From the studio
Design, code, and the web. Written by the person who built twelve original sites from scratch — and is still thinking about what makes them work.
Templates solve the wrong problem. They optimize for speed of assembly, not memorability of outcome. The result is a web where everything vaguely resembles everything else — functional, forgettable, interchangeable. Here's why starting from scratch creates trust in a way no template can replicate.
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Encapsulation isn't about hiding complexity. It's about creating clarity through boundaries. Building SMAU in vanilla JS — no framework, no build step — forced a discipline that made everything cleaner. Lessons from working without a net.
Small moments of delight compound. A chime isn't a feature — it's a reason to return. How micro-interactions build lasting impressions and why most people skip them.
A site's personality comes from the feeling it creates before anyone reads a word. How to design from atmosphere down, not from layout up.
The challenge with Unit wasn't the code. It was making each voice feel genuinely distinct without relying on description to carry the weight.
The difference between a website and a place is whether someone notices when they arrive.
Studio principle · Handwired
The trap with grid is making something that looks exactly like you used grid. Breaking the expected geometry takes one extra decision every time.
A contractor site has one job: make the client feel like they've found someone they can rely on. Every layout decision either builds that trust or erodes it. Here's how the hierarchy works — and why I made the choices I did on Everything Under the Son.
The cursor is on screen the entire time a visitor is on your site. Making it intentional costs almost nothing. Ignoring it is a missed detail.
Starting with code because you know how to code is how you end up with a site that looks like you started with code. The order of operations matters.
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