Creating Fast-Feeling Web Apps

Finished my first talk at Øredev. It is 4pm here in Sweden and I feel great.

This time I actually rehearsed a few times before flying to Copenhagen, and it seems to have paid off.

3 things to keep in mind when building fast-feeling web apps:

• Smarter loading spinners → delay them so they don’t show up unnecessarily. Or show the spinner or hints when necessary.
• Instant experience with initial data → cached data gives users something right away.
• Optimistic updates → assume success and let users move on instantly.

These don’t change how fast the network is. They change how fast the product feels. And that is what users actually remember.

Website performance directly impacts user experience, engagement, and revenue. A fast website leads to higher conversions, while a slow one drives users away. Perceived performance—how fast a site feels—is a critical but often overlooked aspect of web performance.

This session dives into practical techniques to make web apps feel instant, even when they are not, helping developers create smoother, more responsive experiences that drive real business impact. Topics will include reducing layout jank, optimising loading indicators, seeding the data, image loading optimisation, optimistic UI, and much more.