Last month, I shared how Figma is moving to a hybrid working model, offering both remote and in-person options. Part of that approach includes building out hubs, spaces of centralized work that enable us to better connect with users around the world. Today, I’m excited to announce that Figma is opening a hub office in London, which will serve as our HQ for the EMEA region.
Knowing that so many of us (including everyone at Figma) will continue to work remotely for the foreseeable future, we considered waiting to share the news until we felt comfortable welcoming Figmates back for in-person work. But the reality is that opening an office is so much more than a physical space. It’s also about sharing a time zone with more of our users, attracting diverse talent as Figma continues to grow, and understanding local nuances in order to support design communities across the world.
When we launched Figma in 2016, I was shocked at the global nature of our user base — 81% of Figma’s weekly active users are outside the United States! So I started traveling to meet with Figma communities across the world to learn more. Spending time with customers is one of the best parts of my job, and I’m always surprised at how much I learn about our product through engaging with our community. (I can’t wait for COVID to be over so I can get back to meeting users in person again!)
As I spent time internationally, I quickly learned that our time zone coverage was inadequate for users outside the US. This resulted in us hiring an amazing team of product specialists in Amsterdam in early 2019. In addition to spending time with the Figma team and community in Amsterdam, last year I was lucky to have the chance to meet customers in London, Paris, Helsinki, Kiev, Moscow, Jakarta, and Singapore.
Earlier this year, we decided to increase our local presence by building a London team in order to better partner with our users in the region, including forward-thinking companies like Deliveroo in London, Zalando in Berlin, Spotify in Stockholm, and Booking.com in Amsterdam. Today, we have a team of 14 working remotely in the London area, and they remind me daily how much opportunity there is for us in the region.
While we hoped to celebrate our new EMEA HQ in person, the world had other plans. We’re excited to officially open our doors as soon as it feels safe for Figmates to resume in-person work. In the meantime, we’ll be continuing the momentum another way: introducing Config Europe, our first virtual user conference, a space for all of us to share, learn and come together. I can’t wait to see you there!
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