December 10, 2023 — The maturation of the block editor brought a major shift in WordPress theme development. For many independent developers, this change was a huge disruption to workflow: a once-reliable codebase now in flux, entirely new coding languages and tooling to learn, and layers of complexity added to tools that used to be simple and accessible.

Hear from a full-time independent developer – someone building and supporting real projects with classic WordPress, the block editor, “hybrid” themes, and Full Site Editing.

This talk shares lessons learned about navigating the triumphs and pitfalls of modern WordPress theme development. Find out how to confidently decide which tools and features make sense for your projects.

December 10, 2023 — Are you using the Gutenberg editor now, and you love it, but It would never cross your mind to learn how to create your blocks, or you don’t have a good relationship with React? Learn how you can do a lot with less effort.

Some tricks can save you headaches, like creating block variants, adding custom categories, redefining core blocks and working with theme.json.

December 10, 2023 — Learn the basics of internationalization and localization in WordPress. Find out how to apply these capabilities to themes and plugins. This talk covers the translation functions for PHP and JavaScript.

December 10, 2023 — Learn the five considerations that help you create custom blocks with an intuitive administrative experience in the Block Editor.

A great block editing experience takes advantage of the existing Block Editor interface, reduces confusion, and empowers users.

November 18, 2023 — This developer talk explains WordPress coding standards and suggests why you — and your development team — should embrace coding standards.

Learn more about best practices, modern code, and preventing conflicts with other themes and plugins. Discover how WordPress coding standards can also help safeguard against some common security vulnerabilities.

Presentation Slides »

November 18, 2023 — This 14 minute talk is all about images on the web: current formats, how browsers load images, and upcoming formats. Learn when and how to use different image formats.

November 18, 2023 — This talk explains how to use WordPress as a powerful foundation for creative and unique websites.

November 18, 2023 — Learn how to leverage WordPress’s existing endpoints and create custom ones using PHP without needing plugins. Find out how to use endpoints to power front-end React apps, web apps or even entirely separate websites.

The WordPress REST API was introduced in 2016. It has been part of the WordPress ecosystem for about seven years and is well-documented.

With the introduction of React and Gutenberg blocks, the REST API can take on a new life to help developers create complex apps with relative ease. Where once it was primarily used for basic integrations, developers are now harnessing its full capabilities for ambitious projects. The WordPress REST API can power modern web applications and custom blocks, showing that it remains highly relevant for building on the web today.

October 21, 2023 — Looking at websites over the past decades, performance is becoming more and more crucial. But still, it’s treated as a “nice to have” or “add-on” late in the development process of a website. What if we would integrate performance into our workflows so we don’t have to worry about it when we’re already done developing?
In my work at the performance-focused WordPress hosting company Servebolt, I come across a variety of developers. From those who build sites using existing themes to those who build their sites from scratch. And many of them have the same problem: their sites aren’t as performant as they could be. Not because they are built badly, but because they aren’t built with performance in mind. It’s treated as an afterthought.
In this talk I will explain why Performance First as a developing methodology should be more widely adapted and what benefits it will bring to you when developing sites for clients.

October 15, 2023 — This talk offers a comprehensive understanding of how AI can enhance your website management and free you from routine tasks like a genie granting a wish. You are invited to re-imagine your approach to website management, using new tools and knowledge to adapt and thrive in an AI-empowered landscape.

Whether you are a WordPress pro or beginner, this session will open your eyes to the power of AI automation with ChatGPT.

Presentation Slides »