The dConstruct conference takes place at the Brighton Dome on the first Friday of September every year. It is preceded by two days of hands-on workshops at the nearby Lighthouse venue.

dConstruct started life as a gathering for web geeks, with a heavy emphasis on web design and development. The very first event, back in 2005, featured topics like Ajax and Web 2.0 (the buzzwords of yore).

Over the years, the conference has morphed into a broader event covering not just web technologies, but all kinds of hot topics in design, culture and society.

You probably won’t see any code on-screen at dConstruct these days. Instead you will drink from a firehose of knowledge and inspiration that will stimulate your brain.

If you’d like some practical know-how to go with your dose of inspiration, be sure to immerse yourself in the one-day workshops. These are in-depth hands-on masterclasses in cutting-edge web design and development techniques.

The theme of this year’s dConstruct is “Playing With The Future”. Prepare to be entertained on topics ranging from playfulness and creativity to digital preservation and science fiction.

dConstruct remains the ideal conference for web designers and developers. The presentations may not contain any practical tips you can take back to work on Monday morning but you will gain insights into the direction our digital technology is taking. You might just find yourself showing up at work on Monday morning with an altered perspective on the world.