Date
TBC
Duration
40 min
Location
TBC
Note: This session is included in the conference ticket, but specific program has not been finalised.
For years, managing UI state on the web usually meant reaching for JavaScript. But in 2026, CSS has quietly become a state machine of its own. Pseudo-classes track interaction. Media queries read the environment and user preferences. :has() observes the DOM tree. Container queries respond to size, style, scroll position and even anchor placement. Scroll-driven and scroll-triggered animations react to where the user is on the page. And with sibling state, CSS can now respond to what’s happening next door.
In this atypical overview talk, you’ll get a practical tour of the CSS features that let you keep and respond to state, from things you can ship today to the cutting-edge stuff landing in browsers right now. Welcome CSS, to the state machine.
Brecht De Ruyte
Senior software engineer
iO
Brecht De Ruyte is a self-taught front-end developer located in Belgium with a passion for UX and Design. During the day you can find him working at iO, a full service agency. Besides that, he is also a Google Developer Expert, Smashing Magazine writer and blog owner of utilitybend.com. He also participates in the W3C communities: Open UI, CSS-next, and WHATNOT.