Looking Ahead to 2018

With 2018 just around the corner and new technologies bracing the market, some of the ClarityDX team give their thoughts on what we can expect to see in the world of web design & development next year.

From integrating Virtual Reality into the way we work, to seeing how the web will adapt to new browsers, the team give their predictions and thoughts on what to expect in 2018 (along with some personal goals that we will, of course, hold them to…)

Alex – Founder & MD
What developments in the web design & development industry are you excited about for 2018?
I’m keeping a close eye on the development of the new WordPress Gutenberg editor which is currently in Beta and slated to be released with WordPress 5.0 next year. It’s a serious upgrade to the content editor that is set to further optimise content publishing workflows whilst empowering our clients to publish and edit content with more power and flexibility.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
More exercise and healthier eating!

Roz – Project Manager
Is there a new technology 2018 will bring that you’re excited about?
It’s not new exactly, but I’m looking forward to seeing an increase in mixed reality content. As brands begin to be more adventurous when exploring immersive and engaging content, I’m excited to see how that will reflect in user experience.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
2018 is going to be my year to become a Scrum Master. Watch this space!

Laura – Account Manager
What developments in the web design & development industry are you excited about for 2018?
The whole area of consent as part of the GDPR is pretty interesting. I’m looking forward to working on projects that incorporate full GDPR compliancy and to see what the results will be for any changes around this in terms of opt-ins, user experience and transparency.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
Yes, mainly around fitness, developing skills and relying less on coffee.

Cédrine – Designer
What developments in the web design & development industry are you excited about for 2018?
I’m very interested to see how future technologies will impact our work as designers. Right now, we’re creating websites and interfaces that have to be used on the devices that we all know (desktop, phones, tablets), but I can’t wait to see and experiment with new ways of designing for future products that have to be used with systems like the HTC Vive.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
Take more risks, explore more design styles, be bolder and eat healthier.

David – Backend Developer
What developments in the web design & development industry are you excited about for 2018?
I would like to see how the web will adapt to new browsers such as, for example, the future browser that the Nintendo Switch will use. Video console browsers have been pretty bad in the past and not widely used, but the Nintendo Switch is a powerful portable device that, once it becomes a mature product, will have to offer app functionality just as smartphones do today.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
I already like how I am! I am going to keep improving my developer skills, that’s for sure!

Nicola – Art Director
What developments in the web design & development industry are you excited about for 2018?
After attending the OFFF London Design Conference earlier this year and speaking to a number of people about Virtual Reality, I’m excited to see how that will begin to be integrated more into websites in 2018.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
Yes, I’m aiming to develop my use of motion and interaction in my prototypes and design work.

Darren – Digital Project Manager
Is there a new technology 2018 will bring that you’re excited about?
Whilst it’s not exactly ‘new’, I’m really excited about VR coming down in price and reaching further than the ‘early adopters’. Once more people of different ages and abilities are using VR – and indeed most consumer technology products – that’s when innovation and ideas flourish, and things start to get interesting.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
To improve my work/life balance. Well… at least I’ll try!

Alessandro S – Lead Developer
Will your job or the way you do your job, change in 2018?
Definitely, and it has to! Web development has improved a lot in the past years: new technologies come out, devices become more powerful and modern browsers give us more ‘power’. Consequently, we must update, look back to 2017 and implement workflows and technologies that best suits our skills.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
Yes, my two goals for next year are to invest some time in supporting Open Source projects that I use every day, either for work or fun, and to start to learn and experiment with AI (artificial intelligence).

Alessandro T – WordPress Developer
Is there a new technology 2018 will bring that you’re excited about / interested in?
Definitely, Vue.js. It’s a new JavaScript framework that has piqued my interest because of its ease of use. Since Vue is still relatively new, there are not many great examples of it being used within the WordPress ecosystem, but I’ve been experimenting with it in my spare time and will probably release something open source in the future.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
I really want to get more comfortable with Vue.js and the WordPress REST API; there’s so much that can be done with those two.

Matt – WordPress Developer
What developments in the web design & development industry are you excited about for 2018?
PWA (progressive web apps) are gaining more traction and are further blurring the line between web apps and native apps. They are great for users who have lower-end devices with limited storage capacity as they take up very little space. Service workers run in the background of the device, updating content whenever the device is connected to the Internet. They are essentially web apps which have a direct shortcut on a device’s home screen.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
I’m really looking forward to further integrating myself as part of the ClarityDX development team. The last couple of months have been a whirlwind, but I’ve really enjoyed it!
(Ed: Matt missed the photoshoot so our designer Cedrine has kindly provided a quick sketch)

Andrew – Front End Developer
Will your job / the way you do your job, change in 2018?
Mostly it should stay the same, however I see it expanding into exciting new technologies such as using 3D objects within websites to allow for things like AR/VR experiences.
Do you have any personal goals for 2018?
Learn Vue.js or similar frameworks like React. To push into more modern CSS, like CSS Grid & Flexbox. To get a better understanding of how backend functionality works. Collaborating with the backend devs only helps us all.