Chasing Squirrels: Keeping Up with New Technologies

New software languages, libraries, and platforms are released at an exhausting pace. Many—perhaps most—are just fruitless distractions that we will never grasp, like developer puppies chasing technology squirrels. How do you know which ones to pursue? How do you know which ones will be beneficial? The truth is it doesn't matter. And I'll tell you why.

Previously delivered as the keynote of Code PaLOUsa, (Louisville, United States) and Prairie Dev Con (Winnipeg, Canada).

A Pain in the UI

We see the JavaScript, CSS, and HTML, but we forget to see the human. Beyond the ridiculous password requirements, copy-paste overrides, and spam-preventing Turing tests, it is story time for the made mistakes and lessons learned from the pain in the UI.

Celebrate Your Expert: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

If you were asked “In what areas are you an expert,” how would you answer? Would you answer at all? If your friends, colleagues, and peers were asked about your expertise, would the answer change? That word ‘expert’ gets in our way. Our self-modesty blocks self-assessment of our talents. It damages our self-worth. It leads to imposter syndrome. Break out of the cycle. Learn to acknowledge, accept, and own your talents. Let’s celebrate our expert.

Anxiety-Free Databases for .NET Core

Do you have anxiety regarding your database? Every time you touch it, does something break? Do you lack confidence that it matches your application's expectations? Learn about libraries and tools that can help you with database migrations, database validation, and integration testing for your relational database. Have confidence in your database and your ability to change it.

Design for Non-Designers (from a Non-Designer)

You don’t need to be an artist to create clean, user-friendly designs. If you’re a developer who struggles with the “aesthetic” side of your projects—or worse, if your designs end up looking like a coding error—this session is for you.

Learn how to apply the same logical mindset you use for programming to design. We’ll cover six core principles—Unity, Contrast, Proximity, Flow, Hierarchy, and Whitespace—that will help you create better, more functional designs. We’ll also dive deeper into typography and color, including tips on using color with accessibility in mind.

By the end of the session, you’ll have actionable strategies to improve your designs and stop using the “I’m not a designer” excuse. You don’t need to be an artist, just a developer with the right tools and mindset.

Previous Feedback:

“Best talk of the @codecampnyc day...fantastic stuff!”
 ~Barry May (http://bit.ly/2lPD06O)

“@jayharris just gave the best presentation I attended all day. Not to disparage any of the others. He just crushed it. #codecampnyc”
 ~Andrew J. Dittman (http://bit.ly/2joRKeh)

“Energy filled talk about design for #NonDesigners w/ @jayharris was excellent! Need to go make a few changes to my website.”
 ~Kandace Gordon (http://bit.ly/2kqkxAY)

Learning Objectives:

• An understanding of the fundamentals of design.
• An introduction to implementing type and color.
• An introduction to designing for accessibility.

Topics:

• Fundamentals of composition and design
• Examples of implementing fundamentals
• Fundamentals for implementing type
• Fundamentals for choosing and implementing color palettes
• Fundamentals for designing for accessibility and color blindness

Accessibility for the Benefit of Everyone

Whether typing on your phone with one hand, taking a call in a crowded room, or talking to Siri through an intoxicated slur, impairments are every-day common. Learn how Application Accessibility aids the entire user base, and how to implement it in your applications.

Session focuses on several easy and effective ways to integrate Accessibility into our web applications based on WCAG.

Easier PDFs with Adobe PDF Services API

PDFs are hard. Generating, managing, and manipulating PDFs always is a pain within our development cycles even though they are always a part of our requirements. Rather than using yet-another one-off library to build our PDFs, we can go straight to the creator: Adobe. Learn to use the Adobe PDF Services API as a complete toolkit for PDF creation, optimization, OCR, and security without the burden of cumbersome installations, licenses, or libraries.

Learn to use the Adobe PDF Services API as a complete toolkit for PDF creation, optimization, OCR, and security without burdening your application with cumbersome installations, licenses, or libraries.

Code Smarter with GitHub Copilot Chat

GitHub Copilot Chat is a game-changer for developers, helping you write code faster and smarter. I'll break down how to use Copilot Chat as a real coding assistant —one that boosts your productivity without doing the thinking for you. We’ll look at practical ways to integrate it into your workflow, whether you're generating code snippets, debugging, or exploring new libraries.

Learn how to write better prompts that get the results you need, and how to strike the right balance between leveraging Copilot’s power and maintaining code quality. With the right approach, Copilot Chat can help you write better code in less time, while keeping you in full control of your development process.

By the end, you’ll know how to use GitHub Copilot Chat to improve your development process and enhance your coding workflow —making it a true assistant in your everyday work.

Staying Relevant: Continuous Learning for Seasoned Developers

In the fast-paced world of technology, seasoned developers may face the challenge of keeping their skills up to date and relevant. This session explores essential tools and practices that seasoned developers can adopt to maintain focus on continuous learning. We’ll discuss the importance of self-assessment and identifying skill gaps to tailor learning paths effectively. We will also explore the benefits of mentorship—both as a mentor and a mentee—highlighting how seasoned developers can gain fresh perspectives and new insights from mentoring others. Through practical advice and actionable tips, participants will learn strategies to stay current with industry trends and technologies without feeling overwhelmed, empowering them to stay relevant in their careers.

While navigating their existing responsibilities and workloads, seasoned developers may feel challenged keeping skills up to date and relevant. Together, let's explore essential tools and practices seasoned developers can adopt to maintain focus on continuous learning. We’ll discuss the importance of self-assessment and identifying skill gaps to tailor an effective learning path. We will also explore the benefits of mentorship—both as a mentor and a mentee—highlighting how seasoned developers can gain fresh perspectives and new insights from mentoring others. Participants will leave this session empowered to stay relevant in their careers through practical advice and actionable tips. Learn strategies to stay current with industry trends and technologies without feeling overwhelmed.