The Rise of Design Engineering | Raphael Salaja | MIT Startup Week

What happens when designers can code and engineers have taste? You get a design engineer, and this role is quietly reshaping how the best software gets built. Raphael Salaja is a design engineer at Warp, the AI-native HR and payroll platform built for startups. In this talk at MIT Startup Week, he breaks down what design engineers actually do, why the role matters more than ever in the age of AI-generated slop, and how anyone can develop the "taste" that separates good products from special ones. Raphael has worked with some of the top teams in the industry, including Loveable, AV Labs, Lens, and Daybreak. At Warp, he is responsible for making sure every interface feels fast, human, and polished, bridging the gap between design and code so nothing gets lost in translation. Whether you're a designer looking to learn code, an engineer wanting to sharpen your eye, or a founder building a product team, this talk gives you a practical framework for leveling up. TOPICS COVERED: What a design engineer actually does day to day The gap between designers and engineers (and why quality dies there) Why AI-generated websites feel "off" and how to fix it What "taste" really means in software (Rick Rubin analogy) How to develop taste: study, notice, build Live breakdown of Linear's website design details Using AI tools like Claude to build faster without losing quality How to transition into design engineering from design or engineering The future of design engineering in the age of AI Balancing perfectionism with shipping speed CONNECT WITH WARP: Website: https://www.warp.co LinkedIn:   / warpdotco   X/Twitter: https://x.com/warpdotco CONNECT WITH RAPHAEL: Website: raphaelsalaja.com UI Wiki: https://www.userinterface.wiki/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/raphaelsalaja #designengineering #designengineer #startup #uxdesign #webdesign #softwareengineering #ai #productdesign #figma #taste #warp