DrupalCon Europe 2021 is almost here. It is one of the major events in the Drupal community global calendar, and we at Evolving Web are very excited about it. After all, taking part in those gatherings is one of our favourite things about working with Drupal. We've been sponsoring and participating in DrupalCons for a long time, so we're proud to see these events grow and become the places where Drupalists share their knowledge and experiences.
This year's sessions will be all virtual since COVID still requires us to keep ourselves as safe as possible, but it doesn't make the event any less appealing. Now let's check our top 6 sessions at DrupalCon Europe 2021. Hope you're as thrilled about these talks as we are!
1 - The Future of Accessibility is Choice
The choices we make—down to the smallest ones—shape our identities and empower us in our daily lives. However, many of today's digital experiences don't give users many options, which makes it difficult for them to accomplish tasks and connect with other people. It also sends the message that we know what's best for these users. But who knows it better than themselves?
Carie Fisher will cover how designers and developers can build digital accessibility by providing users with choices. This is an opportunity to discuss how to address these issues by rethinking some elements such as font size/family, colour contrast, reduced motion, navigation, and layout.
When: Monday, 4 Oct 2021 - 12:00 to 12:45 UTC
👩💻 Want to learn more about Drupal and accessibility? Check our Web Accessibility training
2 - Open Source Design: Why open source needs designers for the future
Design is still something of an unknown entity within the Free Open Source Spaces (FL/OSS). Though many designers want to contribute to OSS, these environments have historically seen few maintainers or contributors from the design world, and there are still plenty of barriers to overcome before both fields reach an effective contribution.
This panel—hands down, one of the most interesting in this year's DrupalCon Europe—will bring together designers from across the OSS contribution experience to shed light on how design and open source can work together towards a shared future.
When: Tuesday, 5 Oct 2021 - 08:00 to 08:45 UTC
3 - The true-life experience of a Drupal content editor—we are only as good as the system is!
Any CMS looks perfectly functional until content editors start using them. Blindly adding new content to a website before the front-end is finished; resizing supersmall header images; making text breaks with impossibly long words; doing WYSIWYG editor splits: these are a few examples of how making the impossible possible is all in a day's work for content editors.
In her session, Kerstin Polte will share her real-life experiences and difficulties editing content for Drupal pages. Her goal is to generate awareness among devs, PMs, and designers about the pain points that content editors face and how to avoid them. This one looks unmissable!
When: Tuesday, 5 Oct 2021 - 09:00 to 09:20 UTC
4 - Autosave and Concurrent editing (conflict resolution) in Drupal 8/9
You probably know how counterproductive real-time content collaboration can be. Depending on how your CMS is structured, it can lead to conflicting versions or content loss. However, Drupal presents you with efficient solutions for concurrent editing, enriching your editorial processes.
Hristo Chonov's session will introduce Autosave Form and Conflict, two modules that have the power to enhance your Drupal 9 editorial experience. You'll see what can be achieved with the modules independently and their unique value when enabled together.
When: Wednesday, 6 Oct 2021 - 14:00 to 14:20 UTC
5 - Optimizing the content editor experience: comparing Drupal, WordPress, and Contentful
Creating a great content editor experience is essential to any successful Drupal project. By improving the tools available to content editors and providing them with more intuitive interfaces, we enhance the quality of content. To achieve this, we need to understand editors' expectations and the industry's best practices.
In this session, Evolving Web's Suzanne Dergacheva will present demo findings of a study on CMS user experience that compares Drupal, Contentful, and WordPress. She'll share examples of cross-platform best practices that we can use in Drupal projects and potential improvements in future Drupal versions. This is a MUST-SEE for any content strategists or editors out there.
When: Monday, 4 Oct 2021 - 14:30 to 14:50 UTC
6 - Best Practices for Scaling Drupal Migrations: Waterloo’s Case Study
Migrating to Drupal 9 is not only a necessity, given Drupal 7 and 8's end-of-life. It also provides managers, editors, and users with a richer experience both in the front- and back-end while retaining the features and flexibility that made Drupal the base for more than 1 million websites.
During this session, Evolving Web's Dharizza Espinach will be alongside Pantheon's Eric Michalsen to share our recent experience of completing a large Drupal migration for the University of Waterloo. They will discuss how we approached the project, the lessons that were learned, and share practical advice that will simplify your Drupal migration projects.
When: Wednesday, 6 Oct 2021 - 14:00 to 14:20 UTC
👩💻 Get up to speed on Drupal 9! Watch Evolving Web and Pantheon's full webinar on Drupal 9 migrations.
During DrupalCon Europe, ticket holders can choose between 90 sessions in five tracks, including panels and workshops. You'll also have access to keynotes, live discussions of interest groups, networking opportunities, social events, sponsor gifts, and online contribution opportunities.
See you there!
About DrupalCon Europe 2021
What: DrupalCon Europe 2021
When: 4-7 October 2021
Where: Participants will attend through the Hopin virtual platform
How to Register: More information here