LIVE FROM CONFIG: Jeremy Hindle, Nairi Tashjian Hourdajian, Andrew Reed, Elliot Jay Stocks, John LePore, Marty Ringlein

Overview

This episode dives into the vibrant world of Figma Config 2025, featuring conversations with industry leaders, designers, and creatives. Topics range from groundbreaking product launches to the intersection of design, technology, and storytelling. The episode captures the energy of a community-driven event while exploring the future of design, AI, and creative collaboration.

Notable Quotes

- The desk has to be the control room of Star Trek. If everyone buys off on that set, they'll believe anything after. - Jeremy Hindle, on the importance of immersive production design.

- Your users aren’t just numbers; your users are people. And when you put 9,000 of them in a room, it looks like this. - Andrew Reed, on the power of community at Config.

- We like to have fun and bring that vibe while also sharing clear, factual information. It’s a balance. - Nairi Tashjian Hourdajian, on Figma’s unique approach to communication and community engagement.

🎨 Figma’s Game-Changing Product Launches

- Figma Sites: Enables users to design and publish websites directly within Figma, reducing the time from concept to live site to nearly zero.

- Figma Make: Uses AI to turn natural language prompts into working prototypes or apps, compressing the time from idea to functional product.

- Figma Buzz: Empowers teams to create brand-consistent visual assets at scale using built-in AI, ideal for marketing and creative operations.

- Figma Draw: Introduces advanced vector editing and illustration tools, eliminating the need to switch to external software for complex designs.

🎥 Production Design Insights from Hollywood

- Jeremy Hindle shared his process for creating immersive worlds in projects like Severance and Top Gun: Maverick.

- Emphasized the importance of tactile, functional sets that actors can interact with, enhancing authenticity.

- Discussed the use of CGI for set extensions and cleanup, balancing practical builds with digital enhancements.

- Advocated for storytelling that moves beyond dystopian tropes, calling for more narratives centered on love and human connection.

💡 The Evolution of Typography and Design Systems

- Elliot Jay Stocks explored the structure of the typography industry and its intersection with technology:

- Independent foundries remain the backbone of the industry, even as platforms like Adobe Fonts and Google Fonts dominate distribution.

- Generative AI is beginning to disrupt font creation, but bespoke, handcrafted typefaces still hold a unique value.

- He highlighted the historical shifts in typography, from metal type to digital fonts, and the transformative impact of web fonts on design.

🌐 Building Community and Ecosystems

- Andrew Reed and Nairi Tashjian Hourdajian reflected on the power of community at Config:

- Figma’s community-driven approach fosters authentic engagement, with events like Config Commons and user-generated talks.

- The annual Config event serves as a rallying point for the design ecosystem, showcasing Figma’s commitment to its users.

- Reed noted how Figma’s platform architecture supports a vibrant ecosystem of plugins, templates, and third-party tools.

📄 Disrupting SaaS with Agree.com

- Marty Ringlein introduced Agree.com, a free e-signature platform integrated with invoicing and payments:

- The viral growth of the platform is driven by its seamless user experience and fintech-inspired monetization model.

- Positioned as a disruptive alternative to incumbents like DocuSign, Agree.com focuses on automating workflows and reducing friction in transactions.

- Ringlein shared bold marketing strategies, including targeted billboards near competitors’ headquarters.