My last Drupalcon was six years ago, so 2024 seemed like the perfect year to get back on board at Drupalcon Singapore. Why?
First of all, Drupal is planning a number of exciting changes to Starshot and AI integration.
Second, Drupalcon Singapore marked a historic moment as the first Drupalcon in Asia since the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a much-needed opportunity for developers, designers, and enthusiasts from Southeast Asia, Australia, and beyond to come together in person. The convention celebrated the vibrant and growing Drupal community in the region while underscoring the importance of fostering connections and sharing knowledge on a global scale.
Finally, my decision to attend was influenced by the prospect of visiting tropical Southeast Asia for the holidays. Singapore is a modern, multicultural city renowned for its futuristic skyline and diverse culinary scene, with modern office buildings next to bustling hawker centers full of vendors selling traditional meals. (See conclusion for more about the food!)
The Parkroyal Collection Hotel, located across from the iconic Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, served as the stunning venue. With its lush vertical gardens and proximity to some of the city’s most famous landmarks, the hotel provided an inspiring setting for attendees to connect, collaborate, and innovate.
The following are some of my key takeaways from Drupalcon Singapore 2024.
The Driesnote
Dries Buytaert, the founder of Drupal, kicks off every Drupalcon with the keynote presentation. Affectionately nicknamed the “Driesnote,” this presentation unveiled the roadmap for Drupal’s future and celebrated the remarkable progress made over the past year. The keynote focused on both of the topics I was there to learn about: Drupal Starshot and the integration of AI into Drupal. I also got a bonus topic, Dries demoed the new Experience Builder.
Each of the topics is interesting on its own. Taken together, they paint an even more exciting picture. Long known as a powerful framework with a steep learning curve, Drupal is becoming easier to use.
Check out Dries’s DrupalCon Singapore opening keynote.
Starshot/Drupal CMS
At the core of Drupal’s ambitious roadmap is the Drupal Starshot initiative, also known as DrupalCMS. This visionary project aims to position Drupal as the leading content management solution for the next decade. By focusing on scalability, accessibility, and user-centric design, DrupalCMS seeks to empower organizations of all sizes to create seamless digital experiences. Dries emphasized how the initiative aligns with the needs of modern enterprises, ensuring Drupal remains at the forefront of innovation in an increasingly competitive landscape.
How does this make Drupal easier to use? According to the Dries Drupal Starshot page, “It is a version of Drupal that enables site builders without Drupal experience to easily build and launch a new Drupal site and extend it with pre-packaged recipes, all using only their browser.” In other words, Drupal Starshot allows anybody to set up a Drupal site. Programming knowledge and development tools are not required.
AI Configuration Tool
One of the most exciting advancements discussed during the Driesnote was the integration of artificial intelligence into Drupal. Dries showcased the AI configuration tool, a feature designed to simplify and accelerate the process of setting up and customizing Drupal sites. This tool leverages AI to provide intelligent recommendations, automate repetitive tasks, and optimize user experiences. Attendees were particularly excited about the potential of AI to enhance personalization, streamline workflows, and bring a new level of efficiency to Drupal development.
How does this make Drupal easier to use? The integration of AI empowers site owners and content editors to more easily manage their sites. They will be able to make a wider range of changes without the need for a developer.
Experience Builder
Dries also introduced the Experience Builder, a revolutionary tool set to replace the existing Layout Builder. This new feature promises to redefine how content creators and developers design and manage digital experiences. With a more intuitive interface and advanced customization options, the Experience Builder enables users to create dynamic, visually engaging layouts with ease. By empowering non-technical users to take charge of their site’s design, this innovation reflects Drupal’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.
How does this make Drupal easier to use? Experience Builder brings front end design and front end development closer together. Now anyone can build beautiful landing pages.
Contribution Day
Drupalcon Singapore closed with another much loved event: Contribution Day. Drupal is a community supported, open-source software. Over 100 conference attendees spent the day giving back to the community. Led by a core group of mentors, developers learned how to identify bugs, log issues, and patch the problems.
Contribution Day was a big day for me personally. I made some great friends, got my first Drupal Core contribution credit, and I made connections that have helped me resolve more issues in the following days.
In summary
Drupalcon Singapore 2024 was more than just a conference—it was a celebration of the amazing Drupal community. From accomplishing minor tasks such as patching bugs to the larger work of creating new functionality like AI integration, the community keeps Drupal moving forward.
With newly made friends from the event, I also got another treat. We explored Maxwell, Amoy Street, and Chomp Chomp Food Centers to sample Satay Udang (shrimp skewers), Hainanese Chicken Rice, and Ice Kachang. And, for anyone familiar with a fruit called durian, my first experience was…memorable.
Events like Drupalcon remind me of the importance of coming together to share ideas, celebrate achievements, and shape the future of open-source technology. I came away feeling refreshed, invigorated, well fed!, and excited for Drupal’s future.
Learn more
- Drupalcon Singapore
- Drupal GovCon Recap and more Drupal articles on the GWW blog
- Contact us for a free Drupal consultation
