Dripyard and Lullabot to Deliver Future‑Proof Theming Training at DrupalCon Chicago 2026

The session, titled Future‑Proof Theming: Best Practices for Drupal’s New Era, brings together Mike Herchel, a long‑time front‑end contributor from Dripyard, and Andy Blum of Lullabot, both of whom have deep experience with modern Drupal front ends. Their training is built on field-tested lessons gained through shipping and maintaining production-grade themes—insights that often emerge well after launch.

Rather than focusing on abstract theory, the session offers concrete strategies that reflect current and emerging front‑end patterns. Attendees will explore how to architect reusable, scalable components using Drupal Canvas—the platform’s visual page builder—while considering maintainability and accessibility from the outset.

Key topics will include building robust, reusable components for Drupal Canvas, CSS variable architecture for scalable styling, integrating Storybook into theming workflows, accessibility-first strategies baked in from day one, and tooling that supports long-term maintainability. This hands-on focus aims to equip participants with approaches they can use immediately—not just on the next project, but across future iterations of Drupal.

Designed for themers, front‑end developers, and designers who want to future‑proof their work, the training emphasises patterns and workflows that can be applied across teams and projects. Whether building new themes or maintaining large‑scale design systems, attendees will gain insight into durable theming practices.

Both presenters bring a commitment to teaching and mentorship in the Drupal community. Herchel’s work at Dripyard has emphasised scalable theming architectures, while Blum contributes from Lullabot’s experience with component‑based development. Their collaboration provides a balanced, experience‑grounded perspective on theming with confidence in Drupal’s new era.