The year ahead: a conversation with Soleio, Julie Zhuo, and May-Li Khoe | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

The article explores how creative work may evolve in 2022 as remote and hybrid work become permanent. Soleio argues that collaboration will move further into digital tools, requiring stronger documentation, asynchronous processes, and organizational discipline. He also predicts that creative tools will spread across the workforce and increasingly incorporate automated, virtual collaborators.

Hybrid Work Will Reshape Creative Collaboration

• Creative work will increasingly reflect hybrid workforce models.
• Institutional knowledge and team context will move from physical offices into digital environments.
• Traditional brainstorming sessions may shift from conference rooms to tools such as FigJam.
• Creative software will become more accessible and collaborative, encouraging people outside traditional creative roles to use it.

London’s Growing Technology Ecosystem

• Relocating from Silicon Valley to London required Soleio to adjust his understanding of the two technology ecosystems.
• Whereas technology dominates the Bay Area, it remains a newer and more disruptive sector in many other regions.
• London is attracting more early-stage investors and becoming a stronger home for ambitious startups.
• This growth may allow founders to build major technology companies without moving to Silicon Valley.

Global Teams Need Better Organizational Hygiene

• Distributed teams must deliberately coordinate feedback and decision-making across time zones.
• Clear writing, recorded video feedback, and structured processes will become more important.
• Remote teams cannot rely on shared office space or informal conversations to maintain context.
• Transparent documentation and decision-making will become a competitive advantage.

Automation and Virtual Collaborators

• Design exploration and feedback are expected to become increasingly automated.
• Future knowledge work may involve non-human agents that provide feedback, support iteration, and perform tasks currently handled manually.
• These tools could fundamentally change the nature of teamwork by making virtual collaborators part of everyday creative processes.

Teams preparing for the future should invest not only in collaborative tools, but also in documentation, asynchronous communication, and transparent organizational practices.