Front-end development notes

Ideas on lorem, and building

Essays and field notes from product craft, and the small decisions that make software feel considered.

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Animation should clarify hierarchy and state, not decorate it. Here's how we decide what deserves to move.

Mike Corleone · Head of Design

Fading content into view as it enters the viewport can guide attention — if you resist the urge to overdo it.

Sam Hansan · Staff Engineer

A dark mode switch is a tiny interaction, but it's one of the most-used controls in the whole product.

Sam Hansan · Staff Engineer

A subtle scale, a shadow that deepens, an icon that slides in — small details that separate a static grid from an inviting one.

Mike Corleone · Head of Design

Carrying an element's position and size across a navigation makes two separate pages feel like one continuous space.

Marcus Aurelius · Research Lead

An empty search result or a blank dashboard is not a dead end — it's an opportunity to tell the user what to do next.

Elena Voss · Product Lead

Rendering a list all at once can feel like a delay. Staggering the reveal by a few milliseconds per item can feel instant.

Mike Corleone · Head of Design

Filtering a grid in real time only feels good if the layout doesn't jump around while items enter and exit.

Sam Hansan · Staff Engineer

Linear motion reads as mechanical. The right easing curve is the difference between an animation you notice and one you don't.

Marcus Aurelius · Research Lead