Figma CEO Dylan Field sees artificial intelligence making digital product and app design a bigger factor in setting products apart, as new AI tools make it easier than ever for anyone to create software.
Speaking on CNBC's "Squawk Box," Field said the spread of AI-generated software will lead to a greater premium on product and brand design.
"In a world where software is growing so much as a category, and there's more and more software out there, good enough is not enough," Field said Wednesday morning. "I think that the market forces that will occur will be such that the market will force more differentiation when it comes to design."
The comments were made in response to host Andrew Ross Sorkin asking Field if he sees large language models' ability to allow users with little to no traditional design or coding experience to "uplevel" themselves and create images and even full-functioning software as an "opportunity or a threat."
Field acknowledged that AI can help to accelerate the workflow in that regard, calling the technology "awesome" for getting a "first draft." However, he argued that users ultimately still need top-level knowledge and "full precision" to deliver a product that is above the baseline.
Field sees this dynamic as raising the competitive bar for design at the end of the day.
"When you're in a world where more people can get to a certain baseline, that ups the ante for everyone to really differentiate here," he said.
That shift is what Figma is looking to capitalize on by building what Field describes as a "full stack creative canvas" that incorporates AI into workflows that people are already using.
For its part, Figma continues to post strong growth. In its Q2 earnings released on Aug. 5, Figma reported that revenue jumped by 46% year over year, while customers who were already spending money with Figma increased their spending by 36% on average in the same period.
Figma (FIG) went public last July, priced at $33 per share. In its first week of trading, it got as high as $142 but has since been on a mostly downward trajectory. FIG is trading for $26.93, up nearly 3.5% on Wednesday.
