Kicking off the new year thinking about metrics, inspired by @spavel.bsky.social This piece explores why accessibility and design fail when we measure scores instead of real use and what works better. Longer read, but hopefully helpful: annaecook.com/writing/2026...

There we go. That there’s a headline.

i love the beginning of the year because everyone starts blogging. and if you (yes you) were thinking about starting, this is your sign

Famous for product names like “Teams (for work or school)” and “Windows XP Professional Edition”, Microsoft has just renamed its Office work productivity software. the new name is, and I am not kidding: “the Microsoft 365 Copilot app” www.office.com

Oh, and I really like this run-down on using aria-label on static elements. www.maxdesign.com.au/articles/ari...

What's funny is the one reason I even ventured into React components so long ago in the first place is that I wanted a way to ensure our designs were delivered more consistently. Now I'm just like "Please god just let me write the HTML myself, free me from this hell"

Does anyone do this for their design system? I've been in big-tech land for so long now where "everything under the sun is a component, even a button or a link". Or, offer a CSS only solution you can pair with your own mark up with markup examples on your docs site? Like the good ole days?!

I feel more and more that regular schmegular HTML elements probably shouldn't be a "component". idk. Probably!

Friendly reminder to use aria-label as a last resort. Use a visual label if you can! And if you need to use an aria-label to add supplementary text to already visual text, make sure the full visual text is included in the aria-label, at the start of the string.

I AM DOING THINGS.

I want to dedicate more time to web components this year. You know, in between being mad at the government. I didn't have enough balance last year of good ole lovely web things.

Can't believe Zohran didn't perform one of his originals.

The kids choir with Mandy Patinkin? Somewhere over the rainbow? I'm crying.

Mandy Patinkin singing with the PS 22 chorus before @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social’s inauguration

Did anyone leave their apartment behind yet to flee the city, I'm still interested in a classic 6 or one of those brownstones, not too particular on location

ZOHRAN MAMDANI IS MY MAYOR!!!!!!

okay go to bed now

Happy New Year, folks! @strange.website kicked over the ol' personalsit.es build a brief while ago, so it is the place to go if you need some inspiration for your new year website redesign. nudge nudge I lent a hand reviewing and have manually checked every site listed. There are some proper gems!

This is the nationstate equivalent to Truck Nutz

HELLO FOLLOWERS! MAY YOU HAVE A PLEASANT NEW YEAR. IF YOU NEED COMFORT, PLEASE REMEMBER THE VOID IS INFINITE AND ALL CONSUMING AND INEVITABLE.

Sometimes I happen back across designsystem.digital.gov when looking up design patterns and get a little sad. :(

Alright, let me just try and remember what my actual job is after a week off.

Watching a #WoW #Warcraft lore stream and the topic of relating to Sylvanas vs Arthas came up. It's always such a drag trying to even bring up that gender might play a role in how some of the fan base thinks Arthas' character is completely redeemable but Sylvanas is not.

in 2026 we are NOT hustling, we are NOT grinding, we are doing just enough Job to have money for Video Game

Merry Christmas, New York City 🎄🗽 [Animation by Sarah Elawad]

I would give anything for my neighborhood to open just a regular diner (not an "elevated" one! Just a normal one! usual breakfast offerings, sandwiches, lunch, quick coffee refills, that sorta thing) instead of another very generic but expensive restaurant or small plates cocktail bar.

Pickled herring is good. On a triscuit with some cream cheese? peak standing in the kitchen snack.

I just want to fight people (Discord, for example) when the modal dialogue has a big call to action but no visible close button (just a "click outside" listener). Ya'll are bad UX designers.

New merlin show: yay! 🎉 Premeiring on daily wire+: absolutely fucking not, I would rather roll in hot slimy garbage.

“The most basic form of ableism is doubting the complexity of disability.”

I would say I work with amazing people. But nobody’s paid so all I can say is Is that in these terrible times . Knowing that people want to do this work is an honor . And their skill is just stunning

Does anyone have recommendations for fantasy map creators before I just roll my own thing?

"Summarize what I did the past week" bruh, I was there.

If we think too deeply about all of this, few of us would be able to sleep. ever.

The U.S. is giving dying mall vibes. I can't explain it, but you know I'm right.

Shout out to my fellow accessibility advocates who often have to live in fear of when capitalism and our political climate is going to come for our job. Hope you're all doing well enough.

AI, but it tells Amazon i don't need the thing i already bought. I bought the elevated dog bowl. I dont need another one.

Blizzard, I demand every item model that exists in Suramar, especially trees, as decor items. Thank you. #WoW #Warcraft

I'm actually excited writing CSS on a Saturday again, like I used to be. It feels odd, how I've spent so long doing this and some of the excitement faded given the state of tech work. But here I am remembering that the web still has the power to be fun and exciting, oddly enough.

Sometimes I yearn for busy work. Just give me the mindless thing I have to repeat over and over again.

This year's cold is the cold that keeps on giving. Everyone I know has been sick-ish for the past 2 months or so.

An inconvenient truth to non-deterministic code generation is that while visual discrepancies are annoying, each new version of the underlying code is a roll of the dice for fucking over someone who relies on assistive technology to get what they need.

I guess this is such a cliche "should designers learn how to code?!" post (my answer is yes) but now more than ever, I feel like we should claw back the rights to web design and the value it holds, and the value we as web designers bring to software development.

Straying out of my lane a little bit here but I think one of the biggest disservices designers do to themselves in the web world these days is going all in on whatever new features Figma or [x] design tool comes out with and not putting that energy into learning HTML and CSS.

Every facet of generative AI has made my professional life worse, without question, but THIS specific aspect has been driving me NUTS. Clients, who have made me toil for weeks over indescribably small details, are now approving & producing in-house commercial artwork that looks like a fever dream.

if I see you write this code, I know that someone with a CMS hurt you. ```css p:empty, br + br { display: none !important; } ```

Ok, worked on the outside of my house in #WoW after collecting some things. 200 isn't a *lot* of outdoor budget, but if you just focus on one area you can do pretty neat things. Like, don't look at the back of my house lol.

Caturday trending alongside Supreme Court, basically on a topic that coincides with the death of our nation or whatever, sure is something.

I’ve been nominated for the FIFA prize for literature, oh wait, I just found out I won. Imaginary prizes are it turns out, very easy to win.