About Us

Where modern design teams come to work, every day

We’re supporting a growing community of over 7,000 design teams who create, share, and work together on great ideas and products.

Abstract Team during our October 2019 Team Week in San Diego, CA

Our Story

In 2015, cofounders Josh Brewer and Kevin Smith were working together at Habitat when the frequent game of “where’s the latest design” finally drove Kevin to ask, “Why don’t designers have proper version control?”

Designers have always been a flexible bunch. Dedicated to bring great ideas to life and willing to use every possible tool and jump through all kinds of hoops to get their work done. Unfortunately, too much of the design toolset is focused on creating isolated artifacts instead of supporting connected workflows. Designers need more support for the half of their job that isn’t drawing shapes, choosing typefaces, or prototyping interactions. The majority of a design job is orchestrating the team, ensuring visual consistency, updating stakeholders, documenting decisions, interpreting feedback, and delivering the work for implementation. When you look at it this way, it becomes clear. We don’t need more visual design tools. We need help managing our work and how design relates to the rest of the organization.

So began Abstract. Our evolving answer to how we believe modern design teams will work. A collaborative, transparent, and effective way to design. We welcome you to be part of our growing community and help shape this journey.

Our Name

Abstract as in art.

Immediately communicates “visual” to everyone. Abstract paintings, abstract patterns, abstract shapes.

Abstract as in ideas.

All knowledge work, especially building software, is abstract. Being able to capture, develop, and discuss abstract ideas dramatically increases opportunities.