The UX of Config 2022
I was admittedly dazzled by Figma’s third annual design conference. Here’s my attempt to dissect the magic.
I used a template from the Figma Community to create this name badge. Attendees were encouraged to customize this badge and then post it to the Community, as a way to network with fellow conference goers.
The week before Config 2022, I scrolled through the (impressively robust) agenda and added a handful of talks to my calendar. I selected sessions that occurred during the workday in my time zone and covered topics that I found particularly interesting. On the day of the conference, I attended the pre-selected talks as planned — on a whim later that night, I tuned back in while preparing dinner (lentil salad with honey-walnut vinaigrette).
The conference was streaming nonstop for 24 hours, so I didn’t need to check the agenda to know that a high-quality design-related talk would be taking place. I positioned my laptop on the counter (at a healthy distance from the sink and stovetop), clicked on the link, and was instantly transported to the Config stage.
At that moment, an unexpected wave of emotion washed over me.
This feeling was a nostalgic collision between the past and present. It took me back to the days when I could snap on the TV and enjoy whatever program was running. (In my adult life, I’ve never had cable, so this feels like a relic of the distant past). I felt like I was watching the Figma channel, custom-made for viewers like me. For me, this was a warm, fuzzy union of my past as a PBS Kids enthusiast and my present as a career-change designer who is hungry for knowledge, community, and inspiration.
In my kitchen that night, as lentils boiled on the stove and Config streamed from my laptop, I began to grasp the magnitude of the conference. As I ruminated on this feeling, I scrapped my initial plan to summarize the talks I had attended. What felt more interesting and sparkly was my actual experience of the event. I was sincerely dazzled by Config, and the following post is my attempt to isolate the reasons why I had such an excellent experience.
Accessibility & Inclusion
As a first-time Config attendee, I was struck by the thoughtfulness that was embedded at every turn. From my perspective, it seemed evident that the people who imagined, planned, and executed this event placed a heavy emphasis on accessibility and inclusion. The conference was mindfully engineered to reach a global audience with diverse needs.
Cost: Config was free to stream, so ticket price was not a barrier.
Time: The conference was designed to fit into anyone’s schedule.
24-hour conference: With four talks scheduled every hour for 24 hours, you could pick sessions aligned with my timezone and schedule.
25-minute talks: With short sessions, attendees had more capacity to fit them in with other activities they need to complete that day.
Recordings: If you couldn’t attend Config, or missed a session you were excited about, not to worry! Everything was recorded and is available on YouTube.
Location: Anyone anywhere with an internet connection could attend.
Remote Format: Because Config was designed as an online event, attendees from around the globe could tune in at the click of a button.
In-Person & Remote Speakers: While the conference was streamed online, many speakers presented from the Config stage in San Francisco. However, some speakers presented from their homes, which opened the possibility for speakers worldwide to present, regardless of their capacity to travel to California. Over twenty countries were represented!
Accommodations: The sessions were designed to be accessed by people with different needs.
Sign Language: If you select “Sign Language On,” another video screen appears with an ASL interpreter signing live alongside the speaker.
Closed Captions: Closed captions could be turned on or off. I didn’t test this out, so I’m not sure how accurate the captions were or if they were available in multiple languages.
Screen Size: The main screen with the speaker’s slides could be smaller or larger to suit your needs.
Microphone: Speakers presenting from the Config stage used microphones, allowing high-quality audio to be streamed to viewers.
Handouts: Most sessions included a link to a handout. In the presentations I attended, the handouts were copies of the slide decks, though other resources may have been available in other sessions. Having this hard copy frees up mental space, so people don’t have to worry about taking notes — they can return to the handout later! This also helps those who may need to zoom in on a slide to see the details.
Recordings: Like the handouts, recordings also promote accessibility. You can watch the talks on YouTube, pause whenever need be, and manipulate the speed if you process better at faster or slower speeds.
The interface used for Config had quite a lot happening! The left sidebar includes navigation to talks as well as a list of upcoming talks. The center features the speaker and their presentation slides. The right sidebar includes the Chat and any handouts that accompany the session.
Content & Value
After registering for Config 2022, I reviewed the agenda. I ran into the best problem a conference attendee could have: there were so many intriguing topics that it was a challenge to decide which ones to attend live. I made my choices and enjoyed every minute of the talks I attended. The sessions were skillfully planned and delivered, making it easy for me to simply absorb the content.
Categories: The talks were divided into five categories: A Look Ahead, Culture & Connection, Design & Craft, Design Systems, and Development. I like how these categories appeal to a wide range of roles, career paths, and interests within the larger umbrella of design.
Topics: Within these five categories, the range of topics felt expansive. The options spanned from general to niche, and I am confident that anyone with an interest in design could locate something to spark their curiosity. Here’s a sampling of talks I attended: “Who doesn’t love bikes? Designing for users with contradictory needs,” “Words as design: systemizing product copy and building Ditto,” and “Making Accessibility More Accessible for Your Organization.”
Two Stages: Two talks were streaming during every time slot, allowing me to customize my conference experience. Because I had to prioritize one talk over another, I was more engaged as I tuned in to my chosen session. If I was torn between two talks, I didn’t have to worry because I could find the recording for anything I missed.
Storytelling: In addition to learning about design, I felt like I was taking a class in storytelling. Each speaker presented their ideas in a digestible format with a beginning, middle, and end. Generally, speakers introduced the topic, shared a specific anecdote, and then concluded with bite-sized takeaways that the audience could implement in their own work. The structure helped me understand the general ideas while catching a glimpse of the complexities. I was impressed by how much I could learn in 25-minute blocks!
Visuals: The speakers included slides to accompany their talks. The slides were minimalistic, purposeful, and could be understood at a glance. Sometimes, more detailed slides were used to show a process. These slides were made available to the attendees as handouts, and they are searchable in the Figma Community if you didn’t download them during the conference.
A screenshot of the Config 2022 agenda. See the full agenda here.
Delight
If Config 2022 was an ice cream sundae, then the Figma team topped it off with rainbow sprinkles. Certain elements of the conference came as a total surprise to me, sparking joy and conveying the level of care and creativity that was applied to this already-impressive endeavor.
Name Badge: A few days prior to Config, I received an email with day-of details as well as an invitation to create a name badge that served as a networking tool. I duplicated the design file in Figma and got to work customizing the details to my liking. The file was easy to use, thanks to clear instructions and a strategic design. While I posted my badge to the Community, I didn’t follow up to actually network with anyone, so I can’t say if this tool was actually effective. (I had a busy day and simply forgot to follow up). However, the name badge template has been duplicated 14,000+ times, so I’d call that a hit.
Community Awards: I access resources from the Community constantly, so I was pleased to see that the creators were being recognized. I heard about the awards mere minutes before voting closed, so I didn’t cast my vote. A winner was selected for each category (Favorite UI Kit, Favorite Educational Resource, and Favorite Widget for Teams, to name a few), and they received trophies and Figma swag. See a list of winners here.
Swag Giveaway: If I hadn’t tuned in at exactly the right moment, I would have missed this! Each hour, there were 10-15 minutes when no talks were streaming. During these “breaks,” two hosts took the stage to debrief the talks that just happened, plug upcoming talks, and introduce fun activities like swag giveaways. For the giveaway, they asked trivia questions about Figma. Viewers added answers to the chat, and anyone who typed in the right answer could be randomly selected as the winner.
The extra love that Figma put into the finer details of this conference was like sprinkles on top of a delicious sundae. Image by David Calavera via Unsplash.
Closing Thoughts
It was beautiful to see Figma, a tool commonly used in UXD, put on a conference that delivered an excellent user experience.
By the end of it all, I attended seven talks. This seems like a paltry number compared to the 30+ talks that I could have heard (68 talks, divided in half because two sessions were always happening simultaneously), but it was a significant amount of PD for me to consume in a single day.
I am in awe at the Olympic-level logistical gymnastics that this event must have entailed. The level of complexity in streaming a 24-hour event with 65+ sessions and a zillion moving parts is beyond my imagination. I admire and appreciate everyone who brought this conference to life.
If Figma pivots from software design to broadcast television, the channel should be called FigmaVision.
I will be first in line for Config 2023!