9 min read
The Native HTML Dialog Element: 6 Modal Patterns I Ship Without a Library
Native dialog removed a 14KB modal library from 9 sites
The Lab · Written in the open · Tagged Design
Lab.
Working notes from the studio. The tools I build, the workflows I keep, the mistakes I paid for.
76 entries · latest 2026-10-13
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.
8 min read
Viral AI Photo Trends of 2026 (With the Exact Prompts)
The toy-figure, Chibi, film-look, Y2K and scrapbook AI photo trends of 2026, with the exact prompt templates I…
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.
9 min read
View Transitions API: 5 Patterns I Use Across RAXXO Sites in 2026
Same-document transitions wrap state changes like filter chips and tab switches in a single startViewTransition call.
8 min read
Designing AI Thumbnails: 6 Layout Rules That Survive 1024x576 Crops
AI image models love the center, so design your thumbnails around that bias instead of fighting it
7 min read
Motion Design Tokens That Actually Compose: Durations, Easings, Choreography
Three-tier motion tokens: primitives like --ms-200 and --ease-out-expo feed semantic and component layers, never the other way around
8 min read
OKLCH-First Color Systems: 5 Patterns and the Wide-Gamut Wins
OKLCH gives you perceptual uniformity, so a 5% lightness change reads as a 5% lightness change at any…
8 min read
5 Type Scales I Use in 2026 (And the One I Quietly Dropped)
Major-third 1.250 stays my default for product UI because it scales without drama