Writing

Looking back on a well-travelled yet otherwise directionless year.

I assemble a heavenly host of cherubs to sing the virtues of the Eleventy static site generator. By looking at how it compares to the familiar Ruby-based Jekyll, I may have you humming its tune for this season’s holiday projects. But will it put you on cloud eleven?

In thinking about the fabric of the web, I unpick a few threads and tie myself in knots.

If design is the application of ethics, then anyone designing digital products should see their role in a new light after reading this book.

Who is this website for?

A two-week stay in Berlin not only gave me time to explore the city, but also space to question the direction of my career and address a growing sense of disillusionment with my profession.

On German Unity Day, a tour of Tempelhof Airport proved to be a powerful act of remembrance.

Ich bin ein Berliner?

Another identity from the offices of Pentagram that elicits a feeling somewhere between despair and indifference.

As people look to replace Twitter as their social network of choice, Mastadon and Micro.blog have emerged as early contenders.

What does the future hold for small towns like Walsall?

Exploring Newcastle’s former ambition to become “Brasília Of The North”.

An appreciation for identity programmes that seek to refine rather than reinvent.

Worried? Me?

From its Roman walls to a series of modern carbuncles, Exeter has a curious mix of architecture, but not nearly as much as it once did.

GDPR can’t come soon enough.

In a society where truth and trust are a scarce resource, Google introduce an incredibly foolish product.

My relationship with JavaScript? It’s complicated.

It’s that time again.

With a pile of rubble sat before me, confirmation that a chapter of my life has reached its conclusion.

Three aspects of my personality have proven pertinent.

Kris Benbow, 1981-2018

Why do some designers choose to work for ‘evil’ corporations — and what happens to them when they get there?

Fiddling around with RSS.