DrupalCon 2016 New Orleans Recap

Every year DrupalCon manages to gather developers, designers, engineers, project managers, business owners and more to participate in hand-picked sessions, code sprints, and social events, that make this community even more dynamic than before.It was a big year for Drupal so it’s only fitting that the conference this year took place in New Orleans!

The Venue

I have a feeling they picked this venue because they care about the participants health and well being. It was probably the largest convention center yet. However, the session rooms seemed smaller this year. If you weren’t in your room at least a few minutes in advance, you may be sitting on the floor.

Training

Engage Your Stakeholders with UX & Design Discovery Workshops

This was a very hands-on training session where we used real examples of client work. We practiced with several tools and utilized best practices in UX Design to come up with the best user experience design for each user task.

Favorite Sessions:

Once Upon a Drop Cap by Jason Pamental

Web type is important and Jason took us through an in depth look of how it effects everything.

The Big Picture: How UX Affects Pretty Much Everything b yMary Albert

We got to dive into LUCID UX a framework being developed by The User Experience Office at Princeton University. It’s always interesting to see how an organization like Princeton University handles their UX. This was a great session that was truly based on the science behind User Experience, separating itself from opinion and artistic preferences.

Easy Accessibility in Drupal 8 by David Spira and Catharine McNally

This was probably my favorite session. What a great insight into the facts that back up the importance of accessibility!  Also, we got to see some out-of-box Drupal 8 accessibility features. Theres a long way to go still, but it’s nice to see that we are headed in the right direction, and doing the right things in this community.

Wireframes to Widgets: Using Paragraphs and Prototyping Tools to Create a Collaborative Design Process. by Christopher Wright and Christopher Bloom

Brilliant session that made you feel like this

Agile Methodology, Sketch, Patten Lab, Twig, Paragraph Module and etc.Great tools that really fuel an efficient design and development process.

Favorites Spots in New Orleans

Gautreau's

This place is tucked away, and there's no signage outside. It really makes you feel like you've entered a private dining event and the food is just spectacular.

Dat Dog

I had the Bacon Werewolf (Slovenian Sausage, Bacon, Sauerkraut, Dill Relish, Grilled Onions, Tomatoes, & Creole Mustard). I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Fritzels

Live jazz in a tiny little bar on Bourbon street. It's definitely a must see, even if you are dreading walking through Bourbon street at night.

French Market

Yes, it's a tourist trap, but a great one. Lots of delicious food options, and vendors.

Here are some of the photos I took while in New Orleans: