Image credits: Rob Cleeve, Isabel Diaz, and DrupalSouth Sydney.
DrupalSouth is the premier Drupal conference in Australia and New Zealand and has been an integral part of our journey since its start in New Zealand in 2008.
Some of our team had the opportunity to attend this year’s conference in Sydney. Here’s what they learnt.
Damien Payne
Technical Developer
It was great being back in Sydney for Drupal South 2024. I want to extend my gratitude to all the volunteers whose dedication made this event possible, Technocrat for the delicious and free coffee, and Drupal South for three days of great food!
One of the event's standout aspects was the vibrant community; everyone I encountered was incredibly friendly, and I found many people who were working on important things. I came back from Drupal South inspired by the great work being done by the community.
One talk that stood out was Lee Rowlands on Storybook, Vite, Twig and Drupal, which demonstrated some great capabilities our developers would love to work with to turn Figma designs into great websites seamlessly.
Janna Malikova's great breakdown of the most common WYSIWYG editors showed accessibility as a core consideration. She also provided some great tips on how site builders can ensure accessibility at all stages of web projects.
I was very fortunate to be able to attend the third day, as I was initiated into the community and was able to make my first contribution to Drupal Core thanks to the fantastic team at PreviousNext for running the code sprint.
Isabel Diaz
Digital Project Manager
Attending Drupal South 2024 was a real eye-opener for me, especially seeing how extensively Drupal is being adopted by local and state governments across Australia.
It was fascinating to delve into sessions focused on government implementations of Drupal, showcasing its significant role in shaping digital strategies and enhancing citizen services.
Witnessing successful case studies and innovative approaches used by government agencies reinforced the importance of harnessing Drupal's flexibility and scalability.
As a digital project manager specialising in government projects, this newfound knowledge will undoubtedly empower me to deliver tailored solutions that drive efficiency, transparency, and citizen engagement for our clients.
Carmen Famularo
UX/UI Designer
This was my first Drupal conference, and it did not disappoint! That atmosphere was exciting, and the community vibe was strong. Heike Theis' talk on '10 ways to fail as a designer for others' was a standout for me, blending humour and wisdom. Her insights highlighted the diverse and rewarding nature of a multidisciplinary creative career.
I also learned many valuable tips on how to optimise the website development process from a project management standpoint and developed a greater understanding of Drupal and its capabilities.
Winning the UX/UI design award for the Australian Space Agency project was another highlight. It recognised our digital team's hard work and encouraged us to push creative boundaries. Thanks to the Australian Space Agency!
The team also won a DrupalSouth Splash Award for their work on the Australian Space Agency website.
Learn more about our digital capabilities and work here.
