# Hot Takes and Big Themes from Config 2026

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ai-and-design-7655455/hot-takes-and-big-themes-from-config-2026.md
Podcast: [AI and Design](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ai-and-design-7655455)
Published: 2026-07-01T01:30:44+00:00
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Duration seconds: 3243

## Resource

Dan reports live from Figma's Config 2026 conference in San Francisco, talking with seven design leaders — Peter Merholz, Jesse James Garrett, Greg Petroff, Ryan Freitas, Kim Lenox, Alice Quan, and Emily Campbell — about the keynote, major announcements like Code Layers and Weave, and the vibe on the floor. The conversations circle a few big tensions: Figma's push into Adobe's territory (motion, brand, marketing) versus doubling down on AI-to-code workflows where competitors like Claude Design are gaining ground, the shrinking of design teams, and how designers can stay strategic by leaning into craft, taste, and curiosity. Off-stage, the mood was one of cautious adaptation — less panic than last year, more pragmatic grappling with what roles, tools, and identities look like now.

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## Transcript

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