Hi, I’m Iris. I write about building small things carefully.

By day I’m a freelance front-end developer who builds fast, accessible websites for independent publishers, bookshops and the occasional bakery. By night — well, early morning — I write this blog.

I started writing here in 2019 after a burnout taught me that the way we work matters as much as what we make. Since then I’ve published 48 essays, most of them about one of three things:

• Craft — CSS, HTML and the unfashionable joy of simple websites.
• Attention — notifications, reading, and protecting deep work.
• Calm — planning, rest and running a one-person business without hustle.

What I’m doing now

Rebuilding a regional newspaper’s archive as a static site, learning to bake a decent baguette, and reading my way through every novel by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Colophon

This site is hand-written HTML and CSS with a sprinkle of JavaScript. Text is set in Newsreader and Inter. There are no analytics, no cookies and no ads — just words.

Say hello

I read every email and reply to most. The best way to reach me is iris@example.com, or find me on Mastodon.