WordCamp Miami 2014 ran May 9 to 11, 2014, at the University of Miami in Coral Gables. Friday brought BuddyCamp and a beginner workshop, and the main WordCamp ran Saturday and Sunday at the Student Center Complex. Our founder, Brian Messenlehner, had two sessions on the schedule: Building Mobile Apps With BuddyPress, and Building Web and Mobile Apps with WordPress. The photo above is the view from the front of the room.
Building mobile apps with BuddyPress
BuddyPress turns WordPress into a social network with profiles, activity streams, groups, private messages and notifications. In 2014, most communities built on BuddyPress were only reachable through a mobile browser. The session covered how BuddyPress could be used to build a mobile app, so members could get to their activity feed, messages and groups from an app on their phone.
The pieces Brian walked through are the same ones we use on community projects today: user login that matches the website, activity and messaging screens that read from BuddyPress, and push notifications so members actually see when someone replies. It is the foundation of projects like the Bundy Club fan community app, which pairs BuddyPress with WooCommerce and AppPresser.
Building web and mobile apps with WordPress
The second session zoomed out. With Building Web Apps with WordPress fresh off the press from O'Reilly that spring, Brian covered how WordPress can act as the backend for both a web application and a mobile app at the same time. The big takeaway: design your data and your APIs once, then give each front end what it needs.
That approach avoids a common trap. Many organizations end up with a website on one system, an app on another, and a team copying content between them. With WordPress as the shared backend, there is one place to publish, one set of users and one set of rules.
Why Miami keeps coming up
WordCamp Miami is one of the longest running WordCamps in the United States and has always drawn a strong developer crowd. Brian returned many times over the years, including 2015 and 2020 as a speaker, and the event has been a good place to test ideas in front of people who will ask hard questions.
Takeaways for site owners
- If you run a membership site or online community, your members already expect an app. BuddyPress plus AppPresser is a proven way to get there without rebuilding your community.
- Treat your WordPress site as the system of record. The app should read from it, not replace it.
- Plan notifications carefully. They are the feature members value most and the one that is easiest to overdo.
If your community has outgrown the browser, AlphaWeb can help you take it mobile.
At a glance
- Event: WordCamp Miami 2014
- Dates: May 9 to 11, 2014, with BuddyCamp and a beginner workshop on Friday
- Venue: University of Miami, Coral Gables
- Sessions: Building Mobile Apps With BuddyPress, and Building Web and Mobile Apps with WordPress
Related: Building BuddyPress Communities Members Actually Use, BuddyCamp Miami 2015: Move All the Things to BuddyPress and Your WordPress Site Already Has an App Inside It.
Have a question about this event or a project like the ones mentioned here? Reach out to AlphaWeb and Brian will be glad to talk it through. We are always happy to compare notes on WordPress, mobile apps and migrations.
