This article is only available in Dutch 🇳🇱
Our UX/UI Design Team Leads, Valérie (Amsterdam) and Thessa (Zwolle), flew to Config in San Francisco last week. Through an Instagram Takeover, they already shared a taste of their insights and adventures. In this article you can read more about their experiences and the inspiration they gained. Thessa: "The topics were recognizable, which confirms for us that we are doing the right things at Move.
Day 1: New Figma functions & AI
Valérie: "Day 1 was all about product updates and Figma AI. We started with UI3, which looks good, but which we doubted was in high demand. As it turned out, this update was relevant anyway to make room for all the other news. Then Figma Slides was introduced: a very cool product, competitively priced compared to competitors, but a pity that it comes above the license fee. This was followed by some smaller updates such as additions to Dev Mode, but really we would have liked to have seen improvements on prototyping and variables in this thread. This made us wonder if Figma AI might have taken priority over the upgrade of other important features.'
Thessa: 'The Figma AI announcement felt like a logical step for Figma, given recent AI developments. It also proved to be a relevant bridge to many other talks that followed on Day 1. We found Figma AI impressive and fitting within the tool. Super nice that as a Designer you now don't have to look outside Figma. But the feature is now offline because the output was still too general and not distinctive. Currently the model trains itself on designs from Designers working in Figma and allowing this. To me, that doesn't feel right. We work on real designs for real clients, sometimes with an NDA. You don't want a model feeding off that. I am eager to see how Figma AI develops in the coming time and eager to start testing new AI features in other tools such as the 3D tool Spline, which we also saw impressive things from in one of the talks on this day. AI takes away complexity, opens new doors and helps us with basics, beginnings and techniques we didn't master before. This allows us to be more efficient, be more effective and take our work to the next level.'
Day 2: Authenticity, vision & inspiration
Thessa: 'Authenticity and vision were a common thread in many talks. Successful products are made up of passion, not money or greed for success. No one can execute a product better than you when your passion is ingrained in the product. Combine that with a strong vision that you translate into a set of "design principles" and you may just (unintentionally) put a big success on the market. This simultaneously underscores your potential role as a designer. When you design a product, you do much more than move pixels. Think about research, storytelling and especially a piece of leadership. This is completely in line with how we as Move view the designer role and confirms to me that we are on the right track.'
Valérie: 'After the 'shock' of Figma's new job announcements, the stage was cleared on Day 2 for talks on where to find inspiration, practical tips for accessibility and the importance of passion projects. It was inspiring to hear how "side projects" can stimulate personal and professional growth and how something you started with intrinsic motivation can grow into a full-time job. The talks on quality in design and finding your authenticity were particularly valuable and gave me new insights that I am eager to apply in our work at Move.'
Config conclusion (for now)
Valérie: 'I look back on an experience that was 100% worth the long flight. Almost all the talks were relevant and the quality of the talks exceeded our expectations. For two days we were both in learning mode. The event also raised quite a few questions, possibly leading to process changes or at least a few good discussions within the Design Teams. Attending these types of events is crucial for colleagues from all of our teams to stay abreast of trends and technological developments. This allows us to continue to provide our customers with cutting-edge solutions. In addition, these events provide invaluable networking opportunities, allowing us to connect with other professionals, exchange ideas and gain new perspectives. (Very refreshing to be among people who 'just understand' the value of design!) The inspiration and knowledge we bring back encourage innovation within our teams, which ensures continuous improvement and creativity.'
Thessa: 'The flight was indeed long, but all in all the journey has brought a lot of energy. Config has lit an even bigger fire in my already existing passion and strengthened my ambitions. Valérie and I see ourselves on such a stage in the future! The topics were recognizable, which confirms to us that we are doing the right things at Move. Think about the implementation of AI in our apps, accessibility and attention to detail: all hot topics at Move. Also, ideas for home emerged immediately, such as Movecon (an internal knowledge festival) and a cool design challenge for our department.'
Fancy a Config Deep Dive?
We asked Valérie and Thessa to keep notes of their talks attended. And boy oh boy, they did! Soon they'll zoom in on their personal main takeaways - each in their own blog. #contentfordays