9 min read
Accessible Color Contrast Without Killing the Brand
I keep a dark UI with a bright accent WCAG-AA readable at 4.5:1
The Lab · Written in the open · Tagged CSS
Lab.
Working notes from the studio. The tools I build, the workflows I keep, the mistakes I paid for.
30 entries · latest 2026-07-15
Latest entry
The Micro-Interactions I Add Last That Make a UI Feel Fast
Optimistic UI updates before the server confirms feel instant to users 150ms is my default transition duration for hover and press states Skeleton screens beat spinners because they show layout, not just waiting Focus rings and press feedback make an...
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Latest entry · Design
All entries · CSS
8 min read
The CSS color-mix Patterns I Use Across Every RAXXO Theme
One brand variable feeds hover, disabled, surface, and text colors
8 min read
Form UX in 2026 Native HTML Validation Is Finally Enough
Removed a 12 KB validation library across 3 surfaces using native HTML
9 min read
Starting Style and Entry Animations in CSS Without JavaScript
@starting-style ships in every modern browser as of 2024
9 min read
The Native Popover API: 4 Menus and Tooltips I Built Without JavaScript
Popover attribute gives top-layer rendering and light-dismiss free
9 min read
Loading Skeletons That Don't Lie: 5 Patterns for Honest Perceived Performance
Content-shaped skeletons cut layout shift to zero versus 0.18 CLS for spinners
8 min read
5 CSS Animations That Needed JavaScript Until 2026
interpolate-size and calc-size finally let a panel transition to height auto with no measuring script.
8 min read
CSS Carousels With Zero JavaScript: 5 Patterns
A scroll-snap track plus the new pseudo-elements replaced a 14KB carousel dependency in my UI.
11 min read
CSS Scroll-Driven Animations: 6 Patterns I Ship in 2026
CSS scroll-driven animations in 2026: 6 copy-paste patterns using animation-timeline scroll() and view(), zero JavaScript.
9 min read
CSS :has() in Production: 6 Selectors That Replaced JavaScript Across My Sites
Six :has() selectors deleted roughly 240 lines of JS across my sites
10 min read
Why I Standardized on Phosphor Icons Across 15 Repos (And Cut 60% of Icon Bundle Size)
Five icon systems across 15 repos created visual drift and 84KB bundles in the worst Next.js app.