Adobe Experience Design (Adobe XD) is one of the most popular design tools for web and mobile applications. Or at least, it was before Adobe decided to put it into maintenance mode.

With that move, Adobe has created many more questions than it has answered. Will it discontinue XD? Will it eventually revive the platform and bring it out of maintenance mode? How long will Adobe XD stay in maintenance mode? What even is maintenance mode? And most importantly, what should user experience (UX) designers do now?

In this article, we’ll tackle all of these questions and more. Let’s look at some common challenges and experiences when moving projects to other tools, as well as the benefits of ditching Adobe XD in favor of a modern, AI-powered design tool.

Understanding Adobe XD’s maintenance mode

Here’s the official message from Adobe’s website:

Adobe’s official message regarding XD (Source)

Adobe has not made any official statements about discontinuing the product, nor has it said that it plans to drop support or bug fixes. It also hasn’t given a statement as to when maintenance mode will end and what will happen next.

Many rumors state that this signals the end of Adobe XD, and it’s hard not to agree. Rarely do products enter maintenance mode only to be brought back later. More often than not, the company gradually phases out the product, eventually discontinues it, or sometimes integrates it into another product offering.

The best way to interpret this, as far as we can tell, is that you can keep using Adobe XD for now, but it’s not going to get any better. Adobe will probably sunset the program in the near future, meaning you’re better off learning a new tool now and making the transition at your own pace.

The challenges in moving projects from Adobe XD to other tools

Moving projects from XD to another tool isn’t always as easy as it should be. This is, in part, because Adobe has stopped iterating on the product, meaning it isn’t releasing any new integrations.

Here are a few of the problems designers face when trying to move on from Adobe XD:

Compatibility and file conversion issues

Data loss issues with XD cloud documents are common. They’re so common that the issue has made it into the FAQs on Adobe’s site:

Adobe’s FAQ section on issues with XD files (Source)

Similarly, designers often face challenges when exporting files from XD because Adobe XD files are in a proprietary format (.xd).

The majority of designers moving off of Adobe XD are switching over to Figma, and they’re all facing some major transition challenges. These include the following:

1. You have to first convert .xd files to .svg files by exporting them from Adobe XD as SVGs, then reimporting to Figma.

2. The fidelity of these new files is often very low.

3. The conversion doesn’t preserve all assets, which results in additional design work.

While there are a few third-party conversion tools out there, many still run into some of the same issues—and even if they don’t, you’ll still need to pay for an extra tool to manage the move.

Pro tip: Creatie, our AI design suite, supports .xd files, which allows you to easily import Adobe XD files at high fidelity without a third-party converter or messy exportation process.

Learning curves and workflow adjustments

Moving over to a new tool always comes with a learning curve and often requires a few adjustments to existing workflows.

No one is trying to copy Adobe XD’s workflows—it’s a legacy tool. Because of this, it’ll take you some time to acclimate to a new tool’s interface.

Budget restrictions

When Adobe XD was a stand-alone app, you could get it for $9.99 per month. Now, you have to pay for the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan for $59.99 per month.

The plus side here is that signing up for the monthly plan also gives you access to standard web design programs like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, many of which you can also use on iOS.

Pro tip: You can get started generating AI designs for free with Creatie.

Collaboration and version control

Since it’s an offline tool, Adobe XD’s collaboration features are quite different from those you’ll find in newer tools, which tend to be cloud-based and built with real-time collaboration in mind. This isn’t necessarily **a problem since you'll be moving to a more collaborative environment, but the transition may require adjusting some workflows, paying attention to permissions, and reworking how you maintain and manage your version history.

Finding the right design tool for your team

If you’ve decided to ditch XD before Adobe ditches you, you’ll need to decide what to replace it with. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:

Understand design requirements

Finding the closest available tool to XD might make the transition process easier, but it’s not the most strategic move. Instead, survey your design team and put together a list of key features and requirements from their suggestions. For instance, consider whether you need a tool that you can use just for vector graphics or one that also supports wireframing and prototyping.

Similarly, you’ll want to think about nonnegotiable collaboration features. Consider if you need to be able to collaborate in real time or if you’re okay with only one person being able to edit a document at a time. Moreover, you should decide whether the tool needs to support communication features like commenting or tagging or whether you’ll manage this in a dedicated communications tool like Slack.

Compare design features

Now, you can start short-listing tools.

A bit of Googling will help you pull together a long list of what’s on the market. After you’ve done that, run through your list and cross off any options that don’t tick your nonnegotiable boxes.

Here are some must-have features you should look for:

• Support for multiple document types so you can upload existing documents with ease

• Integrations with other tools in your tech stack (like the solution you’re going to use to convert .xd files)

• AI features that help you work faster, such as icon set generation, image expansion, and 3D image rendering (all of which are available in Creatie)

Put together a budget

Your budget is always a limiting factor when it comes to choosing a software replacement.

If you were accustomed to paying less than $10 per month for XD, it might be hard to justify an over $50 per month expense. On the other hand, if you manage to end a few other subscriptions in the meantime and switch over to a software tool with broader capabilities, you might fare better.

Pay close attention to factors like:

• Extra charges and overages

• User limits on more basic plans

• Annual pricing discounts

Alternatively, you could opt for a tool that allows you to get started for free right away, like Creatie Wizard.

Consider scalability and compatibility

One last note on choosing a suitable Adobe XD replacement: try to anticipate your future needs.

For example, perhaps you’re interested in experimenting with AI-driven design, but you’re not quite ready to dive in yet. Instead of finding a replacement tool that only helps you with vector design, consider choosing a solution that can perform both duties, saving you a second buying process and learning curve.

Whatever tool you choose, be sure to look into how frequently the company releases updates and new features. You should replace Adobe XD with an app that’s at the forefront of design and pushes boundaries, not one that will soon leave you in the same place that Adobe has.

The benefits of switching to an AI design tool

You’re already moving away from XD and looking for something a little more modern. Why not go all the way and upgrade to an AI design tool?

Let’s explore some of the important benefits that AI-powered design software can offer:

Enhanced productivity

AI design tools won’t replace humans. They simply help human designers work faster, more efficiently, and more effectively.

You can also use AI design tools to produce additional imagery or suggest design ideas to get you past the blank page.

More efficient error reduction and consistency

AI can reduce human errors and also improve consistency.

For instance, if you ask an AI tool to produce a full set of icons, you can feel confident that the icons it produces will not only be consistent but will also align with your brand guidelines, if you’ve provided them.

Take a look at what Creatie Magicon can produce with just a few simple text prompts:

Icons from Creatie Magicon (Source)

Faster testing

A/B testing is an important part of UX design, but creating alternative assets to use within those tests can be time-consuming. Instead, you can use AI to generate a number of variations based on specific instructions, which will allow you to create multiple designs in a matter of minutes.

Transitioning away from Adobe XD in 5 steps

Here’s how to transition to another program from Adobe XD in just five quick steps:

1. Choose your new design tool

Your first step is to pick a new design tool. This step should be easy since we’ve already covered that process.

2. Start with a pilot project

It's usually a good idea for your team to hit the ground running and try out the tool you’ve chosen on a new project. But before you jump into a real project where time and money are at stake, you might consider running a short mock project to help your team nail down workflows. After that, you can put your tool to the test on a real-life project.

This will allow your team to identify any sticky spots, like quirks in the tool’s interface design or different naming conventions—two things that always slow down transitions.

Run this trial project before you move all your design systems over to your new tool, just in case you decide that the tool isn’t actually the right fit for your team.

3. Design a transition plan

Once you’ve confirmed that you’ve made the right choice, your next step is to plan out how you’ll transfer your data and files from XD to your chosen platform.

With the majority of design tools out there (we’re looking at you, Figma), thai is the process you’ll follow:

• Make backups of all your Adobe XD files.

• Export your .xd files to .svg files in Adobe XD.

• Import your SVGs into Figma.

• Compare the results and make up for any fidelity or asset loss issues.

Instead, you could make the switch to Creatie, our AI-driven Figma alternative.

Creatie accepts .xd files with no need for additional conversion, giving you back your high-fidelity designs with just one click.

4. Train and onboard your team

Next, you’ll need to get your team up to scratch using your new tool.

Live training sessions are great, but consider supplementing these with some pre-recorded tutorials using a screen recording tool. This way, team members always have something to refer back to if they get stuck.

For example, you might create a series that says, “You used to do this in Adobe XD. Here’s how to do it in our new product design tool.”

5. Start working on real-life projects

Finally, when you’re feeling confident with your new design solution, it’s time to make the switch for good.

Be sure to give yourself a little extra buffer time for unexpected delays. You should also consider setting some time aside for project debriefs with your team to discuss any concerns or complaints related to the new software.

Say goodbye to Adobe XD’s maintenance mode

Adobe might not have come right out and said it, but it seems pretty clear to the rest of us that it’ll discontinue XD at some point in the near future. Since Adobe won’t be adding any new features or improvements, it's best to make the transition to a new tool now.

Level up your tool set and improve your design efficiency with an AI UX design tool. Our tool, Creatie, leverages AI to help you:

• Expand and upscale images.

• Produce helpful design ideas.

• Create 3D icon sets.

• Ensure that all assets adhere to your style guide.

It’s available for both Windows and Apple devices.

Say goodbye to Adobe XD for good—get started with Creatie today.