FEDSA 2025 Year-End Wrap-Up: Highlights, Insights & Big Questions

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Missed the talk?

Here’s a quick rundown of what turned into a lively and reflective look back at the year in frontend development, design, and the FEDSA community itself.

Co-hosted by Justin and Schalk, the session blended a relaxed retrospective with audience interaction, spotlighting what mattered most in frontend this year, from surprising releases to deeper industry questions. Whether you’re curious about evolving tools or pondering where AI fits into your future as a developer, this session had something for you.

A Look Back at 2025 in Frontend

To kick things off, Schalk and Justin shared a collaborative Figma Jam board filled with standout moments from FEDSA newsletters and events. This visual summary helped frame the discussion, triggering both nostalgia and fresh conversation. There was even a moment of surprise over forgotten headlines, like the long-awaited release of jQuery 4!

The session also included live community engagement, with questions from attendees on YouTube and LinkedIn. One lucky participant won a R250 Takealot voucher for submitting the most thought-provoking question, courtesy of FEDSA sponsor KRS.

Key Takeaways

• AI Won’t Replace Developers, At Least Not Yet

  One big audience question: Will AI replace us? Justin and Schalk were clear that while AI is changing workflows, there’s no realistic short-term scenario where it replaces frontend developers entirely. The human element in problem-solving and design remains crucial.

• Yes, jQuery Is Still Alive (and Now at v4)

  In one of the more surprising throwbacks of the year, jQuery 4 was officially released. It’s a testament to how legacy tools still evolve, and a reminder of how far the ecosystem has come.

• Security and Trust Remain Top of Mind

  Several submitted questions touched on security, underscoring how essential it is to bake trust into both tooling and user experiences. This theme echoed throughout FEDSA’s 2025 content.

• Community is Still the Core

  From long-time sponsors like NML and IO to newer supporters like KRS (who sponsor the FEDSA Feed Newsletter), this event reinforced that the strength of frontend isn’t just in the tech, it’s in the people behind it.

• You Don’t Need to Be Perfectly Prepared

  Schalk openly admitted this might have been his least-prepared event, and yet, the conversation still sparked valuable insights. Sometimes the best discussions are the most honest and spontaneous.

Catch Up On the Full Session

Want to see which trends made the cut, or hear the full AI debate? Watch the full session replay on YouTube. You’ll hear about the tools, frameworks, and community questions that shaped 2025—and get a better sense of what’s ahead in 2026.

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