In what is now a tradition—we wanna give ya’ll a little peek behind what motivated the #Config2024 visual identity and all of the work and thought the Figma Brand Studio poured into our annual user conference.
As we do with each installment, we find inspiration in the slate of features and new products we launch on the mainstage at Moscone. Given that we start ~10 months out, we veer towards conceptual metaphors and abstractions to avoid anything too overt or literal. With a refreshed UI, Figma Slides, and new AI features we homed in on what these updates might enable.
⊹✷˚ Starting early with motion * ✹+
Early on we knew motion would be important to uncover motifs that echoed this fluid and transformative way of working in Figma. We further identified the key actions we wanted to express: amplification, transformation, shifting perspectives, and activation. And while these started as motion principles, they ended up informing everything.
⊹✷˚ Supergraphics * ✹+
Of course, geometric shapes are a given within the Config and Figma brand. We really dug into this concept of using those transitional techniques to evolve humble, simple shapes into more complex, dynamic supergraphics. You also can’t just call them supergraphics and not go big with 70-foot wide murals. (thank you Barbara Stauffacher Solomon and Sol LeWitt)
⊹✷˚ Experiential * ✹+
Sculptural and functional installations activated different areas of Moscone, including a hanging constellation of 14 multi-color box kites, some as large as 17 feet! Collaborating closely with the our Events and Web Experience teams, we designed everything in a single Figma file. If you ever wanted to find Chelsea White, she was probably in the file.
It's not a stretch to say crafting the Config brand is an exercise in UX design. By considering our audience, defining a scalable system, and collaborating closely across teams, we set out to create an event that embodied the dynamism and creativity of the Figma community.
There’s honestly so much more, like the color palettes we managed using variables, the opening hype film that Relay Studio brought to life, and the incredible sound design from Sounds Like These. I encourage you to check out the deep dive the team wrote → https://lnkd.in/eQVffHGe
Shoutout to the core studio team Jessica Svendsen, Chelsea White, Gustavo Delgado, Andy Luce, and Mika Kunisaki. Motion system developed by Chad Colby, Gilles Desmadrille and Jordan Scott. And a big thanks to Azra Daniels, Kelley Sauer, and the whole Figma events team for their support and trust! 💛