Over the last decade, design systems have taken the world of digital design and development by storm, and Brad's helped dozens of organizations create and evolve their design systems. Along the way, he invented a methodology for creating design systems called Atomic Design. In this talk, Brad will reflect on the past, present, and future of design systems, sharing bumps, bruises, and best practices along the way.

Brad will also be running a workshop on Design Systems — Sold out.

Discover how AI can assist developers in writing more accessible code by identifying and suggesting fixes for common accessibility issues. This talk will showcase AI-driven tools and techniques that enhance code accessibility, streamline development processes, and enhance user experiences.

Carie will also discuss AI's limitations, such as potential biases, and emphasize the importance of manual checks to ensure comprehensive accessibility compliance. Explore best practices for integrating AI into your development workflow while maintaining human oversight to achieve genuinely inclusive digital experiences.

Carie will be giving a workshop on accessibility too — Sold Out!!

In the world of digital product design, good writing is a superpower. And the role of the writer has evolved. In this talk, Nick will explore the way today’s leading companies use words to shape the apps and websites we all use every day. Learn how to write more thoughtfully, build a world-class brand, and improve any digital product.

Designers often find themselves under pressure to create beautiful outputs rather than impact and outcomes. In this talk, Catt Small will share techniques to move herself from execution to a more strategic role over 14 years of in-house work at companies spanning various industries.

You’ll learn to add perspective to subjects including product strategy, growth, and monetization — showing the value of design at every part of the product development process. Before you know it, you’ll be your PM’s best work friend!

Modern CSS has opened up new possibilities in how we can author our stylesheets, yet many people are so used to the familiar patterns that we were forced into with the limitations of older features that they don't take full advantage of what the new features have to offer. In this talk Kevin dives into the new patterns he's been exploring, showing what's now possible thanks to modern CSS and hoping to inspire people to start breaking free of the old limitations we've lived with for so long.

The number of websites, articles, videos, images, PDFS and more has grown exponentially since the web started over 30 years ago. In order to use this volume of content, people generally search or browse it. However, the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) models now enable different ways of interacting with websites.

In his talk, Luke will show how these models influence UX behaviour, and what happened when AI ate his website.

In the realm of secrets, curiosity is your compass …

CSS is a deceptively complex language: browsers do a bunch of stuff behind the scenes, translating our CSS rules into a live UI. This process can seem very mysterious, and if we don't have a clear mental model for what it’s doing, we'll struggle to really feel comfortable with CSS. In this talk, Josh wants to shine a light on some of the most important mechanisms within CSS.

With all the hype about generative AI, the question was how that would translate into future UI's. Well, we are entering that future now!

In his talk, Tejas will explore the intersection of building AI and UX through the lens of React Server Components: a mechanism that enables streaming components to users on-demand, similar to how Large Language Models (LLMs) stream text. Let's explore how this future will look like, together!

Tejas will also give a workshop on Fluent React.

Ever felt like designers and developers speak different languages? Well, it’s time to bridge that gap! Join us as we dive into the world of design tokens. We’ll explore how design tokens can streamline workflows, ensure consistency, and make both sides of the creative spectrum sing in perfect harmony. Whether you’re a designer, developer, or somewhere in between, this talk will equip you with the knowledge and practical tips to create a seamless, collaborative process.

Making design system features is exciting. But what about managing assignments, tracking tasks, and discussing status? The momentum of emergent tokens and rapid Figma and code prototypes gives way to the dulling rigor of quality and collaboration across designers and developers wanting to operate independently. In order to earn trust and reach success, design systems need to sweat the details together. Managing the work need not be so daunting and tedious.

In this talk, Nathan will demonstrate the process he’s installed and evolved across the design system teams he’s led over the past ten years. Using tools like Asana and Jira, he’ll demonstrate how to organize design system work, record scope, assign and track tasks, and release features over time. Workflow challenges – repetitive reviews, quick tasks amid formal workflows, when to discuss requests – will season the tour. Whether you are a system practitioner considering how you fit or a manager refining a practice, you’ll leave inspired to refine the speed, precision and clarity of your design system process.

Nathan will also give a workshop on Design Systems.

Jessica Hische is a lettering artist specializing in work for logos, film and television, and books for clients like Fender Guitars, Wes Anderson, and Penguin Random House. One specialty she's particularly fond of is logo refresh work—helping modernize existing brands while maintaining much of the original DNA.

Jessica will walk through her process for this highly specialized work, and talk about why sometimes fretting over invisible details can really matter and how this kind of work can not only be rewarding for clients in quantifiable ways but also deeply rewarding for the creatives who perform it. In a culture in which we are asked to constantly streamline and automate, there is still room for slow and considered craftsmanship.