As a full-stack developer and digital marketer, I know all too well the challenge of trying to monetize websites without ruining the user experience. Display ads can be an important revenue source, but they often come at the cost of frustrating and alienating your audience. Finding the right balance between ad revenue and UX requires…
As a full-stack developer, I often find myself fascinated by the mathematical concepts that underpin the various tools and technologies we use on a daily basis. One such concept that has recently captured my attention is Bezier curves. These smooth, parametric curves have become ubiquitous in the world of computer graphics, from vector illustrations to…
As a full-stack developer and avid music lover, I‘ve been a longtime fan of SoundCloud. The platform has introduced me to countless emerging artists over the years and helped me connect with fellow fans who share my passion for music. However, when I talk to my friends about using SoundCloud, I often hear a recurring…
When Google unveiled Material Design in 2014, it was heralded as a bold new design language that would unify the look and feel of apps across Android devices. With its bright colors, large typography, and fluid animations, Material Design represented a significant upgrade over the rather dull and utilitarian design of earlier Android versions. At…
As a full-stack developer who has worked in Silicon Valley for over two decades, I have had a front-row seat to the evolution of design in the tech industry. Reading Barry M. Katz‘s seminal work "Make It New: The History of Silicon Valley Design" gave me a new appreciation for the deep roots of the…
As a full-stack developer and professional coder, I‘ve spent countless hours exploring the intricacies of browser navigation and the challenges it presents to both users and developers. The traditional tabbed browsing model, while familiar and functional, has its fair share of limitations and pain points. In this deep dive, we‘ll explore a groundbreaking alternative: the…
If you‘ve ever looked at a website mockup, mobile app prototype, or any kind of digital design, chances are you‘ve encountered a block of Latin-looking placeholder text that starts with "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet". This is known as Lorem Ipsum, and it has been the standard "dummy text" of the design world for decades,…
Another day, another Twitter snark-fest about a major company‘s logo redesign. It‘s a familiar cycle by now: a beloved brand unveils a new look, and the Internet masses promptly skewer it. "Lol, I could have made that in 5 minutes in MS Paint!" "You paid how much for that?!" "My kid‘s fingerpainting is better than…
AutoCAD is a computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application developed and marketed by Autodesk. It has been a staple in the arsenal of architects, engineers, designers, and many other professionals since its initial release in 1982. Over the past four decades, AutoCAD has evolved significantly and remains one of the most widely used CAD…
As a full-stack developer with over 15 years of experience, I‘ve worked on countless projects spanning web, mobile, enterprise software, and everything in between. In that time, I‘ve seen all manner of development methodologies, architectural patterns, and design philosophies come and go. But there‘s one principle that has remained consistently relevant and valuable: KISS. KISS,…
As a full-stack developer and lead engineer, I‘ve had plenty of experience reviewing portfolios, both from applicants to my company and from fellow web devs on Reddit looking for feedback. So when I decided to offer free, no-strings-attached portfolio reviews on r/webdev, I thought I‘d get maybe a dozen responses that I could casually work…
As a full-stack developer and professional coder, I‘ve seen firsthand how critical interaction design is to the success of digital products. It‘s not enough to ship features that work—they need to be intuitive and effortless for users. Every interaction a user has with your app or website comes with "interaction costs," the mental and physical…