Performance, Efficiency, and the User: Our Takeaways from React Conf 2025

As UX Engineers at Think Company, we are consultants, not just coders. We take a holistic approach to problem-solving that keeps the user at the center of every challenge. We don’t just churn through user stories; we investigate the true meaning of the requirements to ensure we are producing the best possible product for the end user.

So, when our team attended React Conference 2025, we weren’t just looking for shiny new features. We were looking for tools and patterns that help us achieve that mission.

The major themes of the conference were performance, efficiency, and simplification. This was incredibly exciting for us because these themes align perfectly with our philosophy. We believe that improving the developer experience is a direct path to a better user experience. When we are freed from undifferentiated work and technical minutia, we can dedicate our full brainpower to solving complex user challenges.

Here’s what stood out to our team and how it connects to the way we build.

The React Compiler: Freeing Us to Focus on the User

The undisputed star of the show was the React Compiler. This has been in the works for a long time, and it’s a game-changer.

In short, the compiler aims to automate much of the manual performance optimization that developers currently have to do by hand. For our team, this is a massive win. It’s a perfect example of a tool that frees us from that “technical minutia.”

Instead of spending time debating the finer points of manual memoization, the compiler handles it for us. This allows us to focus our time and mental energy on what truly matters: building a more intuitive, accessible, and responsive user interaction. It also reinforces our commitment to high-quality, modern code, as the compiler delivers the most benefits when you’re following best practices.

AI as a Partner in Quality

Just like in the design world, AI was a massive topic. The conference’s stance was clear: AI isn’t a replacement for developers; it’s a powerful pair-programming partner.

For a team like ours, which builds with “thoughtful intention around accessibility” and high-quality standards, this is incredibly powerful. The focus was on improving the developer experience to enforce quality.

Imagine an AI agent that doesn’t just complete a line of code, but checks it against our project’s specific accessibility standards and coding patterns as it’s written. This is AI as a quality multiplier, helping us efficiently enforce the high standards our clients and their users deserve. It’s still a tool for a skilled developer, not a replacement of one, but it’s one that will help us build better, more consistent products.

New Tools for a Truly Performant UX

As UX Engineers, we believe performance is a fundamental part of the user experience. An app that feels slow is a broken app, regardless of how well it functions. The conference showcased several new tools aimed directly at this.

• useEffectEvent: This new hook was a team favorite. It solves some common and complex performance issues related to how React handles effects, leading directly to a smoother UX.

• View Transitions & useOptimistic: These tools are all about optimization, but more specifically, about perceived performance. The useOptimistic hook, for example, lets an app “optimistically” update the UI (like showing a new comment immediately) while the data is still being sent to the server. This makes the app feel incredibly responsive. This is engineering that is directly in service of the user’s perception of quality.

We also saw a continued push toward “One React”: a concept that blurs the lines between React for the web and React Native. This unified vision shows a strong, focused future for the entire ecosystem.

Our Takeaway

React Conf 2025 was exciting because it was so aligned with our core philosophy as a team.

The future of React is clearly one of simplification, efficiency, and performance. By building smarter tools, the React team is empowering engineers to be consultants and problem-solvers, not just coders. They are clearing away the technical minutia so we can all focus on what truly matters: building the best possible product for the end user.