Ideas, Insights and Inspiration
Config, an annual conference hosted by Figma, sets the stage for over 8,000 in-person attendees to explore the latest trends, innovations and best practices in the ever-changing world of design and product development.
LIFT Senior Designer Jen Jones had the opportunity to fully immerse in two days of creativity and collaboration, attending a wide range of keynote sessions and making connections within the Figma community. Here are her key takeaways:
AI and the Future of Design
“We have advantages as humans that lead us to be more creative than AI will ever be.”
– Ovetta Patrice Sampson, Director of UX Machine Learning, Google
Great news! AI isn’t coming for our jobs. But it is an important tool that will continue to help creatives express themselves visually, accelerate workflows, and assist in creating a good first draft. However, taking AI thought starters from good to great still requires our own human creativity.
Leading Through Uncertainty
“Great design comes from deep understanding of a problem.”
– Brian Chesky, CEO, Airbnb
This conversation between Brian Chesky and Dylan Field delves into Airbnb’s design-forward systems and operations with the idea that great design goes beyond visual appeal. Instead, it focuses on understanding problems and solving them creatively in a way that’s not limited to a single app or tangible product.
Watch the Airbnb keynote session
Prototyping the Path
“We look at what works, we look at what doesn’t, we learn from it all, and we keep moving.”
– Ethan Eismann, SVP of Design, Slack
Slack operates on a series of product principles that guide every aspect of their decision-making, helping them align across functions and ultimately leading to better product decisions. Their principle of “Prototyping the Path” focuses on the idea of bringing in real people as quickly as possible, building on a hypothesis, and quickly moving forward with the answers it provides.
Watch the Slack keynote session.
As we look forward to continuing to apply these takeaways and other key learnings across our projects, our teams, and for our clients, we’re excited to see what Figma has in store for their 2024 conference!
