Web Directions Year round learning for product, design and engineering professionals

There’s no doubt this is a challenging time. Budgets are reduced, belts are being tightened.

But, we’re witnessing something unprecedented in web development. Not a gradual evolution, but a fundamental restructuring of how we build for the web—one that will reshape the profession more dramatically in the next 18 months than the previous two decades combined.

This isn’t hyperbole. Consider the parallels: the web standards movement of the early 2000s didn’t just change our tools—it transformed how we thought about structure, presentation, and behaviour. The framework revolution a decade later redefined application architecture entirely. We’re now at the threshold of a third transformation, and Web Directions Developer Summit (November 19-20, Sydney) is designed specifically to help you prepare for it.

The Agent Era Begins

AI agents aren’t science fiction anymore. As Kevin Yank will demonstrate, building a functional coding agent requires roughly 400 lines of JavaScript—no magic, just engineering. But the implications extend far beyond developer tools. Anna McPhee’s work with Model Context Protocol shows how frontend tools are already integrating with AI in production. Tamas Piros explores what happens when AI stops merely responding and starts acting autonomously.

The shift runs deeper still. Katja Forbes asks a provocative question: what happens when your users aren’t human? When AI agents become economic actors, making purchasing decisions and navigating interfaces independently, every assumption about user experience requires re-examination.

Architecture Reimagined

While AI dominates headlines, parallel transformations are reshaping application architecture. Lovee Jain’s exploration of Backend for Frontend patterns addresses the practical challenges of moving from monoliths to microservices. Juntao Qiu maps the evolutionary path of frontend system design, helping you locate your current architecture and identify what comes next. Zach Jensz demonstrates how offline-first approaches combined with in-browser AI create entirely new possibilities.

The browser itself is evolving rapidly. Jono Alderson makes a compelling case for treating it as an ally rather than an obstacle—native capabilities now handle what previously demanded entire frameworks. Tim Nguyen from Apple’s WebKit team will reveal upcoming improvements to form control styling, while Lee Meyer shows how modern CSS enables rich interactive experiences without JavaScript dependencies.

Platform Shift or Evolution?

Perhaps most provocatively, Rupert Manfredi suggests we’re witnessing a platform shift that could displace both traditional web and native apps. His Unternet project isn’t theoretical exploration—it’s building open protocols for whatever comes next. When AI clients interact directly with services, when MCP enables seamless tool integration, when agents handle complex workflows autonomously, the traditional web may become just one interface among many.

The Practical Foundation

Amid transformation, fundamentals matter more than ever. Ryan Yu explores recursion—a computer science concept that becomes increasingly relevant as we work with AI systems. Dmitry Baranovskiy traces the mathematical foundations of design from ancient Greece to modern web development. Geshan Manandhar shares a decade of experience with feature flags, showing how to release features incrementally and safely.

Accessibility remains critical, perhaps especially so as interfaces evolve. Beau Vass examines what automated testing tools miss—the 70-80% of accessibility issues that require human judgment. Eiji Kitamura surveys the rapidly evolving landscape of web authentication, from passkeys to federated identity management.

Design Systems in Flux

The relationship between design and development is also transforming. Mandy Michael explores how documentation, tools like Figma Code Connect, and shared vocabulary can bridge the designer-engineer gap. Tammie Lister examines how AI integration is accelerating the need for open, systematic design approaches—moving from components to prompts without losing structure.

Why Now Matters

A year from now, the developers who haven’t engaged with these changes will face the same challenges as those who ignored responsive design in 2010 or clung to table layouts in 2005. The architecture patterns, development workflows, and very definition of “user” experience are shifting.

But right now you have an advantage: the chance to learn from practitioners actively building with these technologies, not theorizing about them. To understand both the possibilities and the pitfalls while the landscape is still taking shape.

The web standards revolution didn’t happen overnight, but those who recognized it early gained years of advantage. The framework era rewarded early adopters while others scrambled to catch up. This third revolution offers the same opportunity—but only if you engage with it now.

Web Directions Developer Summit brings together practitioners from Apple, Google, Adobe, Atlassian, Automattic, Culture Amp, and more—people shipping real products with these technologies today. It’s two days of practical, applicable knowledge for professional developers who need to stay ahead of fundamental change.

The question isn’t whether this transformation is coming. It’s whether you’ll help lead it or struggle to follow.