NEDCamp 2024: Key Highlights of 10 Important Sessions

The New England Drupal Camp (NEDCamp), returning on November 15-16, 2024, is set to bring together Drupal enthusiasts, professionals, and newcomers for two days of shared learning and growth. At NEDCamp, attendees can expect a range of sessions tailored to all skill levels, from introductory workshops to in-depth discussions on the latest Drupal innovations. One of the main highlights of the camp will be the sessions on Saturday, the 16th. Let's have a quick look at the 10 most important sessions. 

Please keep in mind that this is a personal selection, and it would have a subjective bias. We advise you to visit the Session Agenda on the official NEDCamp website to determine which sessions work for you. 

1. Maximizing Project Success: High-Value Partnerships

The session, led by Norah Medlin, emphasizes the importance of strong partnerships in achieving project success. Key topics include team building, fostering trust through transparency, a discovery-first approach for informed decision-making, and phased project management to navigate high-risk scenarios effectively.

2. 6 Design Accessibility Issues & How to Avoid Them

Michaela Lederman of Aten Design Group shares insights on creating accessible, user-friendly website designs. The session covers the six most common accessibility issues, aligned with WCAG standards, and offers practical strategies to help designers avoid them in future projects.

3. When There's Not a Module for That: How to Make (and Maintain) a New Module

The session, led by Benjamin Melançon and Chris Thompson from Agaric Technology Collective, will guide attendees through creating custom Drupal modules when existing ones fail. It covers essential steps, from initial setup to ensuring compatibility with Drupal core, empowering site builders to overcome limitations and extend functionality through simple coding.

4. Color in CSS: Using New Spaces, Functions, and Techniques to Make Your Site Shine

Aubrey Sambor from Lullabot will lead the session, exploring the latest CSS color options, including HWB, LCH, LAB, and more from the Color Module Levels 4 and 5. Attendees will learn about new color functions, CSS custom properties, and modern accessibility techniques to enhance color use on the web.

5. Effective Bug Handling in Drupal Projects: Strategies for Success

In this session, Michael Miles from MIT Sloan shares practical strategies for identifying, tracking, and fixing bugs in Drupal projects. This session covers bug-tracking tools, teamwork optimization, and communication techniques to enhance project stability and performance, ensuring quality assurance remains integral to the Drupal development process.

6. These are my Favorite Modules

Jacob Rockowitz from The Big Blue House shares his top lesser-known Drupal modules from over 15 years of experience in this session. Focusing on enhancing the admin experience, content authoring, architecture, and developer efficiency, he introduces modules linked to the Schema.org Blueprints ecosystem, offering developers new tools to elevate their Drupal projects.

7. Recipes: It's About Time!

Martin Anderson-Clutz from Acquia delves into the Starshot Initiative's "Recipes" system, a tool for accelerating Drupal site-building in the session. This session explores recipe components, practical applications, and upcoming features, focusing on the Events recipe and its add-ons. It is ideal for users seeking efficient, code-free solutions for complex requirements.

8. Making Drupal Less Complicated

Luke McCormick from Simplify Drupal offers strategies to reduce the complexity of Drupal development. This interactive session explores methods to streamline development, minimize moving parts, and achieve a clean separation of concerns. Attendees will learn techniques to manage Drupal projects effectively without extensive technical expertise, making Drupal more accessible for all.

9. A Look at the Ongoing Efforts to Revitalize Drupal’s Front End

The session will see Brian Perry explore various initiatives within the Drupal community to modernize the front-end experience. Covering enhancements to Twig-based theming, page-building tools, headless Drupal setups, and experimental rendering engines, this session will dive into the community's diverse approaches to aligning Drupal with modern front-end expectations.

10. Security in Drupal: What Can Go Wrong?

Benji Fisher from Harvard Web Publishing examines Drupal security through the lens of the OWASP Top Ten vulnerabilities. The session covers real Drupal security advisories, explaining how vulnerabilities appear, how they are communicated, and steps taken to resolve them. Ideal for those interested in strengthening web security without needing deep technical expertise.