Colophon

Every year or so I rebuild this site. I don't always use the right tools for the job, instead I use things that interest me. On this page I'll try to keep track of the tools I've used and why I chose them.

Frontend Framework

I use Next.js for the frontend. It's a React framework that makes it easy to build static sites and server rendered sites. It's also got a lot of nice features like automatic code splitting, hot reloading, and a lot of other things that make it easy to build a site like this. I'm using api endpoints for the newsletter signup and generating the sitemap etc.

Content

I use markdown/MDX for the content. It's easy to write and easy to read. It's stored as flat files in the repo along with the code. I use a tool called ContentLayer for parsing the MDX and making it available to the frontend. It is kinda new and somethings aren't as polished as I'd like, but it's a good tool for what I need.

Styles

I use TailwindCSS for the styles. It's a utility first CSS framework that makes it easy to build a site like this. I use the JIT compiler to make it even easier to build the site. I like the simplicty of inclusing one import and then using the classes to style the site. It's also easy to customize and extend.

A lot of people don't like utility first CSS frameworks like Tailwind, but it's a good fit for me. I don't like to spend a lot of time on the design of a site, I'd rather spend time on the content. Tailwind puts restrictions on the design, but it's a good thing. It makes it easier to build a site that looks good and is easy to maintain.

Typography

I'm using Google Fonts for the typography. I'm using Lora for the body text and Playfair Display for most headings. I'm taking advantage of Next.js's built in support for Google Fonts to make it easy to include them in the site.

Hosting

I'm hosting the site on Vercel. It's a great service that makes it easy to host static sites. It's also got a lot of nice features like automatic SSL, automatic CDN, and a lot of other things that make it easy to build a site like this.

Analytics

I'm using Plausible for analytics. It's a privacy focused analytics service that doesn't track individual people. It's also simple to understand. I've never been a fan of Google Analytics and I'm glad there are alternatives like Plausible.

Inspiration

I would me remiss if I didn't mention the sites that inspired me to build this site. I've borrowed some design, code tips and content ideas from the following sites:

• https://maggieappleton.com/
• https://leerob.io/
• https://www.joshwcomeau.com/