We strive to have a variety of different talks and formats. Take a look at some of the events we've run in the past.
Great Scott! How the smartphone changed the future
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.
Turning applications into apps
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.
Hands on with mobile accessibility: Process, gotchas, and exploding buses
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/
WWDC & Google I/O Panel discussion
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.
From Concept to Crowd-Puller: The SwiftLeeds Journey
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.
Hack Reality - An Introduction To Making Apps for Apple Vision Pro
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
Beyond code: creating business value with mobile apps
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.
WWDC - World (Wide Developer) Café
January 2024 @ Leeds Beckett University
For our the January 2024 event we hosted a World Café ☕️. A World Wide Developer Café if you will 😉
This was an informal event, with an atmosphere like that of a café, creating a space that supports good conversation, where anybody is able to talk about things that matter to them.
The aim was for attendees to meet new people and discuss their ideas and thoughts about mobile apps. We grouped into tables, discussed a topic for roughly 15 minutes, captured opinions, and then moved on to another table with new people to discuss a related topic.
There were 4 topics of discussion:
📲 Apps & Devices
💼 Business
🌍 Culture & Society
🔮 Future Predictions
Is privacy still the cost of FREE?
By Anthony Main, November 2023 @ Doza Consulting
The state of data privacy in 2023 and the recent and upcoming changes in Android and iOS.
Streamlining Mobile App Delivery with Trunk-Based Development
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.
Cross Platform vs Native Mobile Apps Panel Discussion
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
Mastering Mobile Design: The Secret Sauce Behind Delightful Design
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.