Predictions for the Jamstack

The Evolving Landscape of Web Development: Predictions

1. The Continuing Challenge of Web Development

For over two decades, I’ve been actively involved in web development, witnessing the ever-persistent refrain within the industry: “this is still too hard.” As websites have grown in sophistication, so too have our expectations of them. This unceasing demand for improvement drives a relentless pursuit of simplicity and efficiency, resulting in continuous innovations in APIs, tools, and frameworks. One such innovation that has gained prominence is the Jamstack architecture, combining enhanced performance with operational ease.

2. The Figma Phenomenon

If you’re not already using Figma, you’ll probably start.

In recent times, Figma has emerged as a prominent tool in the web development process. Over 60% of developers now incorporate Figma into their design workflows. Furthermore, Figma’s high satisfaction score indicates a growing preference among developers, foretelling increased adoption in the coming year.

3. Content Management Systems: Strapi and Sanity on the Rise

Strapi and Sanity will see big growth in usage.

Within the realm of content management systems, Strapi and Sanity have made significant strides. Their usage has witnessed substantial growth from 2020 to 2021, coupled with high satisfaction scores, affirming their potential for future expansion. The surge of headless content management systems, in contrast to traditional ones like WordPress and Drupal, which experienced user declines in 2021, is noteworthy.

4. TypeScript Gaining Momentum

TypeScript will steal developer mindshare from JavaScript.

The popularity of TypeScript has been on a steady ascent, gradually displacing vanilla JavaScript. In 2021, 60% of developers reported using TypeScript, marking a 14-percentage-point increase from the previous year. With an impressive satisfaction score of 7.6, TypeScript’s influence is set to continue growing. Furthermore, smaller languages with high satisfaction scores, such as Rust and Go, are expected to see increased adoption.

5. The Rise of Serverless Functions

Serverless functions hit the mainstream.

In a surprising turn of events, 46% of developers revealed their utilization of serverless functions in some of their projects in the past year. This firmly establishes serverless functions as a mainstream technique, alongside containers and microservices. With overwhelmingly positive satisfaction scores, it is highly likely that the usage of serverless functions will surpass 50% .

6. The Landscape of Component Libraries

Component libraries: React will stay number one, but more people will look at Svelte.

Web development offers an array of framework choices, categorized into three groups. The first group, component libraries, boasts excellent satisfaction scores and solid usage. React continues to lead the pack, and its dominance is expected to persist . However, Svelte is poised for substantial growth, making it a framework to watch in the upcoming year.

7. The Realm of Static Site Generators

Static site generators: the year of 11ty?

Static site generators (SSGs) form the second category of web frameworks. Gatsby.js currently stands as the category leader, but   may witness significant progress for 11ty, which has experienced rapid growth since 2020 and maintains an admirable satisfaction score.

8. Kitchen Sink Frameworks

Kitchen sink frameworks: Next.js will hold ground; Vite will gain fast.

The “kitchen sink” frameworks, designed for full-featured web applications, constitute a competitive category. Next.js, closely associated with React, remains the most popular choice, and its popularity is expected to persist. Notably, Next.js experienced growth in usage in 2021, boasting a remarkable 7.0 satisfaction score.

Notably, Vite has outshone Next.js in terms of satisfaction, hinting at a robust showing If you have yet to explore Vite, this year could be the ideal time to delve into its capabilities, particularly since it seamlessly integrates with major component libraries, including React, Vue, and Svelte.

In conclusion, the web development landscape is poised for substantial transformations . As the demand for more efficient and user-friendly websites continues to grow, developers must remain adaptable and open to new technologies and tools that can streamline their work and enhance the web experience. Embracing trends such as Figma, headless content management systems, TypeScript, serverless functions, and emerging frameworks like Svelte and Vite will be essential to staying at the forefront of web development in the coming year.