WCSTL Speaker Interview: David Evans

David Evans will be speaking on User Empathy with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF). He is from St. Charles, Missouri, and a developer for Red8 Interactive.

Here is David’s interview.

NILE FLORES: What was it about WordPress that got you to start using it?

DAVID EVANS: Honestly, my job as a developer at Red8 Interactive is why and how I got into WordPress. We used to do all sorts of web development, but once we got the hang of WordPress, we started developing exclusively only for it. Because of that, I would never build a site without WordPress.

NILE FLORES: What motivates you to give back to WordPress and its community?

DAVID EVANS: My motivation is to make WordPress as easy to use as possible for everyone. It is already extremely user friendly, but because WordPress can be customized so many different ways, trying to make it easy to use in all situations for any user is like a fun challenge for me in each project I do.

NILE FLORES: How many WordCamps have you been to, and what was your best 1 or 2 experiences that you had when attending WordCamp?

DAVID EVANS: 6, I think? San Francisco (1), Kansas City (1) and St. Louis multiple times. I can’t really think of one specific best experience, as each WordCamp I go to is always better than the last. Probably because I’m more comfortable with the community and WordPress itself.

NILE FLORES: What is your number 1 tip for WordPress users?

DAVID EVANS: No offense to themes like Genesis or Divi, but don’t purchase a theme that claims to do it all. Instead learn to make a custom theme that does exactly what you want, it’s easier than you think.

NILE FLORES: What is your favorite feature in WordPress?

DAVID EVANS: As simple as it is, the “Preview” feature is what makes WordPress so great. I think it’s WordPress’s under-appreciated, forgotten middle child.

NILE FLORES: What are your 3 most favorite WordPress plugins?

DAVID EVANS: Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), iThemes Security and Easy Footnotes.

NILE FLORES: What is your favorite WordPress theme?

DAVID EVANS: Twenty Seventeen. That responsive homepage hero is amazing and like all of WordPress’s yearly themes in the past, it is super easy to customize.

If you’d like to meet David and hear his talk, please go buy a ticket, and then come out to WordCamp St. Louis on March 18th, at Washington University.