Figma Partners with Anthropic on AI Code-to-Design Bridge

Figma announced on Tuesday that it is partnering with Anthropic to launch “Code to Canvas,” a feature that converts AI-generated code from tools like Claude Code into fully editable designs inside Figma. The same day, Anthropic released Claude Sonnet 4.6, its second major model update in under two weeks, It was also made the default for Free and Pro users.

Together, the announcements signal a workflow shift. AI generates interface code autonomously, and design teams refine it on the canvas before pushing to production.

The workflow is straightforward. After building an interface in Claude Code, users install the Figma MCP (Model Context Protocol), type “Send this to Figma,” and the browser’s rendered state automatically translates into fully editable Figma layers.

Teams can then use Figma’s canvas to compare design approaches in parallel, make direct edits, and pull the final design changes back into the codebase through the Figma MCP.

Code to Canvas is not Figma’s first AI feature. The company previously launched “Figma Make,” a prompt-to-code tool that builds working prototypes from designs or text descriptions. Code to Canvas reverses that flow, starting with AI-generated code and bringing it into the design environment.

Customers including Coinbase and Affirm have already adopted Figma’s AI workflow tools, and leadership has stated that margins will decline in the near term as the company invests heavily in AI capabilities.

Design Being The Differentiator

Figma CEO Dylan Field has been explicit about the company’s thesis. “Figma is built on the belief that design, craft, and point of view are the real differentiators,” he wrote in the announcement. “In a world where AI can help build any possibility you can articulate, your core work is to find the best possible solutions in a nearly infinite possibility space.”

The framing is that as AI takes on more of the coding work, the canvas becomes the critical layer for navigating choices, not replacing them.

Field also described a shift in how product teams are working. Product design and development workflows were previously linear. Brainstorm, design, and then code. Today, teams can start anywhere.

The risk, he argued, is that the momentum of creating something makes it too easy to let the first version become the final version. Code to Canvas is designed to counter that by giving teams a structured way to zoom out, compare alternatives, and avoid tunnel vision before committing to a direction.

The timing of the announcement is significant. Figma went public last summer and has since seen its stock drop approximately 85% from its 52-week high of $142.92, caught in what Wall Street traders have termed the “SAASpocalypse,” a broad sell-off of software-as-a-service companies driven in part by fears that AI tools will disrupt traditional SaaS business models.

Anthropic’s products, including Claude Code, have been central to those concerns. The iShares Software ETF has entered bear market territory, and companies including Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Intuit have all experienced double-digit declines.

Figma is scheduled to report earnings on Wednesday, February 18. Leadership has already signalled that the company expects margins to decline in the near term as it invests in AI capabilities.

The company has also discussed adding usage-based pricing, such as AI credits tied to consumption, which would represent a shift from its traditional seat-based subscription model.

Code to Canvas aligns with a “human-in-the-loop” philosophy, where AI drafts the first version and design teams steer the result toward brand and usability standards. Whether that loop remains necessary is the question Figma’s entire strategy now depends on.