// speaker.leo-vogel

Creative thinking. Unexpected solutions. A little bit of magic.

I’m a product designer and design systems specialist sharing creative approaches to solving problems, pushing the boundaries of design tools, and building better experiences.

  • Product Design
  • Design Systems
  • Figma
  • Creative Problem-Solving
Invite Me to Speak Explore My Talks
Leo Vogel on stage in a blazer and jeans, pointing at a large screen showing the words “Radio Button” split by zero-width spaces, beside a giant pixel-art retro computer.
// featured.talk

Signature talk

Sleight of Frame

Creative problem-solving, unexpected Figma techniques, and the magic of human ingenuity.

Design tools are powerful, but they don’t always have the features we wish they did. That doesn’t mean we have to accept their limitations.

In Sleight of Frame, I reveal creative techniques, unexpected workarounds, and inventive solutions I’ve developed while working in Figma.

Through demonstrations inspired by the art of magic, I explore how curiosity, experimentation, and unconventional thinking can help designers overcome limitations and accomplish things their tools weren’t necessarily designed to do.

The bigger message

Innovation doesn’t always come from waiting for new features or asking AI for an answer. Sometimes, it starts with looking at a familiar problem differently.

Key takeaways

  1. Discover unconventional ways to solve common challenges in Figma.
  2. Learn to approach design-tool limitations as opportunities for creative experimentation.
  3. Develop a more resourceful mindset for problem-solving rather than depending exclusively on new features or AI.

Who it’s for

Product designers, UX designers, design systems practitioners, and design technologists.

Available formats

  • Conference presentation 20 minutes
  • Keynote 30–45 minutes
  • Interactive workshop 90 minutes In development
// speaking.experience

Where I’ve spoken

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Zeroheight Converge 2026

Presentation
Sleight of Frame
Format
Conference talk

From the event program

Every Figma component you build makes a promise about how it should be used - and then people use it some other way. This talk covers the techniques that close that gap: keeping implementation-only pieces out of the assets panel, adding an annotation layer anyone can switch on when they need it and hide when they don't, making a component warn someone the moment they misuse it, and retiring old components without breaking anything that already depends on them. All of it uses features already in Figma, and none of it asks a consuming designer to install a plugin. You'll come away with a deprecation workflow you can adopt immediately.

Online

FormFest 2025

Co-presenter
Jesse Gardner
Format
Online conference talk

From the event program

New York is on a mission to make building a web form easier than generating a PDF. In this session, see how a small team inside the state is turning form and application design on its head and giving teams tools to go from rough sketches to real, working code in nearly the time it takes to build an accessible PDF. This session will include a demo of how New York uses Figma routing variables and FigJam sticker sheets to bridge the gap between whiteboarding and high-fidelity design. Then they’ll show how they use GitHub Copilot, Figma MCP, and Code Connect to generate usable front-end code from design system components. This is a demo-heavy, jargon-light session for civic technologists, designers, and developers. You’ll leave with repeatable workflows, techniques you can try, and a glimpse into delivering consistent, accessible experiences at scale.

// about.the.speaker
Leo Vogel smiling next to a large Figma logo installation at Config, Figma's annual design conference

Design systems, with a sense of wonder.

I’m Leo Vogel, a product designer specializing in design systems and complex digital products.

Since 2014, I’ve worked across startups, government technology, and enterprise software, helping teams create more consistent, accessible, and scalable user experiences.

My work has included contributing to the New York State Design System and leading design systems initiatives for enterprise products.

I enjoy exploring the intersection of design, technology, and creative problem-solving—and sharing the unexpected techniques I discover along the way.

More about me

// talks.and.workshops

Talks & workshops

Blueprint → Browser

Previously presented

How NY Turns Wireframes to Working Code

With Jesse Gardner

  • Figma
  • Design Systems
  • Code Connect
  • Accessibility
  • Civic Technology
Read the abstract
// speaker.resources

Everything an organizer needs

Copy what you need for your program, schedule, or website. If something is missing, ask and I’ll send it over.

Short bio

50 words

Leo Vogel is a product designer and design systems specialist who has worked across startups, government technology, and enterprise software since 2014. Leo contributed to the New York State Design System and has led design systems initiatives for enterprise products. Leo speaks about creative problem-solving and unexpected techniques in Figma.

Extended bio

134 words

Leo Vogel is a product designer specializing in design systems and complex digital products. Since 2014, Leo has worked across startups, government technology, and enterprise software, helping teams create more consistent, accessible, and scalable user experiences.

Leo’s work includes contributing to the New York State Design System and leading design systems initiatives for enterprise products. A former magician, Leo is fascinated by how people perceive and think, and by the intersection of design, technology, and creative problem-solving.

Leo’s talk Sleight of Frame shares unconventional Figma techniques and a more resourceful mindset for working around the limits of design tools.

Leo has lived in several countries, including the United States, Australia, Italy, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, mentors designers through Design Buddies, and is keen to bring this talk to conference audiences around the world.

Abstract: Sleight of Frame

Read the full abstract

Design tools are powerful, but they don’t always have the features we wish they did. That doesn’t mean we have to accept their limitations.

In Sleight of Frame, I reveal creative techniques, unexpected workarounds, and inventive solutions I’ve developed while working in Figma.

Through demonstrations inspired by the art of magic, I explore how curiosity, experimentation, and unconventional thinking can help designers overcome limitations and accomplish things their tools weren’t necessarily designed to do.

Innovation doesn’t always come from waiting for new features or asking AI for an answer. Sometimes, it starts with looking at a familiar problem differently.

Abstract: Blueprint → Browser

Read the full abstract

New York is on a mission to make building a web form easier than generating a PDF. In this session, see how a small team inside the state is turning form and application design on its head and giving teams tools to go from rough sketches to real, working code in nearly the time it takes to build an accessible PDF. This session will include a demo of how New York uses Figma routing variables and FigJam sticker sheets to bridge the gap between whiteboarding and high-fidelity design. Then they’ll show how they use GitHub Copilot, Figma MCP, and Code Connect to generate usable front-end code from design system components. This is a demo-heavy, jargon-light session for civic technologists, designers, and developers. You’ll leave with repeatable workflows, techniques you can try, and a glimpse into delivering consistent, accessible experiences at scale.

// invite.me

Let’s bring a little magic to your next event.

Available for conferences, meetups, and workshops exploring design systems, Figma, product design, and creative problem-solving.

Especially keen to travel to

  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • EU
  • Australia

Availability varies by date, and travel and accommodation are worked out event by event. Tell me what you have in mind and I’ll get back to you.

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