Laurie Voss

Web development: where are we, and where are we going?

What if the fundamental web development skills you have today will be obsolete tomorrow? This talk explains the predictable cycle of tech evolution.

Web development: where are we, and where are we going?
#1about 8 minutes

A model for how web development technology evolves

Technology evolves through a predictable cycle of experimentation, commoditization, consolidation, and mass adoption driven by economics and developer boredom.

#2about 6 minutes

Historical examples of abstraction in web development

The history of the web from Apache and PHP to the LAMP stack and WordPress demonstrates a consistent pattern of abstracting away lower-level concerns.

#3about 5 minutes

The rise of modern frameworks and cloud platforms

Frameworks like Rails and jQuery, along with platforms like AWS and GitHub, further abstracted development and infrastructure, accelerating the cycle of change.

#4about 5 minutes

Current technologies in the competition phase

Serverless computing, Jamstack platforms like Netlify, and the React framework are currently in the intense competition and consolidation phase of the technology cycle.

#5about 5 minutes

The future is abstracting away code with components

The next evolution in web development will involve abstracting away code itself through visual, component-based editors that allow building websites without writing HTML or React.

#6about 2 minutes

Navigating your career in a component-driven future

Developers facing this future can choose to specialize in building core components, adapt to building with visual tools, or create the next generation of frameworks.

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Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.

Matching moments

The industry's focus on frameworks over web fundamentals
11:32 MIN

The industry's focus on frameworks over web fundamentals

WeAreDevelopers LIVE – Frontend Inspirations, Web Standards and more

The only frontend stack that truly matters
11:10 MIN

The only frontend stack that truly matters

WeAreDevelopers LIVE – Frontend Inspirations, Web Standards and more

The enduring value of freelance development for small businesses
07:26 MIN

The enduring value of freelance development for small businesses

Slopquatting, API Keys, Fun with Fonts, Recruiters vs AI and more - The Best of LIVE 2025 - Part 2

Using AI to overcome challenges in systems programming
02:49 MIN

Using AI to overcome challenges in systems programming

AI in the Open and in Browsers - Tarek Ziadé

Rapid-fire thoughts on the future of work
02:44 MIN

Rapid-fire thoughts on the future of work

What 2025 Taught Us: A Year-End Special with Hung Lee

How a broken frontend culture impacts the web
04:02 MIN

How a broken frontend culture impacts the web

WeAreDevelopers LIVE – Frontend Inspirations, Web Standards and more

Building collaborative design tools and the neo-brutalism trend
03:05 MIN

Building collaborative design tools and the neo-brutalism trend

Slopquatting, API Keys, Fun with Fonts, Recruiters vs AI and more - The Best of LIVE 2025 - Part 2

Organizing a developer conference for 15,000 attendees
01:32 MIN

Organizing a developer conference for 15,000 attendees

Cat Herding with Lions and Tigers - Christian Heilmann

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From learning to earning

Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.

Web Developer

Web Developer

Your Tech Future
Paignton, United Kingdom

£35K
PHP
API
CSS
GIT
+3