’Twas the night before…

The Sunday before WWDC brings a lot of possible feelings, but for this one, I am really excited. It’s going to be fascinating to see how things go tomorrow and to what extent the operating systems change.

I do not expect Apple to be quiet about Apple Intelligence. My expectation is that there will be new features added in places that are powered by Apple Intelligence in some fashion, as well as updates to existing features. While the offering was not strong to begin with and has only weakened over time, I think they are too proud to be seen falling further behind.

But the big distraction will be any redesign—and I do not mean that negatively. Redesigning any operating system — especially iOS — will be a huge deal. It’s going to create a massive cascade of work for developers and opportunities for others to emerge and take the spots of apps unwilling or unable to adapt.

As someone who cares about – and talks about – this stuff so much, I am very eager to spend the next few months engrossed in and evaluating whatever Apple sees as the future of their visual and interactive design.

As we approach the start of the week, I’m also feeling jealous of the people who get to be there. I absolutely made the right decision to stay home this year (I am writing this while rocking my sleeping baby), but I do enjoy being around friends and soaking up that atmosphere.

It’s a difficult balance, really. When you’re at WWDC, you’re around a bunch of people who deeply care about what’s happening, but you’re also missing a lot of the detail. By being at home, I’ll get to spend my working hours reading through documentation, watching videos, and checking in on social media. All of this is essentially impossible for me when I’m actually at WWDC, and it absolutely makes my shows better for the next few weeks.

But I do miss seeing people; I miss being immersed in the vibe. WWDC isn’t what it once was, that’s for sure. But that shift began when it moved from San Francisco to San Jose. The San Jose years were fun because it felt like it took over the town, but the excitement had changed.

I do hope that at some point in the future, a bigger gathering could amass, but it feels unlikely. However, this doesn’t detract from the experience you get today. Being at Apple Park itself to watch the keynote is a really surreal experience. You’re sitting in the place where this software was made, and it’s a stunning environment.

So if you’re there, have an amazing time tomorrow. And if you’re watching along at home, play along with some games.

I’m really keen to see what tomorrow has in store for us all. I’m hoping for a Summer of Fun!