When Adobe and Figma called off their $20 billion merger in December 2023, it left Adobe without a leading UI/UX design tool. Adobe had already started to deprioritize Adobe XD, its own offering in the space, even halting individual sales and major updates.
Now, with the Figma deal cancelled due to antitrust concerns, many wondered if Adobe would resuscitate investment in Adobe XD. However, Adobe has confirmed that is not happening.
Adobe XD to Remain in Maintenance Mode
According to a recent Bloomberg report, Adobe XD will stay in “maintenance mode” with no further investment or development.
An Adobe spokesperson said, “We’re not investing in ongoing development or shipping new features within the product.” While disappointing for XD users, Adobe says it will continue supporting the product by “addressing bugs and updating any security or privacy needs.”
Why Did the Figma Acquisition Fall Through?
Adobe’s $20 billion Figma acquisition drew mixed reactions within the design community. Some hoped it would combine the best features of both tools.
But Figma users were worried about potential price increases or being forced into an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Ultimately, regulators felt the merger would create an anti-competitive monopoly in the UI/UX design space.
The Reality of Adobe’s Investment in XD
However, the truth is that Adobe had already started killing Adobe XD before the Figma deal, with the product feeling increasingly outdated compared to rivals among the top UI design apps.
While Adobe has ruled out reviving XD or building a new competitive tool, they are “open to exploring partnerships” in the UI/UX space. We’ll see if that manifests through creative collaborations or additional acquisition attempts.
After giving up on Adobe XD and the failed Figma acquisition attempt, Adobe suddenly finds itself without a competitive offering among the premier UI/UX design tools like Figma, Sketch, InVision Studio, and others.
This leaves a huge gap in Adobe’s product portfolio of creative software tools. We’ll have to stay tuned to see whether Adobe looks to build or buy its way back into this critical space.
In the meantime, check out the latest Adobe Creative Cloud pricing and subscription options in your area using this link.
While individual users may be disappointed to see Adobe XD languish, enterprise customers will likely continue leveraging Adobe’s deep integrated collection of creative tools from Photoshop to Premiere Pro and beyond. But UI/UX designers hoping for innovation and continued development of Adobe XD seem set for disappointment.
