Offline First - The Progressive Web

The #1 fallacy of distributed computing is “The Network is Reliable.” Yet we still build web apps that 100% rely on a server and a network connection. What if we could build web apps that work, regardless of connection state? The promise and capabilities of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) make this possible, and these capabilities are available today.

This session doesn't focus on a specific technology or backend technology; while those demonstrations are impressive, they are only useful for a handful of use-cases. Instead we look at architecture patterns and techniques that can work with any framework, any backend, and virtually any app.

In 2005 the way we built web applications changed when Google released Google Maps and the AJAX map canvas. This approach fundamentally changed how users expect to interact with web applications. Suddenly any app that sent postback after postback felt cumbersome and positively ancient.

Progressive web apps and offline capabilities are that next big shift. Soon any app that doesn't work offline is going to be as jarring and frustrating of a user experience as it would be to go back to a pre-ajax world. Don't let this be your app!

About Michael Carducci

Michael Carducci spent years learning to see things as they actually are; first as a magician, then as a software architect, now as both simultaneously. And somehow that’s not even the whole story.

He’s the author of Mastering Software Architecture (Apress, 2025) and is currently writing The Semantic Layer. He has spent over 25 years following interesting problems; through roles from individual contributor to CTO and back again, across industries and continents.

As a speaker, he applies the same toolkit he uses in close-up magic: attention, misdirection, timing, storytelling, and the instinct to take the long way around when that’s where the truth lives. Audiences at hundreds of conferences across four continents have described his talks as the kind that change how you think about a problem rather than just what you know about it.

He also makes YouTube videos about technology and curiosity with his wife Kate, because some ideas are too important (or too interesting!) to leave only in conference rooms.

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