[cawlin]

"design online" is the key but not so much that the software runs in the browser, more that it allows for a different workflow.

Multiple people can be working on the same thing at the same time and anyone can view the in progress work. This changes the traditional file based workflow where designers pass a file back and forth if they want to keep the work together - often working in a separate file then "merging" the work into a master file one at a time.

Because all the files are online it's possible to see who is working on what including at the very moment. Its really easy for me to get a sense of what other designers are working on and whats been updated recently.

A huge bonus beyond designer collaboration is the way Figma breaks the previous separation of working file and final export. Non-designers can check in on an in-progress file at any time without needing a designer to export some static version of it. This allows designers to work on related things in the same file but each "thing" can be in at various stages of completion without having a negative impact on delivering final work. This is also great for transparency.