Kilian Valkhof

Building tools that make developers awesome.

Speaking

I have spoken at over 30 conferences including Web Directions Hover, QCon SF, HalfStack online, UX Ya’ll and more. On this page you’ll find information on the subjects I cover, upcoming speaking engagements, previous events and how to book me.

Subjects

I do well delivering both technical talks for developer audiences as well as more high level, future-looking talks for more varied audiences, and am open to creating a new talk for your conference or meetup.

Upcoming events

XtremeJS, 12 November 2024, Online. Tickets
Title: Stop using JavaScript for that: moving features from JS to CSS and HTML

Confoo, 26-28 February, Montreal. Tickets
Title: Don’t use JavaScript for that, use HTML and CSS!
Title: Understanding CSS Layout: We fear what we don’t understand

Book me

If you would like me to speak at your event, conference or meetup, please reach out via e-mail, Twitter or LinkedIn. Find common information below. I can present in both English and Dutch (though please let me know beforehand which you expect!)

Personal information

Bio

Kilian Valkhof has been developing websites for two decades and has a focus on user experience, accessibility and web standards. He has a long-standing interest in responsive design dating back to (pre-iPhone) 2008 when he wrote his first article on mobile web design. Kilian shares his knowledge and experience through his blog, kilianvalkhof.com and elsewhere on the web, and as a member of the Electron governance team and an open source contributor. He is the founder of Polypane, a browser for developers designed to help build websites with a focus on responsive design, user experience, and accessibility.

Terms

I will help promote the event, will be available to attendees for the duration of the event and attend the social activities surrounding it. I will gladly allow you to record and distribute my talk.

I will bring my own device, HDMI adapter and clicker. I prefer an over-ear microphone or other hands-free mic, since my talks often involve demos for which I need my hands.

My expectation is that a conference or event covers travel and hotel if required (unless I can get to the conference and back on the same day, for example those held near my location). This lets me focus on giving the best talk, rather than worry about costs. I’m happy to work with you and figure out the most cost-effective travel and stay.

Photos and headshots

Previous events

2024

Frontmania, 10 October 2024, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Title: Understanding CSS Layout: the concepts underlying your (least) favorite language

Techorama, 7, 8 and 9 October 2024, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Title: Responsive websites: it’s not just screen sizes anymore. Rated 4.4 out of 5 by audience members

Fronteers NL at Werkspot Amsterdam, 11 July 2024, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Title: A11y and algorithms: getting technical to make your sites more human

Web Summer Camp, 6 July 2024, Opajita, Croatia. Video
Title: Stop using JavaScript for that: moving features from JS to CSS and HTML

JSConf Budapest, 26-28 June 2024, Budapest, Hungary. Video
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML

Teqnation, 22 may 2024, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Title: Understanding CSS Layout: the concepts underlying your (least) favorite language. Rated 4.1 out of 5 by audience members.

EnterJS, 7-8 May 2024, Mainz, Germany
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML Rated 4.7 out of 5 by audience members.

Webdevcon, 15 March 2024, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML

CodeMash, 9-12 January 2024, Sandusky, Ohio, United States.
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML.
Title: Understanding CSS Layout: the concepts underlying your (least) favorite language.

2023

Conf42 JavaScript 2023, 16 November 2023, online
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML.

LibertyJS, 12-13 October in Philadelphia, United States
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML.

State of the browser, 23 September in London, United Kingdom. Video and transcript. Fair warning: it contains me struggling with a misbehaving projector for a significant portion of it.
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML.

Zoetermeer Tech Night, 4 September in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML. (given in Dutch)

WeAreDevelopers World Congress, 27-18 July (online track)
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML.

TEQnation conference, 17 May in Utrecht
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML. Rated as 4th best of out of 35 sessions.

Codemotion Madrid, 9-10 May (Madrid)
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML. Rated 4.6 out of 5 by audience members.

Developer Week Europe 26-27 April (Online)
Title: Stop Using JavaScript for That: Moving Features from JS to CSS and HTML

Joomla Day USA 22-23 April (Austin and online)
Title: Beyond responsive design: new and future media queries

AdvancedJS Amsterdam, 19 April (Amsterdam)
Title: Stop using JavaScript for that: moving features from JS to CSS and HTML

JS Eindhoven, 15 March (Eindhoven)
Title: Stop using JavaScript for that: moving features from JS to CSS and HTML

CMD Amsterdam, 16 February (Amsterdam)
Title: Stop using JavaScript for that: moving features from JS to CSS and HTML

We ♥ Web, 17 January (Amsterdam)
Title: Responsive Design Ground Rules

2022

A11y.Lowlands, 15 December (online)
Title: Forced colors explained

Front-end Focus: Accessibility for Developers, 24 November 2022 (Utrecht)
Title: Beyond responsive design: new and future media queries

Modern Frontend Live!, 17 – 18 November 2022 (London)
Title: Stop using JavaScript for that: moving features from JS to CSS and HTML

Frontmania 2022, 5 October 2022 (Utrecht, Netherlands)
Title: Stop using JavaScript for that: moving features from JS to CSS and HTML. Video. Highest rated talk of the conference.
Title: Beyond responsive design: new and future media queries Video

Init Conference 2022, 24 September 2022 (Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Title: Stop using JavaScript for that: moving features from JS to CSS and HTML

AmsterdamJS Spring Edition, April 12 (Amsterdam)
Title: Stop using JavaScript for that: moving features from JS to CSS and HTML

Hover 2022, April 22 & 29, 2022 (online)
Title: :where :is :has?

Codebar Festival 2022, 11-13 March 2022 (online) Video
Title: Beyond responsive design: new and future media queries

2021

Tech A11y Summit, 15 December 2021 (online)
Title: An inclusive web, using preference media queries to make your sites for everyone Video
Title: Accessibility in front-end development (Panel discussion) Video

Git Commit Show 27 and 28 November 2021 (online)
Title: Beyond responsive design: new and future media queries

Fast Forward by Contentful, 3 – 5 November 2021 (online) Video
Title: Increasing Access to Your Website With “Prefers-Reduced-Data”

Web Directions: AAA, 29 October and 5 November 2021 (online)
Title: Forced Colors explained

CSS Café, 28 October2021 (online) Video
Title: Beyond responsive design: new and future media queries

Conf42, 28 October 2021 (online)
Title: Make Your Electron App Feel at Home Everywhere Video

Nerdear.la, 20 – 23 October 2021 (online). Video
Title: Responsive Design in 2021

Halfstack Series 1, 8 October 2021 (online). Get tickets to rewatch
Title: Approachable accessibility with media queries

UX Ya’ll, 23-24 September 2021 (online).
Title: An inclusive web: using preference media queries to make your sites for everyone.

Shortstackcon, 3 July 2021 (online)
Title: Increasing Access To Your Website With prefers-reduced-data. Video

Mintbean.io workshop, 26 May 2021
Title: Ground rules for responsive design. Video.

Webdirections Hover 2021, 30 April 2021
Title: Beyond responsive design: new and future media queries.

Frontend Lightning Talks 5.0 – CSS / UX / WCAG / Accessibility, April 13 2021
Title: Responsive design in 2021.

Frontend Lightning Talks 5.0, 9 February 2021
Title: Building desktop apps in Electron

2020

Codefwd: Design patterns, 9 July 2020
Title: Beyond screen sizes: responsive design in 2020. Video.

Halfstack Conf online, 22 May 2020
Title: Responsive design in 2020: It’s not just screen sizes anymore. Video.

React Amsterdam meetup, 6 Feb 2020
Title: Design Tokens 101. Video.

2019 and earlier

QCon San Francisco, 11-13 Nov 2019
Title: Make Your Electron App Feel at Home Everywhere.
Slides, Video.

Fronteers Jam Session X, 3 Oct 2019
Title: We’re all desktop app developers now. Slides. Video.

Zoetermeer Tech night, 22 May 2019
Title: Introduction to Polypane

Digital We Programme, 1 Feb 2017
Title: What I learned about building chatbots Slides (Dutch)

Zoetermeer Tech night, 15 Feb 2017
Title: The Electron Framework. Slides (Dutch)

Electron.js Amsterdam meetup, 11 May 2016
Title: Cross-platform electron. Slides

Kings of Code, 29 Jun 2009
Organizer and MC, front-end side event

Fronteers meetup, 8 May 2009
Title: CSS Frameworks. Slides

Future of Web Apps, 4 Oct 2007
Title: Dutch guild of front-end developers