Article Summary
Config2025 made one thing clear: design is shifting from craft to capability. With Figma’s expanding suite, rapid design-to-code workflows, and AI-driven creation, the boundary between design, development, and operations is dissolving. The most effective teams will be those that treat design as an integrated, data-driven process—supported by AI, grounded in systems thinking, and executed by increasingly cross-functional creatives.
Key Points
- The design–development line is dissolving as AI accelerates design-to-code workflows.
- Figma’s expanding suite signals a push toward end-to-end, enterprise-grade collaboration.
- AI is becoming foundational infrastructure, shifting designers toward orchestration over execution.
- Data, experimentation, and performance are now core components of design quality.
- Process and operational maturity remain the true differentiators for teams.
- Cross-functional creatives—part design, part ops, part technical—are becoming the new full-stack builders.
- The future of design is integrated, iterative, and deeply connected to product outcomes.
Video
Full Article
I didn't expect to leave Config2025 thinking more about business models than buttons—but here we are. While everyone takes away something different from a conference like this, one undeniable shift stood out: the line between design and development is dissolving, and it's happening rapidly.
At Config2025, Figma made a bold statement with significant product launches: Figma Sites for seamless design-to-web experiences; Make for AI-driven prototyping directly within your canvas; Code Layers to transform designs instantly into editable React components; a new integrated CMS; Draw Mode for intuitive vector editing; and Buzz, a templating tool empowering non-designers.
Nearly 70% of vendor booths echoed this shift, pitching variations on "design-to-code without developers." Admittedly, these are polished "happy path" demos, and the pragmatic side of me remains cautious. Having built numerous products, I know the leap from prototype to production isn't trivial. But it's becoming increasingly clear that design tools are accelerating toward a future where such a leap is not only possible but practical.
This evolution isn’t entirely new—it mirrors the rise of the design technologist role. What's notable now is how quickly this cross-functional approach is spreading beyond design and engineering. Marketing, sales, and operations are all feeling the pull, driven by platforms and AI tools designed to put solution-building into the hands of those closest to the problem. For lean teams and startups, the ability to launch rapidly and iterate without a development bottleneck is incredibly compelling—and a clear signal of where the industry is headed.
The AI Layer and the Rise of Cross-Functional Creatives
Beneath the design-to-code narrative ran a deeper theme: AI isn't just another feature—it’s becoming fundamental infrastructure. Figma's AI-powered Make tool symbolizes this shift, changing the role of designers from purely visual creators to orchestrators of automated, predictive experiences. Conversations outside of Config, at gatherings like Stripe Sessions and casual meetups, reinforced this perspective. Designers are rapidly becoming facilitators and managers of AI-driven workflows. Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman summarized it sharply below.
"What was once considered 'easy tasks' will no longer exist; what was considered 'hard tasks' will be the new easy, and what was considered 'impossible tasks' will be the new hard." —Micha Kaufman, Fiverr CEO
This isn’t mere alarmism—it’s a realistic assessment of how quickly our industry is transforming. A new type of professional is emerging: cross-functional creatives who blend design, operations, technical skills, and AI fluency to create value across multiple domains. They are the new full-stack builders, defined not by mastery of a single tool, but by adaptability, systems thinking, and a bias for momentum.
The Figma Suite Debate
With four new products introduced at Config—bringing the total suite to eight—Figma’s rapid expansion generated mixed reactions. Critics fear the platform risks becoming bloated and unfocused, reminiscent of Adobe’s expansive creative suite. Advocates, including myself, see potential. Figma's move positions it firmly in the enterprise space, offering flexibility through seat-based pricing and a collaborative ethos deeply embedded in web-native workflows.
Not every product will fit every team’s needs immediately—our team tried Figma Slides but found it lacking essential business guardrails, ultimately pushing us to Canva—for now... Yet the strength of Figma's strategy lies in experimentation. It’s less about monopolizing creativity and more about providing a flexible toolkit. Companies like Canva and Framer should be watching closely; Webflow, however, remains a mature and distinct platform.
Data is the New Design Language
If AI is now foundational, data is the compass directing design decisions. Talks from Grace Walker (Spellbook) and Becca Ramos drove home a crucial message: aesthetics alone aren’t enough. Walker’s story illustrated the hard truth that beautiful designs can fail spectacularly if they don’t perform. Ramos expanded this idea, advocating that designers embrace growth experiments to drive continuous improvement rather than chasing perfection.
This approach isn’t new to our practice at Tennis, grounded as we are in data visualization and data-driven UX. But Config2025 reinforced that this data-informed mindset is no longer optional—it's becoming the baseline expectation for impactful design.
Process is the Product
Amidst rapid technological change, Config2025 reassuringly highlighted one constant: process still matters deeply. Gabriel Valdivia articulated this effectively in his session on designing at startup speed, emphasizing momentum over perfection. His key points—lead with tangible artifacts, share early to foster collaboration, and communicate clearly—are foundational principles we've long embraced.
Process, more than pixels or platforms, defines a team’s value. Designers who prioritize operational thinking, effective collaboration, and robust design systems will excel in this changing landscape. Those who resist adapting may find themselves increasingly in the margins.
Signals from the Edge
Beyond tools and technology, several talks illuminated the evolving values underpinning good design:
- Madeline Gannon reframed robots as expressive collaborators, advocating thoughtful and playful automation.
- Augmental’s MouthPad^ demonstrated transformative accessible design, redefining inclusive human-computer interaction.
- Andy Welfle reinforced the significance of language as interface, reminding us that thoughtful copy shapes experiences as powerfully as visual elements.
- Ricardo Vázquez emphasized performance as a critical component of design quality—if it doesn’t load, it doesn’t matter.
These highlights underscore enduring principles: empathy, experimentation, inclusivity, and clarity remain central, regardless of technological advancements.
What Comes Next?
The overarching message from Config2025 is clear: Design is no longer merely a step within product creation—it has become the integrative process itself. This process now inherently involves data-driven decisions, AI-supported automation, rapid iteration, and cross-functional collaboration.
The traditional boundaries—web vs. product, content vs. interface—are dissolving. Everything we create is product-driven, and designers must either embrace this integrated reality or risk obsolescence.
For us at Tennis, Config2025 reaffirmed our belief that our greatest value lies in our strategic and operational thinking. Our role is to guide clients through these shifts, leveraging our curiosity and systemic approach to stay ahead of what’s next.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why did Config2025 feel different this year?
Because the conversation shifted from surface-level tooling to deeper questions about workflow, roles, and business models. The biggest theme wasn’t visual design—it was the collapsing boundary between design and development, accelerated by AI.
Are design-to-code tools really ready for production work?
Not fully, and not for every use case. What’s changing is the speed and quality of the “happy path.” These tools now get teams far closer to production than before, especially for marketing sites, internal tools, and early-stage products. The final 10–30% of polish, integration, and QA still matters.
Does this mean developers are becoming obsolete?
No. It means the work of developers shifts to higher-leverage problem-solving: architecture, integrations, data, systems, and quality. The gap is narrowing, but not disappearing. Teams that integrate design and engineering earlier simply move faster.
What is the role of designers in an AI-driven workflow?
Designers become orchestrators. Instead of crafting every detail by hand, they configure, direct, and critique AI-generated outputs. The value moves from execution to sense-making, systems thinking, and decision quality.
Why is Figma expanding its suite so aggressively?
Figma is positioning itself as an enterprise-grade end-to-end platform. Not every product will be perfect on day one, but the strategy is clear: unify workflows, reduce tool-hopping, and give teams flexible, collaborative infrastructure.
How should teams think about adopting new Figma features?
Experiment, but selectively. Test features in controlled contexts before moving core workflows. Evaluate them on reliability, guardrails, and how they support your team’s operating model—not just novelty.
What does “data is the new design language” actually mean?
It means design choices need to be informed by real behaviour: what converts, what loads quickly, what users understand, and what drives outcomes. Visual craft still matters; it just isn’t the only measure of quality.
Is design becoming more operational?
Yes. Process, systems, alignment, and clarity are becoming the real drivers of value. The teams that win aren’t the ones with the prettiest mockups—they’re the ones who communicate well, validate often, and iterate quickly.
What does this shift mean for cross-functional roles?
A new type of builder is emerging: someone comfortable with design, ops, lightweight development, and AI. They can scope, prototype, test, and launch without waiting on handoffs. These roles increase momentum—and expectations.
Where does this leave tools like Webflow, Canva, or Framer?
Still relevant. Figma’s expansion pressures adjacent platforms, but doesn’t replace them. Webflow remains mature for production sites; Canva still excels at business-ready guardrails; Framer offers speed for marketing. The competitive edges are shifting, not disappearing.
What should leaders take away from Config2025?
That design is no longer a phase—it’s the connective tissue of product development. AI, data, and cross-functional workflows are reshaping expectations. Teams that embrace integrated processes will move faster and deliver better outcomes.
How does this shape the work Tennis does?
It reinforces our focus on systems, clarity, and operational design. Our value isn’t in chasing tools—it’s in understanding how strategy, structure, AI, and process come together to help clients build sustainable, scalable digital products.
