is getting serious enterprise attention in 2025 as a Figma alternative. It won't replace Figma in most UK studios yet, but it's worth knowing for flexibility and procurement conversations.
designsystemscollective.com