Day 22 of 100 · Design

Figma

A Brown student took a fellowship to drop out and rebuild design in the browser.

Started atBrown University
Founded2012
FoundersDylan Field & Evan Wallace
CountryUSA

How it started

Field and Wallace worked on browser graphics at Brown. Their company later sold for billions.

The lesson for your campus Two students, one hard technical bet, ten years of patience.

Why every campus needs an Innovation-Hub

Why we are telling this story

The next company on a list like this one has not been founded yet. Right now it is a student in a lecture hall with an idea nobody has asked about, and no room to build it in. Innovation-Hub is that room: a permanent space inside your institution where students from every department explore, experiment, collaborate and prototype.

See how to start one on your campus →

Ask the Founder

Pick a question — or write your own — and get a grounded answer about how Figma was actually built.

Opens ChatGPT in a new tab with your question ready. Answers are generated by AI from publicly reported information — they are not statements by the founders. Always check anything important against an original source.

← Day 21: HackerRank Day 23: BrowserStack →

The next one comes from your campus

Innovation should not be an annual event. It should be a permanent room where students are allowed to build. Bring an Innovation-Hub to your institution.

Start an Innovation-Hub Explore Green-Campus