From Leadership Summits to Electrifying Sessions: NetBramha's Config 2024 Experience
NetBramha at Config 2024
Thousands of designers and coders flocked to Figma’s premier annual conference, Config, held this year at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on June 26-27th. The NetBramha team, like many others, eagerly anticipated the event – a chance to glean insights from the world’s leading design minds. But this year, Config held something extra special for NetBramha. Our Founder & CEO received an exclusive invitation to attend the conference live, not only participating in the general sessions but also joining a high-level leadership conclave with design leaders from top product and UX companies across the globe.
This is our account of the unforgettable Config experience – the electrifying energy of the conference, the stimulating discussions within the leadership conclave, a taste of classic Americana, and some serendipitous encounters with inspiring individuals. Among them were the founder of a social media giant whose name ends with “gram” and a co-founder of the organization behind Config itself.
Behind the Scenes: Figma’s Exclusive Leadership Summit
In the lead-up to the dazzling Config 2024, Figma assembled a select group of design leaders for an exclusive, closed-door summit. Among the attendees were design luminaries like Srinath Rangamani (Swiggy’s Head of Design), Hardik Pandya (Unacademy’s VP of Design), Harish Shivaramakrishnan (Cred’s Head of Design), and Adit Gupta (Groww’s Head of Design). Figma’s own leadership team joined the discussion, including CTO Kris Rasmussen, CMO Sheila Joglekar Vashee, and VP of Engineering Abhishek Mathur.
This high-powered gathering fostered an intense hour of deep learning. The brightest minds in the design community, alongside Indian design leaders, delved into the future of Figma, the evolving landscape of design, the impact of AI on design professionals, and the trajectory of product design at Figma. Witnessing this intellectual collaboration was truly inspiring. The room buzzed with diverse ideas and perspectives, sparking a highly charged conversation that promised exciting possibilities for the future.
From Storytelling to Figma’s Gems: Config Explores Every Design Frontier
Config 2024 exploded into life with two days of back-to-back sessions fueled by an electric atmosphere. An estimated 12,000 attendees descended upon the venue, creating a vibrant hub of design chatter.
Day 1 delved into four key themes: AI & Innovation, Design Craft, Building Products, and Dev & Code. Day 2 offered a fresh set of deep dives: Design Systems, Figma’s hidden gems, continued Design Craft exploration, and the world of Product Management.
Beyond these core themes, a series of “Leadership Collective” sessions tackled the burning issues faced by design and product leaders. In total, these eight to nine themes encompassed everything from the art of product design storytelling to best practices for design systems, culminating in Figma’s major launches and keynote addresses.
But before diving headfirst into the content, Config kicked off with a pre-conference party, setting the stage for a celebration of all things Figma, complete with dedicated #config swag.
The conference boasted a lineup of exceptional talks, but a select few left a lasting impression on our team. Here are a few of them…
1. How world-class companies approach planning: Rituals to unbreak planning by Shishir Mehrotra & Yuhki Yamashita
4. How to solve the global housing crisis: Building a human future with robots by Jason Ballard
(PS: You can watch all the Config sessions recordings here)
Work & Play in the Bay Area: Aashish Makes the Most of Config
The whirlwind of back-to-back sessions presented a thrilling challenge – absorbing the wealth of knowledge on offer. Amidst the packed schedule, Aashish, our founder, enjoyed a series of delightful, serendipitous encounters with some of the design and tech world’s most renowned names.
- A handshake with Kevin Systrom, the visionary founder and former CEO of Instagram.
- A selfie moment with Dylan Field, Figma’s CEO and co-founder, the mastermind behind the design industry’s favorite tool.
- A conversation with Jason Ballard, a passionate leader on a mission to tackle the housing crisis.
Being in San Francisco, a global hub for design and technology, Aashish had a true fanboy moment:
- Spotting the much-anticipated Cybertruck, a revolutionary electric pickup with a bold, futuristic design that’s redefining the truck segment
- Taking a ride in a Waymo, a self-driving car pioneering the future of transportation.
- The trip wouldn’t have been complete without immersing himself in the local culture:
- Catching an electrifying baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, a quintessential American experience
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- A chance reconnection with a valued client, Nithin Bhandari, CEO of Planera, Inc., a leader in collaborative construction solutions.
- Encountering a “Mumbai” sandwich that fell short of capturing true Indian flavors.
Of course, there was time for some well-deserved fun:
- Enjoying the high-energy post-Config parties.
- Ensuring NetBramha “actively participates” in the vibrant San Francisco experience.
A final touch of irony – a trip across the globe brought Indian design leaders together for long-awaited face-to-face interactions.
And, the mandated visit to the golden gate bridge..
From Automation to Inspiration: Key Takeaways from Config 2024
One theme emerged as a clear standout: the rapid evolution of AI and its impact on the design profession. While some fear AI will replace designers, the prevailing sentiment was one of collaboration. AI is poised to become a powerful design tool, automating repetitive tasks and freeing designers to focus on their true strengths – contextual and strategic thinking. This shift will elevate design to a whole new level, allowing designers to showcase their true creative potential.
Beyond the specific sessions, the most enriching aspect of Config proved to be the connections. Engaging with design leaders from across the globe was an invaluable experience.
We exchanged ideas and insights on everything from design best practices to organizational leadership. Exploring cultural nuances in design leadership and how each leader cultivates a strong design culture within their teams provided a wealth of inspiration. We left Config energized and eager to implement these learnings, already looking forward to #Config2025!