Thomas Stirling is an interesting man. If you do any client services you need to attend his talk and meet him afterward. His knowledge and insights will help change the way you approach the web design process.
What drives you to speak at WordCamps?
WordPress has such a wonderful community of people behind it and I feel honored to be a part of that. My talks focus on process and passion, exploring things I have learned running a creative agency that is growing. I like sharing some of the things we have tried and have helped other people like me who are starting out. There is nothing more satisfying than helping someone else out.
What is your session about?
In this talk, I share how to improve the quality of the websites you build by simply changing your approach to the design process. The outcome is a stronger relationship with your client, a repeatable method for continued website improvements, and an outstanding experience for both the client and its users.
What would you like to see change about the WordPress platform in the next 5-10 years?
I look forward to seeing how people leverage WordPress for its REST API as it continues to be used more an application framework. Anything we can do to empower users to do more with less expertise is a good thing because it exposes more people to the underlying technology out there. Beyond that, as more of a wishlist – I am excited to see how WordPress evolves to meet the needs of its users as we move into the VR and IR web experiences of tomorrow.
Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?
I think the community could benefit from two things, a more comprehensive job board and some mentorship programs. I think some of this exists in some of the larger cities in the form of meetup groups, but a centralized place.
What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?
Working with local Governments has posed new challenges. We are doing some creative stuff with WordPress multi-site, along with advanced modules and custom pages for departments.
What’s a problem you recently solved creatively using WordPress?
Transitioning larger institutions with thousands of pages into WP can be challenging. We are doing a lot with custom post types for categorizing, displaying and filtering data across a wide array of use cases with the goal of making it easier to update and edit these larger sites.
Where can people find more about you?
I am pretty easy to find, add me on social and ask away if you can’t find an answer to the question you are looking for. There is a lot of good content about me and my team on our website at stboston.com. My social media presence is pretty tame, but there is some good content on Facebook and Instagram.