Australia is undergoing a significant transformation in how businesses approach design, with increasing recognition of its critical role in driving operations and innovation.

According to two recent surveys by Figma, "How Australia Builds By Design Report" and "Design: APAC's Growth Engine ", the country is not only leading investment in design regionally but also emerging as a key hub for designers.

The data reveals that 63% of Australian companies have increased investment in digital design tools over the past five years, significantly outpacing the APAC average increase of 46%.

The data, which draw on interviews and information from Figma's extensive user base, highlight areas where Australia stands out regionally and globally.

In the government sector, design tool usage in Australia is over 4.5 times higher than the global average, reflecting the focus on digital transformation in public services. Similarly, in the finance sector, adoption rates are 30% higher than international benchmarks.

The findings also reveal a growing trend in cross-functional collaboration, with two-thirds of weekly design tool users in Australia being non-designers, such as marketers, product managers, and developers. This suggests a broader integration of design thinking across different business functions.

Additional key insights from the “Design: APAC's Growth Engine” survey include:

This data underscores Australia's growing leadership in leveraging design tools and collaboration to drive innovation and business growth across key sectors.

 

Figma has also just announced that is increasing investment in Australia and opening its first office in the country this November. The expansion is part of Figma's commitment to deepening relationships with its growing local community and key partners, such as Atlassian and Telstra, while empowering local businesses to drive innovation through design practices.

 

Methodology

The "Design: APAC's Growth Engine" report is a result of insights from surveys with 700 businesses across Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea.

The "How Australia Builds By Design" Report is based on data from Figma's user base in APAC.

For more information, visit https://www.figma.com/

Figma is a design platform for teams who build products together. Born on the web, Figma helps teams brainstorm, design, and build better products—from start to finish. Whether it's consolidating tools, simplifying workflows, or collaborating across teams and time zones, Figma makes the design process faster, more efficient, and fun while keeping everyone on the same page.