The greatest thing about web development is that every year brings more opportunities thanks to more advanced solutions and better, more efficient frameworks. That’s the nature of, well, development: modern times mean modern tools.
“Every year is better than the last for web development, but 2023 feels different already,” says Joshua Alphonse, developer advocate at Velo. “This is going to be the absolute best year to be a developer—for real.”
It’s a big statement, but we can back it up with our biggest, brightest predictions for 2023, up ahead.
You can tackle more complex projects at scale
It’s true that there are more demands from websites today than in the past. Yoav Abrahami, head of Velo by Wix, compares the modern-day regulatory environment to other highly regulated industries. “If you wanted to build an airplane 100 years ago, you’d build one and fly around,” he says. “Today, you need approval just to start testing one.”
That’s where we’re heading with websites. Twenty years ago, you could publish any HTML page you wanted, Abrahami says. “Today, your website needs to be accessible, secure and private, or you’ll get sued immediately.”
Velo is the only platform that allows you to build unique, customized projects while being sure you’re complying with every regulation, at all times.
And in 2023, you’ll create those unique projects at scale like you’ve never seen with Wix Blocks, a new standalone editor that allows you to create applications that can be reused and customized for any Wix site. “Blocks will allow you to take a highly customized feature and package it for lots of different websites at scale like never before,” Abrahami says.
Watch our Blocks demonstration at DevCon to see it in action.
Collaboration will be more effective and inspiring
In-person events are crucial to collaboration and community, and Alphonse is glad to see them making a comeback. “Developers are always willing to talk through problems and brainstorm solutions, so an event can help you move forward with a project you’ve been contemplating for a while,” he says. (By the way, check out our DevCon recap if you couldn’t make it there in person.)
There will be better ways to work with your team on a daily basis, too. GitHub integration is rolling out to Velo and Editor X (and later to the classic Wix Editor and Blocks), so developers can use version control within their Velo projects, allowing for more seamless collaboration. As Alphonse says, “it’s big.”
AI will clean up your code and free you up for more creative work
GitHub announced their new AI feature, Copilot, back in 2021, and it will continue to get better, which means immediate-to-advanced developers will be able to rely on AI to offer code suggestions in real time.
“Copilot learns about you and the things that you’re building, then it generates code for you,” Alphonse says. It also makes sure the code is clean and optimized, and leads to the best possible outcome. “It’s going to help teams with their velocity when it comes to pushing out products and free everyone up for more creative work.”
We’ll reach more diverse audiences
With the rise of remote work and a growing distrust of giant corporations, dev talent has become more decentralized, which translates to more diversity and wider reaching final products.
“Products always aim to address a group’s needs, so when everyone in the industry has the same background, they only address one group’s needs,” Alphonse says, noting that the shift away from Silicon Valley is paving a path for entrepreneurial developers with diverse backgrounds.
“In the past, everyone was focused on working for Google, Netflix or Amazon, but there’s been a shift to more creative, entrepreneurial work conducted around the world,” Alphonse says. “There’s so much you can do as a developer even if you don’t work for a big company. You can take chances and shift the way things are happening and operating.”
Economic change will produce innovations we can’t imagine yet
We won’t deny the economic reality ahead of us. Companies may continue to cut costs and stocks may still tumble. But creation—whether it’s art, literature or technology—often comes from struggle. “Something always grows out of hard times,” Alphonse says. And as Abrahami points out, “people often need websites in times of change.”
Plus, as we’ve already established, new developments like AI and Wix Blocks can save your time (and energy) for more creative tasks, you don’t need to move to San Francisco to build something awesome and you can better collaborate with your team. This combination of factors perfectly sets the stage for innovation.
That’s why Alphonse says that developers should step out of their comfort zones and take on something harder than they’ve done before. “You have so much space, creativity and support in being a developer—you just need to put your head down and figure out the specific thing that you’re trying to build,” he says. “If you’re going to create something, do it. The best time is now.”
