Balance Challenge — asymmetrical version, solid blue backdrop

Config 2026 Reflection | Design Challenge

Config 2026 Reflection | Design Challenge

Config 2026 Reflection | Design Challenge

Intuitive vs Calculated

Intuitive vs Calculated

Intuitive vs Calculated

Going into Config 2026, I feel somewhat valid in saying the entire design industry was holding its breath in anticipation. It felt like the whole the community was waiting to see what Figma would choose to put at the center of the conversation, other than the obvious…

(AI + Design = ?)

After what has felt like a steep marathon of new AI powered features, raking in a reported Q1 2026 revenue of $333.4 million (up 46% year-over-year), its clear now that the rate of festering anxiety amongst the community has caught up with the speed of these releases.


Nonetheless, I support the direction they took on a few overall themes. The particular idea that this design challenge was inspired by, was the emphasis around returning to the fundamental basics of design and how the mastery of them is more important than ever.


“When code is a commodity, design is the competitive edge—the craft, point of view, and human judgment that make a great product rise above the rest."

– CEO Dylan Field

Going into Config 2026, I feel somewhat valid in saying the entire design industry was holding its breath in anticipation. It felt like the whole the community was waiting to see what Figma would choose to put at the center of the conversation, other than the obvious…


(AI + Design + Craft = ?)


After what has felt like a steep marathon of Figma pushing new AI powered features, raking in a reported Q1 2026 revenue of $333.4 million (up 46% year-over-year), we are seeing the rate of festering anxiety across the community catching up with the speed of these releases.


Nonetheless, I support the direction they took on a few overall themes. The particular idea that this design challenge was inspired by, was the emphasis around returning to the fundamental basics of design and how the mastery of them is more important than ever.


“When code is a commodity, design is the competitive edge—the craft, point of view, and human judgment that make a great product rise above the rest."

– CEO Dylan Field

Going into Config 2026, I feel somewhat valid in saying the entire design industry was holding its breath in anticipation. It felt like the whole the community was waiting to see what Figma would choose to put at the center of the conversation, other than the obvious…

(AI + Design = <3 ?)

After what has felt like a steep marathon of new AI powered features, raking in a reported Q1 2026 revenue of $333.4 million (up 46% year-over-year), its clear now that the rate of festering anxiety amongst the community has caught up with the speed of these releases.


Nonetheless, I support the direction they took on a few overall themes. The particular idea that this design challenge was inspired by, was the emphasis around returning to the fundamental basics of design and how the mastery of them is more important than ever.


“When code is a commodity, design is the competitive edge—the craft, point of view, and human judgment that make a great product rise above the rest."

– CEO Dylan Field

Design Challenge

Design Challenge

The design team decided to start incorporating a weekly design challenge every Wednesday thats centered around being given a task and exercising a particular design principle.

The design team decided to start incorporating a weekly design challenge every Wednesday thats centered around being given a task and exercising a particular design principle.

First week was about Balance

Task

build 2 versions of a design that includes an image, heading, body, button, and logo:

build 2 versions of a design that includes an image, heading, body, button, and logo:

  1. create one version w/ symmetry

  2. create one version w/ asymmetry

  1. composition w/ symmetry

  2. composition w/ asymmetry

Timeline

45-minute sprint

Stack

Figma: Design + Motion + Shaders

Asymmetrical version, solid blue backdrop
Symmetrical version, solid blue backdrop
Asymmetrical version, organic blob backdrop
Symmetrical version, organic blob backdrop

Two aesthetic directions

I had an out of character moment where I created 2 styles that I liked equally. One in a clean editorial treatment on solid blue. The other with animated organic blob shapes surrounding a lighter surface.

Same question, same answer, different arguments about what balance looks like on the page.

What I learned

The prompt asked for one idea in two versions. What made it click was letting the argument be the design, not designing about balance, but designing balance as an argument.

Symmetry felt safer, more editorial. Asymmetry gave the layout the tension that mirrored the question itself.

Credits

Illustration by @_fergus.art_

Design Challenge

The design team decided to start incorporating a weekly design challenge every Wednesday thats centered around being given a task and exercising a particular design principle.

First week was about Balance