This year we have 4 Workshops to choose from. They’re full day workshops, so you can really get stuck in and learn loads about the topic you’re most passionate about.
Workshops Day ~ 3 Oct, 2011
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1:
9:00 - 5:00
iOS Bootcamp
All web apps need a great mobile strategy. If you’d like to build an iOS app to complement your web app, but have never delved into the murky world of Objective-C, this is the workshop for you.
What you'll learn:
- How to get started with Xcode 4 and Objective-C
- Foundation Framework
- Testing and deploying your app
- and more …
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2:
9:00 - 5:00
Increase Conversions and Revenue
Launching your app is only the beginning of a very long, tough journey. If you want your app to be profitable and exciting, you need to learn how to maximise conversion rates and increase revenue. This workshop will give you the tools you need to succeed.
What you'll learn:
- Effective A/B testing
- Tried and true methods for increasing conversion rates
- Common mistakes on signup pages
- Typical conversion rates and how you stack up
- and more …
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3:
9:00 - 5:00
Socket.IO, Express and Node.js
Learn how to build high performance Internet and web applications with Node.js. In is session Tom Hughes-Croucher will demonstrate how to quickly build a high performance chat server using Node.js. This live coding exercise will provide a real insight into what it looks like to build a project in server-side Javascript.
You’ll learn how to get started with Node.js using the Express MVC framework, and socket.io for real-time communication. We’ll explore how Node works and what techniques and architectures are most effective when programming Node. Learn how Node helped LinkedIn make an app that was twice as fast using 98% less servers than their Rails deployment.
What you'll learn:
- How to get Node.js running
- How to create a web app using express.js
- How to create sockets using node.js and socket.io
- How to communicate between browsers, services, and the server in real-time
Please Note
- Attendees should have a laptop and expect to write code.
- Attendees should have installed Node.js on their laptop following the instructions on https://github.com/joyent/node/wiki/Installation
- Attendees should have a basic familiarity with how Node works and run the HTTP server example from http://nodejs.org
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4:
9:00 - 5:00
How to Build a Web App Fast
This workshop allows you to experiment with rapid design and coding techniques to help you deliver an idea for a first prototype in less than 8 hours. Teams will be issued a surprise challenge and have the duration of the workshop to create a web app that will delight users and answer the challenge!
What you'll learn:
- How to think creatively and generate ideas that really matter
- Learn how and when to focus those ideas and tie it back to real business and end-user goals
- Know when to create prototypes and concept usability test at key stages of a project
- Understand the key development challenges and learn valuable tips to help you work faster
- Create a minimum viable delightful solution and get it out to market fast!
We have a jam packed schedule for you this year with the most amazing speakers and inspirational topics. Not only this, but there will be two tracks over two days, double whammy!
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Track 1:
9:00 - 9:05
Welcome to FOWA
Hello and Welcome to FOWA London 2011
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Track 1:
9:05 - 9:45
Get excited and build things!
Over the last few years the internet has taken over. It is not a geek thing or something for university researchers. It is in our homes, on our mobile phones, on our tablets and even in our game consoles and TV sets. With that much exposure comes a lot of advertising and everybody wants a slice of its fame. The trick to make the best out of it is to jump right into it and not fall for the siren song of advertisers telling you that their product is what makes it work for you. All the web technologies that deliver the magic are open and have been proven for years. It is up to you to grab them, shake the box and find out how they work. In this session Chris Heilmann of Mozilla shows how being open and being interested helped his career and how you can find talent, build cool products and make a living through being excited and interested in the tech behind the media.
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Track 1:
9:50 - 10:30
What's Next for JavaScript and the Web Platform
Lots of new features are landing in the web — WebGL, WebAudio, Databases, etc. — but lowly old JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and DOM are all set to change dramatically in the near future too. Data binding, a true component model, and a better language for using them from are all in the cards, and they’ll change everything about the way you build apps. This talk examines what to expect, when, and why from
the perspective of the Web Platform team inside the Chrome project.
Track 2:
9:50 - 10:30
Marketing Your App to Success
Adam will discuss various distribution methods to maximize the potential of making your app discoverable. He will also address how gamification trends are helping marketing campaigns succeed as well as gain attention.
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Morning Break: 10:30 - 11:15
Grab a coffee and network
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Track 1:
11:15 - 11:45
The Future of Commerce and the Opportunity for Developers
The commerce landscape is undergoing massive change driven by consumers adopting disruptive social, mobile, digital and local technologies and services. Learn why we are building the X.commerce platform and how developers and merchants can leverage it to profitably meet this increasing demand and grow their business. Get details of how the platform is built, the opportunities it presents and how to engage, innovate and profit with us.
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Track 1:
11:50 - 12:30
Spine, a Lightweight Framework for building JavaScript Web Apps
This powerful framework is only 2K but it gives you MVC structure for your JS app. Learn how to use it for your projects.
Track 2:
11:50 - 12:30
Bootstrapping SoundCloud's Platform -- The bumpy ride from zero to hundreds of apps and millions of users
SoundCloud has had an API ever since we launched in private beta. Today, hundreds of 3rd-party apps have been built on top of our platform—in fact entire companies depend on our API and a fair amount of our business is driven by it, which is pretty cool! But how did we get there? It’s been a pretty exciting and at times bumpy ride, so in this talk I wanted to share some of our experiences we’ve made along the way. I will be covering topics such as API do’s and dont’s, agile platform bizdev, hacker engagement and scaling…
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Track 1:
12:35 - 1:15
Responsive Web Apps
Learn how to make your app look great on any mobile devices, while also delivering a more focused user experience.
Track 2:
12:35 - 1:15
Lean Product Development: 7 Tips To Reduce Waste & Build Something People Want
In todays world of could computing, web API’s and open source, It’s not if you can build it, but should you build it. The #1 startup killer is running out of time before you get traction. Lean product development is the methodology that allowed companies like; PayPal, Yelp, and Ardvark to pivot into their market to become category leaders. There’s a science behind the approach and in this talk Dan will go over Customer Development, feature prioritization, split testing, product metrics and agile development as approaches to increase your probabilities of success.
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Lunch Break: 1:15 - 2:30
Break for lunch on us. Networking, some time to catch up with each other, and a bit of a breather before the afternoon sessions start up!
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Track 1:
2:30 - 3:10
This App is 1% Finished: How to Rethink and Rewrite
No matter how great your app is, you need to always be looking to make it better. Stop being complacent, put all ideas back on the table, and start building the next version. If you can start by believing you’re only 1% finished building your app, you’ll be more open to making bold changes that’ll push your app forward. I will share advice for orienting team discussion and how to recognize true product progress, drawing from my experience rewriting Facebook Groups, Questions, and Events.
Track 2:
2:30 - 3:10
Better JS Apps with Backbone.js
Learn how Backbone.js can turn your app from being a tangled pile of jQuery selectors and callbacks into powerful self-updating views. Backbone.js is a javascript framework that will give you the ability to write cleaner, better organized, and more dynamic web applications, and this talk will show you everything you need to know to get started with this powerful framework.
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Track 1:
3:15 - 3:35
Building HTML5 Games
Tired of playing Angry Birds, Farmville, or Pacman? Come learn how you can build the next cool game in HTML5. Expect code, best practices, experience from the field and lot of fun!
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Afternoon Break: 3:35 - 4:20
Grab a coffee and network
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Track 1:
4:20 - 5:00
Future of the Browser
A panel of leading browsers including Patrick Lauke (Opera) and Alex Russell (Chrome, Giorgio Sardo (iE) and Christian Heilmann (Mozilla) will discuss future of browser and what it means for designers and developers. We’ll also look at Mobile and the impact this will have.
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Track 1:
5:05 - 5:45
10 Tips for Web App Success and Profitability
Launching a web app is fraught with danger, so learn 10 tips that will help you avoid the Dead Pool.
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Track 1:
5:45 - 5:50
Closing Remarks from Day 1
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Track 1:
9:00 - 9:05
Hello and Welcome to Day 2
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Track 1:
9:05 - 9:45
How to pitch your app and get big coverage
The number one question I get asked is for advice as to how to pitch a tech blogger about a app/startup/idea. The answer is fairly complicated since every blogger is different. So instead I’ll proceed with a 40 minute lecture on the matter. And yes, I’ll cover the embargo nonsense. In detail. With curse words.
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Track 1:
9:50 - 10:00
Launch!
The worldwide launch of YOUR new app covered by TechCrunch. If you want to launch your app, please email Louise
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Track 1:
10:05 - 10:45
The Things of the Future: Putting People First
Technology has, of course, changed the world – but its main power has been social, not commercial. Despite the best efforts of the industrial age, the general public now holds the cards. They can have any colour they like, including black. They can bring down newspapers, industries, and governments. They’re not going to take your shit any more.
So farewell and good riddance to “pile em high and sell em cheap”, saturation advertising, and consumption culture. It’s time to put people – and humanity – at the heart of business.
Track 2:
10:05 - 10:45
Rapid Prototyping with the Browser Stack
There are some amazing technologies in the browser these days. While these new technologies are making the web a more amazing place for the people who use it every day, they’re also making the web a much more enjoyable place for designers and developers. We’ll talk about how Carsonified uses HTML5 technologies, JavaScript, and some great tools and services to prototype and test new features in the browser.
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Morning Break: 10:45 - 11:15
Grab a coffee and network
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Track 1:
11:15 - 11:35
You're in the Cloud, Now What? - Getting the Most Out of Your Cloud Platform
“The cloud” promises scalability, reliability, and easy management, but actually getting those benefits goes beyond simply deciding to use the cloud. Learn what you should consider when choosing a cloud platform and designing your application. We’ll talk about how to build web applications that can start small and grow seamlessly, stay up no matter what, and serve a global audience.
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Track 1:
11:40 - 11:55
iOS Accessibility – Why blind users love Apple
Robin will demonstrate the amazing potential that iOS devices (and even more so their apps) have to change the lives of users with disabilities. Find out why a camera is so vital for blind users, and how apps that cost a few pence are replacing specialist bits of kit costing thousands of pounds.
Track 2:
11:40 - 12:20
How to Grow Revenue and Profit Quickly
Learn essential strategies for getting to break-even and profitability faster and easier.
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Track 1:
12:00 - 12:20
How to find, hire and keep good technical talent
One of the most challenging aspects of operating a startup is assembling a team that’s truly able to build great products. Technical talent is scarce, demand is enormous, and the stakes are incredibly high. In this quick talk, I’ll discuss some tactics that will help you find, hire, and keep the kinds of people that will allow you to execute your company’s vision.
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Track 1:
12:25 - 1:05
Better JS with CoffeeScript - 37 Signals
Learn how to write cleaner and faster JavaScript with CoffeeScript. We’ll also cover where this is leading in the future.
Track 2:
12:25 - 1:05
To Catch a Virus
Finished building your awesome new app and ready to take your market by storm? Get ready for the real hard part: getting users. It’s a challenge that engineering can’t solve but with the right planning, user growth can be incorporated directly into your core product. How? Viral loops.
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Lunch Break: 1:05 - 2:30
Break for lunch on us. Networking, some time to catch up with each other, and a bit of a breather before the afternoon sessions start up!
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Track 1:
2:30 - 3:10
Developing the Next-Generation of Social Apps
Social apps are all the rage. Quickly take your social apps from concept to high scale. Walk through the Facebook application development flow and deploy it to the Heroku cloud platform in a matter of minutes. Developers and designers will love the git-based workflow, polyglot language support, and scalability.
Track 2:
2:30 - 3:10
The Future of CSS
CSS has changed very little in the last decade. Its feature set has remained roughly the same since the day it was introduced. In this talk, I’ll introduce you to Sass, a major upgrade to CSS that you can start using today in your projects to make your CSS styling far more awesome.
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Track 1:
3:15 - 3:35
Mobile Web Apps: Where Are We Headed?
In this session we’ll take a look at what’s the future of Mobile Web Apps. We’ll do an overview on the status of Mobile Web Applications, what are the main players and projects to keep an eye on and where we are going.
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Afternoon Break: 3:35 - 4:20
Grab a coffee and network
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Track 1:
4:20 - 5:00
Node.js, Socket.IO and Express
Learn how to use this amazing trio to build powerful JavaScript apps
Track 2:
4:20 - 5:00
Handy Tools for Optimizing your Team
Running a Team of developers and designers isn’t easy. Learn how to use several key apps and principles to make your team operate like a well-oiled, happy machine.
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Track 1:
5:05 - 5:45
Write better markup through writing better CSS
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Track 1:
5:45 - 5:50
