A sharpie handwritten text showing Karolina’s initials of 'KS'

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

I’ve designed this version of my website with Penpot and Figma. I value simple, type-driven design, so this version continues to rely on typographic flourishes and a colour palette inspired by some of my favourite shades, such as cobalt blue or purple. 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 colour scheme.

Development

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

Typography

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

  • MD System by Mass-Driver: used across the majority of the site, including body and heading copy
  • MD System Mono by Mass-Driver: used primarily for code snippets, dates, and in some cases for headings
  • Sharpie Pro by Typeverything: used in the header for the logotype, and in the footer for textual flourish

Webrings

Webrings are human-curated lists of sites surrounding specific topics. They are a great way of finding like-minded people and whimsical personal sites. I’m a part of a few, which you can discover below:

Inspiration

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

  • Erin Kissane: Erin has a unique ability to distil incredibly complex issues into approachable stories. I’ve been looking up to her data-driven storytelling since A List Apart times.
  • Mandy Brown: Mandy has been writing about technology and work for nearly two decades. I continue to learn from her eloquence, and razor-sharp analysis.
  • Buzz Usborne: I’ve worked with Buzz in the past, and he remains one of the most talented, thoughtful designers in my book. His pursuit to put more fun into design remains an inspiration.
  • Ethan Marcotte: I’ve followed Ethan for years, and I love how his personal website is infused with personality without compromising on accessibility. It’s a wonderful exercise in excellent design.
  • Robin Spielmann: Each version of Robin’s website is a masterclass in expression and creativity. I especially like the postcards, his shelf logs (own your data!), and the bird easter eggs.
  • Naz Hamid: Naz executes one of my favourite aesthetics, minimalism with personality, so beautifully. I appreciate his focus on strong typography, and focus on micro-interactions.

Credits

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

  • Ben Schwarz: My partner, Ben, has been continuously supporting me through design feedback and code bits where I fall short. I’m always thankful for his “just launch it” attitude when my perfectionism gets me.
  • Milly Schmidt: Milly is a dear friend of mine with a tremendous breadth of experience. Her feedback and advice are always worth gold.
  • Breanna Dunbar: Breanna is a lovely, Naarm-based photographer who took all of my portraits on this website. If you’re local, I can’t recommend her more.