The article critiques the current state of design tools, focusing on the dominance of Figma in the industry and the limitations of subscription-based SaaS models. While design tools have improved from the clunky days of Adobe products, the reliance on a few major players creates frustrations, especially with rising costs and questionable feature updates. The author expresses a desire to find alternatives that are open source, free, or affordable, while also maintaining high-quality outputs. In the process of developing a Mindful Design course, the author sought to escape the Figma ecosystem and explore various free and open source tools. They emphasize that open source isn't perfect and can come with issues like fragmentation and ethical concerns regarding ownership. Tools like AFFiNE, which is compared to Notion, are highlighted for their collaborative features without the burden of a subscription. The article also touches on the importance of research in design, recommending Jitsi Meet for conducting interviews due to its simplicity in capturing conversations. Overall, the piece advocates for a broader exploration of design tools beyond the mainstream options.