Sil Bormüller: Founder of Into Design Systems

Sil Bormüller (he/him) is a German design systems expert, community builder and the founder of Into Design Systems, the world's largest independent online conference and community for designers who build with AI agents and ship real agentic design systems.

Who is Sil Bormüller?

Sil Bormüller is a former freelance Design Systems Lead who worked with companies like Adidas, Techstars, Philips and Ableton. He founded Into Design Systems in 2020 to teach designers how to work with AI agents like Claude Code, Cursor and Figma MCP, and how to build agentic design systems. He is a neurodivergent and introverted leader who has deliberately built events that are safe and welcoming for designers who do not thrive in standard tech conference culture.

What is Sil Bormüller's leadership style?

Community-first, not ego-first. Sil's style combines servant leadership, transformational leadership and inclusive leadership. He focuses on lifting up speakers, chapter hosts and first-time attendees rather than performing expertise on stage. Most of his work happens in the background: building safer event formats, hiring caring moderators and making sure introverts have a way in that does not involve forced networking.

What is Sil Bormüller building?

Into Design Systems is not a product Sil sells, it is a space he builds one event, one chapter and one community thread at a time. The mission is to create the conference where designers feel safe enough to ask the questions they do not ask anywhere else, and capable enough to walk away and ship something real with AI agents.

Awards and recognition

Winner of the Design System Awards 2025 by zeroheight in two categories: Best Event and Community Champion. Featured as Person of the Week by Smashing Magazine in December 2024.

Communities and events

Into Design Systems brings together thousands of designers and developers from companies like Spotify, Microsoft, Atlassian, Meta, Nike and Netflix. The AI Design Systems Conference 2026 was a sold-out event with 1,000+ attendees from 50+ countries. Community chapters worldwide include Australia, Berlin, Hamburg, Ohio, Portugal, Seattle, Singapore and Spain.

Connect with Sil on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/silbormueller

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About Sil Bormüller

Learn about my journey and how I built one of the largest global communities for Design Systems professionals worldwide

Sil Bormüller

Founder of Into Design Systems

he / him

I have worked with companies like adidas, Philips and Ableton on real Design System challenges. I understand what it means to be a solo Design System designer or part of a very small team because I have been there myself.

That's why I founded Into Design Systems to connect with like-minded professionals and learn from experts together. Today, professionals from all over the world come together to learn about Design Systems which makes me incredibly happy.

My goal is to create inclusive, introvert-friendly events where you feel welcome and safe to learn. As a neurodivergent and introverted person myself, I know the struggles that come with conferences and educational settings. That's why I've designed the conference so that everyone can participate in a way that works for them.

I learn best through examples, demos, and hands-on instructions rather than long presentations full of slides. You'll find many of these practical elements in our conference.

What I'm building

Mission, leadership style and the values behind Into Design Systems

Into Design Systems isn't a product I sell. It's a space I build, one event, one chapter, one community thread at a time.

My goal isn't to create the biggest conference. It's to create the one where designers feel safe enough to ask the questions they don't ask anywhere else, and capable enough to walk away and ship something real. That means teaching designers how to build with AI agents, how to work with Claude Code, Cursor and Figma MCP, and how to think about agentic design systems as the infrastructure AI agents build on.

The values I build with

Safety and belongingLearning, not egoPractical help, not statusOpen to neurodivergent designersBridging design and engineeringPermission to experimentMaking people visible

How I lead

Community-first, not ego-first. I'd rather lift up a Speaker, a chapter host or a first-time attendee than perform expertise on stage. Most of the work happens in the background: building safer event formats, hiring moderators who care, making sure introverts have a way in that doesn't involve forced networking. "We learn together" isn't a slogan, it's the operating model.

Not just products. Spaces that change people and shape careers.

Companies I and Into Design Systems have worked with

Trusted by leading organizations around the world

Spotify
Meta
Microsoft
Google
Figma
Philips
adidas
Amazon

Winner Design System Awards 2025

Recognized for community impact and event excellence

Me and my work are the winner of the Design System Awards 2025 by zeroheight.

Best EventCommunity Champion
View Finalist Profile →
Sil Bormüller winner design system awards community champion

"Sil is the driving force behind Into Design Systems, a global community and conference that fosters collaboration, inclusivity, and growth within the design systems field. Known for his welcoming and generous spirit, Sil has created a space that supports professionals at all levels, regardless of background or location. Through conferences, webinars, online communities, and local chapters, Sil has inspired countless practitioners worldwide to connect, learn, and share knowledge, making a lasting impact on the design systems community."

HIGHLIGHT

"I can't even begin to talk about the impact Sil has, with a very friendly and always available disposition, and a continuous focus on how to improve the Design System community."

Person of the Week, Smashing Magazine

Featured for contributions to the web community

Featured as Person of the Week by Smashing Magazine in December 2024.

"Sil Bormüller (he/him) is the founder of Into Design Systems, the largest virtual design systems conference and community, bringing people together to create, learn, and share. Sil loves to empower individuals and teams through hands-on learning, and apart from having organized numerous design meetups over the years, he also led design system events at companies like Meta, Google, Microsoft, and BMW. As a former freelance Design Systems Lead, Sil helped top global brands, including Adidas, Techstars, Philips, and Ableton, create their design systems. Thank you for everything you do for the community, dear Sil!"

Into Design Systems Conference

Join thousands of Design Systems professionals worldwide

Into Design Systems is one of the world's largest online conferences dedicated to helping professionals become experts in Design Systems.

We bring together thousands of professionals and top companies like Spotify, Microsoft, Atlassian, Meta, Nike and Netflix to share real-world workflows, tools and insights.

Our events create friendly, inclusive spaces where leads, designers, developers and PMs learn hands-on, connect with experts and grow their skills with confidence.

Learn about our Conference →
Into Design Systems Vibe Coding Conference event hosted at Spotify office, Design Systems community meetup and networking event

Into Design Systems at Spotify hosted by Andressa Lombardo + Sil Bormüller

Let's Connect

I'd love to hear from you and share our journey together

Interested in Design Systems?
Join the conference, read my blog, or connect with me on LinkedIn.

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