10 min read
The Empty State Every RAXXO Tool Needs Before I Call It Shipped
A blank screen on day one reads as broken, not empty. The three-part rule I now write before…
The Lab · Written in the open · Tagged UX
Lab.
Working notes from the studio. The tools I build, the workflows I keep, the mistakes I paid for.
6 entries · latest 2026-09-03
Latest entry
Why Every RAXXO Tool Ships in Dark Mode First
A midnight screenshot showed a light-first build glowing like a broken browser tab. Why every RAXXO screen starts dark, and the one place it still breaks.
Read the entry
TLDR
This entry in one minute
- Every RAXXO tool is designed dark first and light second, not the other way around
- The studio's text color is an off-white, never pure white, because pure white against black caused a halation effect that made small type shimmer on OLED screens
- Dark mode breaks in exactly one place if I am not careful: App Store and store screenshots shot on a black background disappear into a dark listing page
All entries · UX
9 min read
Why Every RAXXO Tool Skips the Loading Spinner
A blank spinner made a fast preview panel feel broken. The shaped-placeholder rule that replaced it, and the…
10 min read
Why Every RAXXO Tool Works Without an Account First
A signup wall on Git Dojo's launch taught me that trying a tool is the real pitch, not…
9 min read
The Anatomy of a Good Empty State: 6 Patterns That Guide the Next Action
Three empty state types: first-run, cleared, error-empty, each needs different copy
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