My Takeaways in Q&A Form

What was the most inspiring talk or session you attended at the conference, and why did it resonate with you?

Session: Beyond the Hype – A Critical Look at Design Systems
This one hit home. It was a refreshing reminder that design systems aren’t about limiting creativity; they’re about setting the stage for it. When done right, a good system clears the noise. It removes repetitive decision-making and streamlines collaboration so we can focus on pushing boundaries, not just aligning buttons. It's less about control and more about enabling truly creative work, because the foundation is already solid.

Which speaker or presentation had the biggest impact on how you think about design and technology in business?

There was this recurring theme I couldn’t ignore: “The tech is starting to get in the way.”

Across sessions and conversations, this idea kept surfacing. Technology, while helpful, can become a crutch. With so many tools and shortcuts, we risk skipping the messy, essential parts of the creative process, like play, trial and error, or letting an idea breathe. It’s easy to get caught up in the churn of trends and tools, but real innovation doesn’t happen on a deadline with a plugin.

We need to protect time for exploration. Tech should amplify creativity, not replace it.

How do you plan to bring what you learned at Config into our current projects or processes?

Make more space for experimentation.
I’m excited to find moments where we can prototype wild ideas or test unconventional approaches, especially earlier in our process. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about finding better, more impactful solutions by letting go of perfection early on and seeing where the process takes us.

Did attending Config influence your approach to teamwork or collaboration in your organization?

Honestly? Not as much as I’d hoped.

A lot of the sessions leaned toward in-house teams working on shared internal systems. That’s great, but I wish there had been more for folks juggling multiple clients or agency-side designers working across industries. Some real-talk workshops or roundtables on that would’ve been gold. Hopefully next year.

Was there a personal moment at the conference that stood out for you?

Keynote: Simone Giertz
Seeing Simone Giertz speak live was an absolute highlight. I skipped everything else just to be there. She’s been one of my creative heroes for years, and a favorite in our house as well. My two daughters are big fans too.

What I love about Simone is her joyfully imperfect way of creating. I really connect with her perspective on failure, not just accepting it, but embracing it as part of the magic. That mindset of curiosity, iteration, and letting go of perfection is something I want to bring into my work and into the way I lead design conversations.