Figma research reveals that almost half of designers in Brazil already participate in product definition

Interested in understanding the challenges and opportunities of design in Brazil, Figma—a design and development platform for people who collaboratively build apps, websites, and other digital products—conducted a survey of design professionals. One of the findings concerns the increasingly strategic role that design is playing in companies. Almost half of the respondents (47%) stated that they participate directly in defining the product, strategy, and business vision, while 26% said they are consulted on some decisions, although design usually enters the process after the scope has already been defined.

The area's relevance is further reinforced by the perception of leadership and other teams. According to 91% participants, people somehow recognize the value that design adds to the company's results—a fact that solidifies the importance of these professionals beyond visual execution. "Design has become a strategic differentiator—whether in Brazilian startups creating innovative digital experiences or in large companies scaling their design systems to meet growing demand," explains Yuhki Yamashita, Chief Product Officer at Figma.

The data was presented this Wednesday (July 2nd) during an event in São Paulo, which brought together members of the local community, leaders of the digital ecosystem, and clients such as Nubank, Ifood, Mercado Livre and Itaú. The meeting marked a strategic step in the consolidation of Figma in Latin America, with the announcement of the arrival of the Spanish version focused on the countries of the region, following the recent launch of the Brazilian Portuguese version.

The survey, conducted in partnership with MindMiners, interviewed 300 Brazilian professionals in leadership positions in design, engineering, and product. The goal was to understand how artificial intelligence is being integrated into local companies and to map the misalignments and contradictions that still mark its practical application.

The tools behind the result

In May, the platform announced the full localization of its product into Brazilian Portuguese. "Latin America is a vibrant hub of creativity and design talent," says Débora Mioranzza, Head of Latin America at Figma. "We're getting even closer to our community and offering a fully localized product, so companies across the region can create the best digital experiences for their audiences."

The new version includes a full translation of the interface, cultural adaptations, and dedicated support in Portuguese, which should facilitate adoption by new users and reduce barriers to everyday use. The survey also showed that 31% agree that using English limits the adoption of a design tool or requires additional team effort. 

The relationship between design and AI

Although this innovation is already present in nearly 901 companies, when the survey investigated the level of design maturity, the results were quite varied. Today, only 161 companies indicate broad and consistent integration of artificial intelligence into their workflows, and 131 companies indicate structured use of it in parts of the design process.

On the other hand, 32% of the respondents say that AI is still in the exploratory phase of their work, with specific tests; while 27% have some applications in use, but without structured processes. In other words, although this technology is already part of the landscape, there is still a long way to go before its full and mature adoption in Brazilian design.

Part of this can be explained by the fact that many companies still lack a perfect balance between organizational support and team training. According to the survey, 55% of respondents indicate that their companies offer adequate support and resources, and have teams capable of applying AI to their day-to-day design processes. This group meets both requirements for consistent application of the technology.

However, 45% of the respondents still report some degree of misalignment between organizational structure and team preparation:

• 25% states that the company already provides support and resources, but the team is not yet fully trained.
• 11% indicate the opposite scenario: the team already has knowledge and skills, but the organization still lacks sufficient support and infrastructure.
• 4% present simultaneous deficiencies — both in training and organizational support.
• 5% say that the topic has not yet been discussed internally or that they do not know how to answer the question.

When these two conditions are met, however, it is expected to solve another challenge identified by the research: the best use of time.

In fact, during Config 2025, Figma announced a new generation of products focused on artificial intelligence precisely to address this challenge. Figma Make, for example, allows you to create prototypes from natural language descriptions, while Figma Sites eliminates technical steps by allowing a single person to create and publish a complete website without leaving the platform.

Wasted resource 

According to 64% of the respondents, a large or significant part of the work routine is still consumed by repetitive tasks and only 9% indicate that most of their time is dedicated to creative or analytical activities.

This discrepancy is even more curious when compared with the stated positive perception of AI: 83% of designers say that AI significantly increases their work efficiency. Furthermore, 82% agree that this innovation allows them to dedicate more time to perfecting their professional expertise.

This means that, despite widespread recognition of technology's potential to increase efficiency and free up time for higher-value activities, day-to-day design seems largely captured by repetitive operational demands. The solution? Advance the consolidation of AI as a structuring part of the design process—with integrated tools, ongoing training, and clear organizational support.

The platform's new features also address this productivity bottleneck. Figma Buzz, for example, was developed for marketing teams that need to produce content at scale, with visual consistency and reduced operational overhead. Grid automates CSS code generation and facilitates handoffs between design and development.