Future Proof Theming: Best Practices for Drupal’s New Era (Full-day)

Drupal theming is evolving fast with Single Directory Components (SDCs), Drupal Canvas, and modern CSS/JS practices changing how we build and maintain frontends. Are you ready? 

In this fun and hands-on full-day training, Drupal core subsystem maintainers and theming experts Mike Herchel () and Andy Blum () will guide you through the essential tools, techniques, and best practices for building durable, accessible, and flexible themes that thrive in today’s (and tomorrow’s) Drupal landscape. 

Attendees will learn how to:
 - Create reusable SDCs that work in and out of page builders 
- Leverage modern CSS and JavaScript best practices 
- Optimize and testing for accessibility, performance, and maintainability 
- Avoid common pitfalls when working with page builders like Canvas and Layout Builder 
- Use tools like Storybook for better workflows 

This training is hands-on. Bring your laptop and a local Drupal installation so you can follow along and build real-world components with Mike and Andy. 

Level of experience required Intermediate-to-Advanced — attendees should be familiar with basic Drupal theming concepts, and be able to perform the following tasks:
- Install and configure Drupal on their local computer 
- Install and configure modules and themes 
- Write HTML, CSS, Twig, JavaScript, and integrate with Drupal themes Key takeaways 

After this training, attendees will be able to create Drupal themes that: 

- Leverage the new Single Directory Components (SDC) subsystem for modular, reusable frontend architecture 
- Function as Starterkits, enabling consistent theming across projects or teams 
- Implement modern CSS features and tooling, including nesting, logical properties, and container queries 
- Integrate maintainable, framework-agnostic JavaScript using best practices including Drupal behaviors, drupalSettings, and once() 
- Deliver fast, accessible, and user-friendly experiences that exceed real-world performance and WCAG 2.2 standards