January 17, 2023 — All about images on the web: current formats, how browsers load images, and upcoming formats – when and how to use them.

This talk will start with a review of image formats commonly used on the web today – jpeg, git, png, svg and webp. What are they each good for? When and how should sites use them?
Next, we will dig into the surprisingly complicated loading process of pages and images in the browser and the implications for site optimization.
Finally, we will dive into newer formats like AVIF, JPEG XL and WebP2, learn what promise they hold and how site owners can start using them today.

Presentation Slides »

December 3, 2022 — Learn all about images on the web! Topics include current formats, how browsers load images, and upcoming formats.

Start with a review of image formats commonly used on the web today: JPEG, GIT, PNG, SVG, and WebP. Find out what each format is good for, as well as when and how to use them.

Then dig into the surprisingly complicated loading process of pages and images in the browser and the implications for site optimization.

Finally, dive into newer formats like AVIF, JPEG XL, and WebP2, and how to begin using those in your projects.

July 17, 2022 — In this workshop, participants will learn more about the performance of their websites. What goes into having a fast website, and a good user experience? We will answer the question “Why should you care about site performance in the first place?”

We will learn about simple tools you can use to test and monitor your website, and how to interpret and act on the results. We will talk about setting a performance budget and how to weigh performance when updating sites. If you can, bring your laptop along, and have a plan for a specific website (or plugin or theme) you want to work on optimizing. We’ll take a couple of short working breaks to try out the tools we learn about.

October 1, 2020 — Web Vitals is an initiative by Google to provide a great user experience on the web with measurable quality signals. This talk explores how WordPress developers and website owners can check, monitor and improve Web Vitals metrics.

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July 9, 2018 — We will explore the existing major JavaScript API’s including wp.api – the bundled REST API client, wp.customize the improved JavaScript Customizer API, wp.codeEditor – the new code editor built into WordPress; wp.heartbeat – a powerful and easy client/server synchronization API; and wp.media – to leverage the media modal. We’ll also explore the future of WordPress JavaScript and look at the JavaScript APIs coming to WordPress including the APIs exposed by Gutenberg, and the WordPress npm packages including wp.hooks – JavaScript actions and filters matching the PHP versions.

February 9, 2018 — Take a tour down memory lane as we explore the JavaScript files and features added to each version of WordPress: from quicktags.js in version 1.0 to wp-api.js in 4.7. We’ll look at the JavaScript based features in today’s WordPress including media, the customizer, themes, plugins, revisions and the REST API client. We will learn when and why Backbone was introduced as a JavaScript framework for Core and why and how it is used extensively in core. Finally, we will learn about the exciting things happening now in the wider JavaScript community and in WordPress core that will shape the WordPress of tomorrow.

June 16, 2017 — *This is a 15-minute Lightning Talk*

Take a tour down memory lane as we explore the JavaScript files and features added to each version of WordPress: from quicktags.js in version 1.0 to wp-api.js in 4.7. We’ll look at the JavaScript/Backbone based features in today’s WordPress including media, the customizer, themes, plugins, revisions and the REST API client. Finally, we will learn about the exciting things happening now in JavaScript in WordPress core that will shape the WordPress of tomorrow.

Presentation Slides »

July 4, 2016 — Advertising can be enjoyable, entertaining, moving and even beautiful. Why is it such an awful experience online?

This talk addresses these questions: Can we make ads better so we don’t have to hate them? Can developers learn to speak the language ad-ops uses?

December 13, 2015 — A lightning intro to Backbone.js: how it’s changing WordPress and how you can leverage it in your next project.
Outline
Backbone is Awesome!
Backbone + WordPress = Happy
Backbone and the JSON REST API
Go forth and Backbone!

September 22, 2015 — Backbone (and Underscore!) are bundled with WordPress – explore how you can leverage their power to deliver complex user experiences while keeping your code organized and maintainable.
~ When and why should you use Backbone?
~ How can WordPress help?
~ Backbone fundamentals
~ Backbone in core
~ A sample Backbone project
~ Using the JSON REST API

Presentation Slides »