Colophon

Philosophy #

Nothing is perfect, which is a hard fact to accept for a recovering perfectionist. Here, I embrace imperfections. A concept that comes to mind alongside the continuous practice of building a digital place for myself is kaizen. While a business practice at its core, I focus on the direct meaning: kai (改) meaning change or to correct and zen (善) meaning good or beneficial. Accordingly to kaizen, no change is too small to be beneficial. So here I am, working towards making it better and more authentic, when I have time.

That being said, it will forever remain my worry stone↗ (thank you, Ethan).

Design #

Figma↗ is my design tool of choice. I value simple, type-driven design, so this version relies on typographic flourishes and a colour palette inspired by the Australian bush and birds. Currently, it supports light and dark mode based on system preference. In the future, I’ll be adding a dedicated switch to choose the preferred color scheme.

Development #

This website is built using Eleventy↗ (11ty) using HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Markdown. The source code is stored on GitHub↗, while Vercel takes care of hosting.

Typography #

I love readable, yet unique font families. Currently, this website is set in:

Riegla↗ by Interval Type—used for majority of headings and body copy.
Spline Sans Mono↗ by Sorkin Type—used for level 5 headings, code, selected timestamps, and table headings.

Inspiration #

I’m continuously inspired by many, but in this site iteration I’d like to specifically call out:

Erin Kissane↗: I’m endlessly inspired by Erin’s writing, her ability to think in the open and distil incredibly complex issues into approachable stories.
Mandy Brown↗: The above applies to Mandy too. When I grow up, I’d like to be able to write as beautifully as she does.
Zoey Nguyen↗: Zoey’s sadly now offline website is one of my favourite manifestations of type-forward, calm design. I’ve carried a similar style through iterations of my website, with this one as a prime example.
Buzz Usborne↗: I’ve been lucky to work with Buzz in the past, and he remains one of the most talented and thoughtful designers in my book. I’m grateful for his advice, feedback, and inspiration to put more fun into design.
Ethan Marcotte↗: I’ve followed Ethan for years, and loved how his personal website is infused with personality without compromising on accessibility and readability. It’s a wonderful exercise in simple, yet excellent design.
Luke Mitchell↗: I really appreciated Luke’s type and storytelling-forward design, and drawn on his approach of openly sharing inspiration in the Colophon.

Credits #

I’d also like to mention people who helped this website become a reality through hands-on help: