Thoughts on Config 2023
A reminder of why I love design
I'm going to kick this off with some introspection, so if you want to get the meat of it, skip to the next heading.
When I was a music major, before switching to design, I remember always feeling just a bit out of place. I am unapologetically passionate about music. However, I didn't care much about the technical aspects of music theory nor the way in which people spoke about music.
Music theory is a myth. A fabrication. You may have heard people say that it's like math, and I agree. It's similar by unexpected means, however; the way we notate our music was invented to describe phenomena. The mechanical components of musical notation and music theory could be interchanged with any other symbols. This is also true of math. You could do math with emojis and wingdings if you wanted. In fact, this is the case for music notation, scale systems, and theory around the world. The music theory you learn in school is western music notation and theory. Other cultures have defined it differently, creating different rules based on what frequencies and combinations of tones and timbres sound best to their ear. And still theory is treated like law. As if it were a collection of immutable facts about the universe. It should be treated like a tool, a way to describe music, not prescribe music.
This, as far as I could tell, is not a prevailing sentiment as a music major. People brag about their musical proficiency. They make jokes about musical notation. I wanted to make music that broke rules, but you have to learn how to write figured bass first. I played electric guitar in a metal band while everyone else talked about jazz, fingerstyle on acoustic guitar, and vocal performance.
I never felt like I really fit in with other music majors.
The most I felt at home before music was through online communities like Neopets, Subeta, and DeviantArt. It was through these games and platforms that I found out I liked building websites and had a proficiency for design in some capacity. I thought art was my calling, but artists online never seemed to really like me at the time. I’m sensitive to that sort of thing. So, some friends, not really home.
After changing my major to "digital design" and being accepted into the program after completing the prerequisite courses, I had a moment that has stuck out in my memory ever since. In my first or second week, during our 6 PM design course, I took a look around the room and felt at home.
I had found my people in design.
Designers seem to better understand that rules are actually most often tools to be used to accomplish your goals. Designers don't brag about how fast they can play the pentatonic scale on their instrument. Design jokes aren't much better than music theory jokes, but you can't expect to win them all.
I felt that exact feeling at Config this week. I love design, and I love tech. It feels like home to me.
Yes, designers have opinions and hot takes. They duke it out over the same three to five topics every six months as predictably as the tide rises and falls. Sometimes because of things said on stage at Config.
But at the end of the day, the things that draw designers to design in the first place necessitate some common shared understandings that are rare to find in many other groups of people.
A lot of designers are passionate about other creative fields, often originally coming from art backgrounds. Designers are passionate. That alone is often grounds for shared understanding and connection. Designers care about people. Designers often care about business. UX, UI, and product designers care about tech.
Config was a powerful reminder to me of why I love design, why I love designers, and why I do what I do at all. People who make things are awesome. If you saw me or talked to me, thanks for making Config 2023 memorable. Now, let's dive into my favorite talks.
What if design ran the board room?
This keynote was inspiring, controversial due to a widespread misunderstanding, and very important. Give it a listen if you have the slightest inclination that you may want to be a founder or CEO one day. Even just a tiny little one. It may ignite something in you. I hope it does.
We need more leaders with a design background. Not just design leaders. That nuance is important.
Key takeaways
Ruthless prioritization saved AirBnB.
A/B testing is abdicating your responsibility to the user.
Metrics are not a strategy. Growth is not a goal, it's a direction.
Data and research are equally important.
Have a nerve.
Why do we build what we build?
Sho Kuwamoto's talk closing out Config 2023 was the perfect icing on the cake for me.
The wooden puzzle metaphor presented by Sho is thoughtful and shows the considered approach that Figma takes to making product decisions. I also deeply resonated with the way he spoke about service, focusing on their customer's outcomes obsessively over focusing on their own metrics such as revenue.
Obviously the two feed each other, but there's something beautiful about understanding that the products we build in SaaS enable our customers to make the world a better place.
Key takeaways
Take the service part of SaaS literally
Every feature makes the product worse by default
Skynet not yet
This talk by Ovetta Patrice Sampson was very engaging, fun, and inspiring. I walked away with a good feeling about the future of creativity and technology.
Doing what you can't
https://twitter.com/iamharaldur/status/1672118454697205760
This talk was emotional, touching, and impactful. I won't spoil it, so give it a listen. There's also several good jokes in there.
Config was great. The swag was great. The people were the best. Love design. Love design people. Until next week.
As a self taught designer with a music degree I support this message! 😉