Config 2024: AI Takes Center Stage

Attending Figma Config 2024 was an exhilarating experience, filled with the joy of connecting with fellow designers, exploring new ideas, and witnessing firsthand the rapid spread of AI in design tools. The energy and excitement were palpable as creatives from around the world gathered to share their experiences, learn from one another, and discuss the future of our industry.

One of the most significant highlights of the conference was the unveiling of Figma's new AI features. Features like Visual Search and Make Designs showcased the potential of AI to streamline the design process. Visual Search enables designers to find similar designs across their organization using a frame, image, screenshot, or sketch, while Make Designs generates UI layouts and component options from text prompts, helping designers explore different directions and kickstart their creative process.

These features are undeniably impressive and serve as a testament to the growing role of AI in design. As designers and toolmakers ourselves, we couldn't help but reflect on our own approach and the unique advantages Creatie offers. While Figma's Make Designs is a step forward, we believe our Wizard feature more closely serve the AI-assisted design process, combining intuitive interactions with generations that match your existing designs. Designers can more easily fit Wizard into the current design flow, and the generated outputs can also be more easily adjusted to serve designers’ specific needs.

Rather than relying on prompts or search bars, our Wizard feature uses natural, intuitive interactions like dragging out a frame, making the experience smooth and effortless. It automatically generates designs based on both context and input, providing a more seamless and intuitive experience for designers. Moreover, while Figma's AI doesn't currently integrate with design systems, our Wizard feature already offers this capability. It can recommend designs based on existing elements and identify styles to generate matching themes, ensuring consistency and cohesion throughout the design process.

Creatie wizard generating designs that match your style and components

While the headlining features like Make Designs and our Wizard are pushing the boundaries of AI-assisted design, it's important not to overlook the value of smaller, quality-of-life improvements. Layer naming, for example, sparked one of the loudest applauses in Config. At Creatie, we wholeheartedly support the goal of reducing repetitive tasks for designers and are committed to developing efficiency-enhancing features that seamlessly integrate into their workflows. We also find Figma's Tone Dial feature particularly intriguing. Drawing inspiration from color wheel interactions, Tone Dial provides users with four quadrants to adjust their preferred copy tone for AI-generated and modified content. These “Little Big Updates”, as Figma aptly calls them, are equally important to the design experience, and we will continue to pay attention to them.

Empowering Designers in the AI Era

As the industry continues to evolve and AI features become more prevalent, it's crucial that we, as tool creators, consider the evolving role of designers and how we can best support their needs in this new era. The integration of AI presents both exciting opportunities and unique challenges, and it's our responsibility to ensure that we keep empowering designers to do their best work and express their creativity fully.

At Creatie, we firmly believe that the role of designers in the AI era will not be diminished, but rather elevated. While AI can automate repetitive tasks and help overcome creative blocks, it is the unique human qualities of empathy, strategic thinking, and creative problem-solving that will continue to set great designers apart. Our mission is to create tools that augment and amplify these human strengths, providing designers with the support they need to bring their most ambitious ideas to life.

However, as the recent Figma controversy surrounding the Make Designs feature has shown, it's essential that AI tools are implemented thoughtfully, and with the designer's needs and creativity at the forefront. When AI simply regurgitates existing designs based on prompts, it fails to support the designer's unique creative vision and can even undermine their sense of ownership and autonomy. As we explore and develop AI features at Creatie, this is what we shall keep in mind as well. Ultimately, AI should help designers bring their unique ideas to life, not replace their creativity with generic templates.

Recent Figma controversy, where Figma AI generated “weather app” pages strikingly similar to Apple’s weather app. Source: Andy Allen

In the end, the success of design in the AI era will not be measured by the sophistication of our algorithms but by the impact that design will still undoubtedly have on the lives of those we serve. As designers and tool creators, our shared goal must be to harness the power of AI in service of human-centered, emotionally resonant design that truly makes a difference. By staying true to this mission, we can ensure that the role of designers remains not only relevant, but essential in the years to come.

It’s Always About Community

While the AI-powered features and tools showcased at Config 2024 are undeniably exciting, it's important to remember that the true power of design lies in the strength of our community. As we navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-assisted design, platforms like Creatie and Figma have the potential to bring designers together, fostering a sense of connection, collaboration, and shared purpose.

Just as we saw with the enthusiastic response to Figma's "Little Big Updates" and the thoughtful discussions surrounding the role of AI in design, the energy and passion of the designers at Config 2024 served as a powerful reminder that our ability to adapt, collaborate, and support one another will be crucial in shaping the future of our industry.

Some of the many photos we took at Config 2024

At Creatie, we are committed to being more than just a tool; we aspire to be a catalyst for connection and collaboration within the design community. Through initiatives like our online forums, educational resources, and events, we aim to create opportunities for designers to come together, share their knowledge, and support one another on their creative journeys.

By investing in the power of community and staying true to our mission of empowering designers to create exceptional, human-centered experiences, we believe that we can not only help designers thrive in the AI era but also contribute to a more inclusive, innovative, and impactful design industry as a whole.

As we move forward, let us continue to draw inspiration from the advancements in AI-assisted design, while always keeping the designer's needs and the strength of our community at the heart of our work. Together, we can shape a future where AI and human creativity work hand in hand, to push the boundaries of what's possible and create experiences that truly make a difference.