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Front-end development’s identity crisis with Elly Loel

Overview of the Talk

I have a dilemma. I’m trying to find a job but the job I’m looking for no longer exists. I’m a front-end developer. Which to me means I work on the user interface of the website. But now in our industry front-end means the same thing as full-stack. Front-end developer job descriptions include many back-end duties. There are almost always even more back-end duties than there are front-end. This is because the industry has devalued front-end development. To the point where it’s no longer considered complex or time-consuming enough to be a full-time job.

In this talk, we’re going to go through the issues with full-stack and front-end development, and then we’ll figure out what title best describes the people left behind by the new definition of front-end.

Speaker Background

Elly is located in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia) and is a passionate Web Designer (Front-end Developer) and Accessibility & Design System specialist. She has a deep love for the web platform, with extensive expertise in semantic HTML, advanced CSS, and modern minimal JavaScript. Additionally, Elly values diversity, accessibility, and inclusivity, as she is disabled, neurodivergent, trans, and queer.

This talk is geared towards developers interested in front-end development’s identity crisis and considering their integration into future projects. It’s an opportunity to hear from Web Designer / Front-end Developer (A11y & Design System Specialist) at nan, who has navigated the shifts in front-end development’s identity crisis and can offer a grounded perspective.

We encourage developers, designers, and anyone with an interest in the future of front-end development’s identity crisis to join this presentation. It’s a chance to engage with critical discussions and connect with peers.