Reflections on design, dystopia, and robots with googly eyes
Config 2025 was packed with inspiration, but a few standout moments had me pausing the stream mid–jaw drop every half hour or so (thank you, remote access!) Here are some of my favorite sessions and the sparks they lit:
The level of detail that went into this show, down to the fake products they created for the set, is incredible.
Designing dystopia: the creative vision behind Severance
Jeremy Hindle (aka the production designer behind Apple TV’s Severance, my literal second-favorite show ever—hint: there’s even an Easter egg in my portfolio 👀) took the stage with natural ease, walking us through tons of behind-the-scenes visuals.
He shared how his background in commercials shaped the way he approached the show itself—with surgical precision. Since commercials have just seconds to make an impact, he learned to treat every frame as sacred. That approach translated beautifully into the show’s eerie, hyper-intentional visual language. Hearing him break down that level of care and intentionality? Awe-inspiring. Serious goals when it comes to communicating feeling through visuals.
Raylene’s approach was rooted in thinking through how the smallest details can affect the larger system as a whole.
Tech as a playbook, not as the solution
Raylene Yung’s path—from Facebook and Stripe to the public sector, where she helped track COVID during the pandemic—made me reflect on my own near-move into public service years ago. A jaw-drop moment: she’s now a board member at SolarApp. Wild coincidence, because I once interviewed with their current CEO back when he led Colorado Digital Services. Tiny design world!
Raylene spoke about how tech principles can be applied far beyond tech itself—from government to climate solutions. It was a powerful reminder: our skillset is flexible and so desperately needed in government & public sectors. Maybe one day…
I aim to take this mindset and make it part of my own leadership framework!
How to be a robot whisperer
Okay, this one was unexpected magic. I stumbled into Dr. Madeline Gannon’s session and immediately got hit with high school nostalgia. Back in Laredo, I was a proud robotics girly with ULTIMATE Robotics (‘09!). We named our robots, themed our competitions, designed shirts, you get the vibe. I did a lot of the creative work and still remember how much fun it was to create the visuals behind our competition display sets.
Dr. Gannon’s work blends robotics, art, and human psychology in the coolest ways. She showed how adding something as simple as googly eyes can shift the entire way people perceive a robot. Naturally, I’m now committed to putting googly eyes on everything.
She also recommended a book I’m adding to my list: The Illusion of Life, by two legendary Disney animators. It’s more philosophy than how-to, and apparently it’s a major influence on her work. Love a full-circle animation moment.
An example of Nicole’s upcycled project. (I own at least half the things in this picture)
Upcycle: reimagining waste and discarded materials
Nicole McLaughlin’s session on upcycling was a quirky delight. She takes discarded materials and reimagines them into new, often absurd (in the best way) products. Watching her talk about her process was a joy!
She pointed out how much waste is created before a product even hits shelves, which really made me rethink the early ripple effects of design decisions. Her vibe? Inspiring, irreverent, curious, and deeply scrappy.
She reminded me that one of the best parts of being human is the ability to remix and reimagine things. Even trash can be a starting point.
Final Thoughts
I closed my laptop after Config feeling more creatively lit-up than I had in a long time. The sessions weren’t just about Figma or design trends, they were about people pushing the boundaries of creativity in thoughtful, emotional, and sometimes delightfully weird ways. And honestly? That’s the shit I live for.
Great speakers, great sessions, can’t wait to watch more! (And how bout that new layout grid tool?!) Figma, you killed it this year.
Thanks for reading!