WWDC: Was it worth it?

On a purely functional level we gained a huge amount from WWDC via the sessions and labs on offer. We were presented the amazing opportunity of being able to talk directly with Apple engineers and designers. These are the brilliant minds behind Apple today and there they were, helping little guys like us, one-on-one. Wow.

There was also a motivational level that’s hard to pin down on anything specifically about the week, but by Friday you couldn’t help but be itching to get on with the job of making great new apps or making your existing ones even better.

Then there was the networking and social side. WWDC attracts almost everyone who’s anyone in the app world, but it was just as cool meeting the smaller indie developers and students with bright ideas and boatloads of enthusiasm. I even met someone next to me in a queue who I’d had email conversations with before. And spending time with Marc Edwards from Bjango was fantastic. We’d never met in person until last week despite us both being Australian, (and thank you to Qantas, who spookily seated us right next to each other on the flight over – in a 747!).

As a designer I guess I’d have liked it if there were more labs and sessions available for UI and interaction design, but on the whole it really exceeded my expectations and I’m definitely planning on returning next year.

With over 5000 attendees, I’m amazed at how organised and efficient things were. Of course there were queues for just about everything (including the men’s toilets) but that just gave us another opportunity to meet people.

Everyone at Apple who had a part in WWDC this year should have a huge pat on the back. And if you’re a developer, trying to decide whether or not to go next year, I can’t recommend WWDC highly enough.