Past Talks

April 2025 @ Enablis

A look at how Xamarin evolved, the different things that ‘Xamarin’ came to mean (Native Apps, Class Libraries, much later Xamarin.Forms.. but also Xamarin Studio, plus tooling like HockeyApp / App Center and more) ..

• Advantages of the Xamarin avenues, but also pitfalls and problems.

• Where to turn now on each of those paths (not necessarily a case of ‘choose .NET MAUI’):

• Native Apps in C#, but also a look at Swift and Kotlin, discussing advantages of either approach

• And for Cross Platform: .NET MAUI, Uno Platform, Avalonia UI, or non-C# offerings.

• IDE choices, and replacements for tooling like App Center

Mike Irving is a Microsoft MVP, and the Co-organiser of Dot Net North and Macc Tech. He started programming as a young child on the Dragon 32 micro computer, and later on a ZX Spectrum. Professionally, Mike started out in web development on the Microsoft Stack. However, and in more recent times he has been heavily involved in mobile development, both native and cross-platform. Though regularly coding Swift, Kotlin and JavaScript, C# / .NET has remained a constant through his career.

March 2025 @ Royal Armouries

KMP enables shared code across different operating systems whilst maintaining native performance and flexibility without taking over your entire codebase. This talk explores why KMP is worth adopting for both small and large scale mobile apps.

Rafsanjani Aziz is a Senior Software Engineer specialising in native Android development with a strong focus on Kotlin Multiplatform. He is currently an engineer at NatWest Group, working on the Coutts Wealth mobile application.

March 2025 @ Royal Armouries

We often spend so much time and effort getting apps into production that we forget that what comes after is just as of not more important than before. This talk aims to highlight and demystify the importance of thinking about analytics in your mobile app and the importance of thinking about it early"

Matt Robertson has a proven track record of leading large distributed teams to successfully implement technical solutions. He has played a pivotal role in developing innovative, customer-focused, value-driven applications. By night, Matt switches gears as a passionate Game Streamer, showcasing his love for technology and gaming.

February 2025 @ White Rose Education

Many businesses seek to deliver seamless experiences across iOS, Android, and the web. With React Native, you can already build mobile apps for both iOS and Android from a single codebase. Now, with Expo Router v3, you can go a step further and create web and server applications within the same project.

John Galloway is a technology consultant and co-founder of Doza Consulting. Passionate about the mobile platform, he’s been working in the mobile space for almost a decade. In his spare time, he's an aspiring classic car mechanic and a slow runner.

November 2024 @ Answer Digital

In 2021, Apple released an IDE specifically for building apps on iPad. But it’s a feature of Swift Playgrounds, so everyone overlooked it.

In this talk, we'll explore the limits of app development on iPad. Can we go from concept to release with only an iPad? What’s the best git client for iPadOS? And what does this all mean for you? Prepare to enter a parallel world of app development you didn’t know existed!

James Froggatt has been an app developer for 10 years. He likes to push the limits of the devices he uses. Maybe that’s why the iPad is his primary productivity device.

October 2024 @ Hippo Digital

In this talk, we’ll explore the common pitfalls of using DispatchQueue and why, despite its power, the Swift compiler can’t always save us from mistakes. As Swift moves toward a compiler-first approach, we’ll see how guarantees are provided earlier in development. I’ll give a brief overview of Swift concurrency, highlighting it's complexities and key pitfalls. Finally, I’ll share how we at Monzo are adopting Swift concurrency, module by module, and building the tools to support this transition.

Oliver Atkinson is a Senior Software Engineer at Monzo with over a decade of experience in software development. He has worked at companies like Sky and Blockchain.com, building mobile apps with a focus on clean, maintainable code. At Monzo, Oliver has been responsible for the new payment experience and adding support for under-16 bank accounts. He is currently working on Monzo’s multiplayer experience, exploring the possibilities of gifting. Additionally, he is helping drive the company’s adoption of Swift concurrency. Oliver is passionate about solving real-world problems and sharing what he has learned along the way.

October 2024 @ Hippo Digital

This is not a talk about SwiftUI or any particular technology. This is a story of our journey. A journey, that is packed with twists and turns; tests, allies, and enums. I will talk about how we navigated this large project, what helped us succeed, what held us back and how our approach kept on evolving as we progressed.

Lucy Galik is a Software Engineer at Monzo working in growth. Previously she worked at Delli and Farmdrop where she built delightful apps focusing on first class user experience. She likes learning new technologies, solving problems and helping others. Outside of work, Lucy enjoys cold water swimming. She is also an avid operagoer.

September 2024 @ AND Digital

Hop into the DeLorean and join Luke Stringer for a fourth-dimensional journey through the history of the smartphone, inspired by the iconic film Back to the Future. Come with us to remember the beginnings of the smartphone revolution, revisit iconic software and hardware launches, and get a glimpse into what the future holds.

August 2024 @ Burendo

Join Paul Shone, Co-Founder of Pixelated People a recruitment leader with over 15 years of experience in building world-class mobile engineering teams, as he unveils the secrets to transforming job applications into standout apps. In this insightful talk, Paul will share invaluable tips on how to standout and secure your dream job in this competitive job market, and reveal the strategies top companies use to hire the best mobile talent. Whether you’re a job seeker aiming to land the perfect role or a company striving to attract elite mobile engineers, this session is packed with actionable advice that will set you apart from the competition.

July 2024 @ Sky

Where do you get started with mobile accessibility? Bianca Darolti joined us for a discussion on accessibility standards, how to incorporate them effectively into your project, and also to run an interactive workshop on accessibility support in React Native.

After her talk, Bianca and her Softwire colleagues ran an interactive accessibility puzzle hunt using Expo Go. You can try this out yourself here: https://a11ytune.vercel.app/ 

June 2024 @ Flutter Entertainment

We discussed the latest announcements from the two annual tech conferences from Apple and Google. We asked a panel of experts for their thoughts and observations on what it means for app development.

Anna Scandella is the Director of User Experience at Pocketworks. She specialises in service design, mobile app remote research, remote user research, and UX design. With nearly 7 years at Pocketworks, she focuses on simplifying complex services and driving solutions design.

Aaron Thompson is the Head of Mobile at Accenture Next Gen Engineering, he has been working in tech for over 10 years and has worked on many different technologies, from embedded computing to full stack web and mobile. He has worked on a number of high-profile apps such as Asda Rewards, Goldman Sachs Marcus, Sainsbury's Grocery & SkyBet's Super 6 and Sporting Life apps.

Rich Thorne is a Principal Engineer at Sky, leveraging his 15+ years of full-stack development experience to craft scalable solutions for the My Sky App team. With a deep expertise in React Native, he tackles complex technical challenges with a passion for innovation.

Niclas Jeppsson is an iOS Developer at BBC where he works across their different platforms and is part of the team implementing SwiftUI across their apps. Niclas is also a passionate learner of all things Metal, C++ and game development.

By Adam Rush, April 2024 @ AND Digital

Dive into the story of SwiftLeeds, a gathering that’s become a beacon for Swift enthusiasts, through the eyes of its founder, Adam Rush. With over a decade of experience as an iOS Engineer, I embarked on a mission not just to create another tech conference, but to foster a community where learning, innovation, and connections flourish. This talk is my personal narrative of transforming a vision into reality. From the early days of sketching out plans, grappling with challenges, to celebrating our milestones – it’s a journey filled with lessons, laughter, and a few surprises along the way. I’ll share the strategies that worked, the hurdles we overcame, and how we’ve kept the passion alive through each event. Whether you’re dreaming of starting your own conference or looking to make a mark in the tech world, join me as I unfold the chapters of creating SwiftLeeds, a testament to the power of community and determination.

By Matt Heaney, March 2024 @ Flutter Entertainment

At WWDC 2023, Apple made a game changing announcement: they introduced the Vision Pro and visionOS, their first steps into spacial computing. Their new headset allows apps to break out of iPhone and iPad screens and blend seamlessly into spaces around us.

For users, this is incredibly exciting.

But as developers, this goes another level: we get to make apps to be used on the headset! Whether you’re an experienced developer for Apple products or brand new to the game, this is the perfect time to get involved.

The best part is: it’s easier than you may think to get and running with developing for visionOS. There’s a lot of new terms and tools we can use, but this talk has you covered.

In this talk, we’ll start at the very top, and we’ll look at:

• What impact could the Vision Pro have on developing for Apple products?

• Navigating the Vision Pro simulator in Xcode

• The difference between apps that use Windows, Volumes and Spaces

• How to get up and going building your first Vision Pro apps

• My goal with this talk is not only to provide you with the information you need to get up and running, but also to inspire you to make your first projects for the Vision Pro

By Gabbrielle Earnshaw, February 2024 @ AND Digital

In this talk I (Gabbrielle) start with an overview of how apps drive business value at a very high level. Then I give some examples of how you can use that understanding to make technology decisions to drive value for a specific app.

By Anthony Main, November 2023 @ Doza Consulting

The state of data privacy in 2023 and the recent and upcoming changes in Android and iOS.

By Patrick Powell, November 2023 @ Doza Consulting

Join us for an insightful talk on Trunk-Based Development, a modern software development approach that promises to re-evaluate the way you build and deliver software. We will explore the principles, benefits, and best practices of trunk-based development, helping you understand how it can streamline your development process and accelerate the software delivery pipeline of your mobile apps.

October 2023 @ Flutter Entertainment

This month we hosted a Panel Discussion on the topic of Cross Platform vs Native Mobile Apps

Our panellists were:

• Mark Wilcox - Mobile Tech Lead at Olio

• Gabrielle Earnshaw - Freelance Mobile App Engineering & Strategy Specialist

• Jimmy Forrester-Fellowes - Rocketware Founder & App Development Consultant

• Luke Hampshaw - Head of Software Engineering at Sky

By Mike Stead, September 2023 @ AND Digital

Join us as we delve into the (not so) secret sauce behind great interaction design, breaking down everyday interactions and the genius behind their intuitive nature. Learn how to power up your apps by seamlessly blending functionality and aesthetics to evoke delight and enhance the way people interact with your mobile apps.