Written by Sifan, 2021 Cohort
Recently, pre-MDM students have been bullied by Figma. We have constantly been teaching ourselves or each other how to use Figma to create UI/UX designs closer to our imagination. When I finally felt I was more proficient in using Figma, the news about Figma shocked and confused me.
This month, Figma, an American cloud service, blocked DJI’s corporate account simply because DJI is on the American sanctions list. Figma froze DJI’s Figma design team account. Figma’s official announcement email mentioned that because DJI is on the American sanctions list, as an American company, Figma cannot provide software services, technology, or data to the companies on the sanctions list. In the future, Figma will send a backup of the design source files to DJI via email. This will ensure that DJI can continue to use Figma if it is removed from the sanctions list. In fact, DJI is not the only company that has been “cut off.” Figma will discontinue all companies on the American sanctions list. The current list of American sanctions includes 611 Chinese companies, such as Huawei, 360, Hikvision, DJI, and many high-tech aerospace-related companies.
This seemingly “fake news” reflects the current fragmentation that not only Chinese companies but also companies from all over the world are facing. As a company that provides UI design tools to users, Figma may not have any malicious intent towards Chinese users. However, it only complied with American regulations as a commercial company. But from the perspective of a Chinese company, this certainly creates a lot of uncertainty. It is difficult not to speculate on the negative outcome—is the discontinuation of Figma just the beginning? What will happen if Adobe, Sketch, and others cease to provide services to Chinese companies due to a similar force majeure?
As a half-designer and a student studying digital media in Canada, I am shocked by this de-globalization and confused by how this phenomenon has affected the art world. Since I started working, I have been a long-term user of Adobe, and I have to say that I can’t work without it. Through communication and collaboration on the Internet, I have learned a lot of helpful knowledge and software. I believe that global cooperation will become closer and more prosperous. However, this sanction will undoubtedly significantly affect practitioners’ confidence in globalization.
In addition, this news will make many enterprises re-evaluate the risk of using foreign tools and thus choose to buy and adopt domestic software services. It will undoubtedly block the road for Chinese designers who have studied or worked abroad and then plan to return to work in China. At this stage, many students, including me, have reached proficiency in using Figma. However, this effort may not help us find a job in the future. For a designer, undoubtedly, design ability and creativity are critical. But using design software to make ideas come true is more important in the actual work of design. It is almost impossible to get a job at the desired company without the relevant software foundation.
The current de-globalization has become a fact. It is bound to last not only for a short time, but it will not last forever either. I think keeping up with the use of different software tools is the best way for a designer to prepare for an unpredictable future.