Episode
#236 - From Figma to Code: The Rise of Design Engineers (And Why It Matters Now) - Honey Mittal
- Podcast
- Tech Lead Journal
- Published
- Oct 27, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 5091
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Summary
In this episode, Honey Mittal, CEO and co-founder of Locofy.ai, explores one of the most exciting transformations in software development: the convergence of design and engineering through AI-powered automation. Honey shares the fascinating journey of building Locofy, a tool that converts Figma designs into production-ready front-end code. But this isn’t just another AI hype story. It’s a deep dive into why Large Language Models (LLMs) fundamentally can’t solve design-to-code problems, and why his team spent four years building specialized “Large Design Models” from scratch. Key topics discussed: Why 60-70% of engineering time goes to front-end UI code (and how to automate it) The technical limitations of LLMs for visual design understanding How proper design structure is the key to successful code generation The emergence of “design engineers” who bridge design and development Lessons from pivoting from consumer to enterprise SaaS Building global developer tools from Southeast Asia The real challenges of building deep tech startups in Southeast Asia Career advice for staying relevant in the AI era Whether you’re a front-end engineer tired of translating design pixel-by-pixel, a designer curious about coding, or a technical leader evaluating AI development tools, this episode offers practical insights into the future of software development. Timestamps: (00:00:00) Trailer & Intro (00:02:13) Career Turning Points (00:05:28) Transition from Developers to Product Management (00:09:53) The Key Product Lessons from Working at Major Startups (00:14:12) Learnings from Locofy Product Pivot Journey (00:19:36) An Introduction to Locofy (00:22:40) The Story Behind The “Locofy” Name (00:23:27) How Locofy Generates Pixel Perfect & Accurate Codex (00:28:01) Why Locofy Pivote…