The blog
Notes on building websites, design, and the brands I love working with.
Why some websites feel instant (and others make you wait)
Having a fast website isn't a matter of luck. Here's what makes a site feel instant, why speed decides whether people stay, and a few things you can check on your own site.
I got the first screen back, and it humbled me
The oldest, smallest piece of the game turned out to be the hardest. It also reinforced what I already knew about AI: it can be completely thorough and completely wrong at the same time, and just as sure of itself either way.
I'm rebuilding a dead game for an audience of two
The servers went dark back in 2018. All I've got left is the app file, a lot of nostalgia, and AI tools that finally make rebuilding it possible.
Why 'it works' isn't the same as 'it's done'
You can get a website on screen fast. Getting one you can trust with real users and real money is different. Here's why the order you build in matters.
Why I build from scratch instead of using templates
Templates are fine, until they aren't. Here's where they stopped working for me, why I build custom instead, and the honest cases where a template is still the right call.
What actually goes into a website (the parts you can't see)
The design you see is about half of a website. The other half is invisible to most: speed, accessibility, SEO, security, and responsiveness. Here's what really goes in.
Why I redesign brands nobody hired me for
I redesign brands that never hired me, on purpose. Here's why concept work is some of my favorite portfolio, and how I pick which brands to reimagine.
No AI slop: what I actually mean (yes, I use AI every day)
I use AI every day to build websites, and I still say no AI slop. Here's what that actually means, and why the tool was never the problem.