The Journal

Notes on building fast web.

Field notes from the studio: performance deep-dives, headless architecture, design process, and the occasional strong opinion.

1.2s → 0.3s
LCP, before → after
+41%
conversion lift
FeaturedPerformance

How we shipped a 0.3s storefront on the edge

A full breakdown of the Ceramic rebuild: render strategy, image pipeline, and the caching model that cut LCP by 4×.

Mara EllisJune 28, 20268 min read
Performance

How we shipped a 0.3s storefront on the edge

A full breakdown of the Ceramic rebuild: render strategy, image pipeline, and the caching model that cut LCP by 4×.

June 28, 20268 min read
Engineering

Astro islands in production: what we actually ship

Partial hydration sounds great on paper. Here is where it earns its keep, and where it does not.

Jun 14, 20266 min read
Design

Designing in the browser, not the mockup

Why we prototype live and skip pixel-perfect comps, and how it speeds up sign-off.

Jun 02, 20265 min read
Performance

A pragmatic guide to Core Web Vitals in 2026

INP replaced FID a while ago. Here is our current checklist for staying in the green.

May 21, 20269 min read
Engineering

Choosing a headless CMS without regret

Sanity, Contentful, Payload: a decision framework based on the teams who maintain it.

May 08, 20267 min read
Studio

How we run a four-week build sprint

The exact cadence (discover, design, build, launch) and the rituals that keep it honest.

Apr 25, 20264 min read
Performance

Images are still your biggest win

AVIF, responsive sizes, and a pipeline that makes the right thing the default thing.

Apr 11, 20266 min read

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