Web Dev · by Noah Miller · 2026-09-26

My 9-month experiment with ux without making it complicated

I know this is a tiny sample size, but after 3 attempts the pattern is pretty clear. When I keep the setup simple, I actually follow through.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the setup for a while.

I started this because my weekend felt a little stuck, and backend seemed like a manageable place to experiment. The funny part is that the smallest change was the one I kept

61 sparks · 14 comments

Comments

Camille Dubois · 11 likes

This is genuinely helpful, thanks for writing it out. My friend tried it in São Paulo and had the opposite result

Rohan Mehta · 7 likes

I am saving this for the next time I overthink complicated. I keep a note about ux for exactly this reason

Zeynep Demir · 5 likes

Good reminder that boring can be good. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing

Quiet Lantern · 1 likes

anecdote beats theory here

Solar Baker · 4 likes

Interesting. I would like to see how it changes after 4 months. I would love to see a follow-up after 2 weeks. Good reminder that tools should serve people, not the reverse

Sofía Hernández · 2 likes

that last line is excellent

Felix Weber · 1 likes

what happened after the first week? I am curious whether experiment stayed easy. My friend tried it in Manila and had the opposite result. I would love to see the benchmark numbers

Solar Otter · 2 likes

That is a good boundary

Ananya Rao · 2 likes

yep, the boring details matter

Maya Williams · 1 likes

This made me smile more than expected. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me

Gentle Atlas · 0 likes

the vibe here is immaculate. Honestly, the simplest version wins for me

Rizky Pratama · 3 likes

That is a much better way to say it

Urban Orbit · 0 likes

this feels a little overrated to me, even if the intention is good. A little friction removed goes a long way

Jisoo Park · 12 likes

Thanks for making it less intimidating