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What we learn building products.

Latest

Row of colorful apartment buildings under a clear skyProduct Design · Sep 1, 2026

SaaS design agency in Spain: what to check before you sign

Since June 2025, Spain's Ley 11/2023 puts accessibility duties on private digital products, with sanctions reaching one million euros. Six questions to ask.
pantone warm gray swatches on a white backgroundProduct Design · Aug 31, 2026

Visual hierarchy without color: 7 tools that replace the accent

Two greys can carry a whole interface. Size, weight, spacing and value do the work an accent color takes credit for, in the order that actually works.
Empty white room with skylights and concrete floorProduct Design · Aug 30, 2026

Empty state design: the 4 states every screen needs

A screen needs four empty states: first use, no results, cleared, and error. Baymard finds close to half of sites leave the no-results screen a dead end.
A bunch of polaroid pictures on a tableProduct Design · Aug 29, 2026

Website photography for software: the 7-step shot list

Software has no object to photograph, so most product sites default to stock. The 7 steps we use to pick, grade and ship a set of 8 to 12 images.
A control panel with a touchscreen on an industrial manufacturing machine in a factoryBusiness and Scale · Aug 28, 2026

Manufacturing software development partner: a 2026 buyer's brief

Two EU deadlines land in September 2026: CRA vulnerability reporting and Data Act access by design. What to vet in a manufacturing software partner.
Milan, italy's skyline is visible on a bright dayBusiness and Scale · Aug 27, 2026

SaaS development agency in Italy: how to choose one in 2026

Five checks before signing with an Italian SaaS development agency: NIS2 supplier duties, AI Act Article 50, and EAA fines up to 40,000 euros.
Antique printing press trays filled with metal typeProduct Design · Aug 26, 2026

When to hire an agency for a design system (and when to wait)

Four thresholds decide it: repeated surfaces, release cadence, who owns it after handover, a fixed date. Below them a design system costs more than it returns.
A person holding a blank credit card near a payment terminal on orangeBusiness and Scale · Aug 25, 2026

Fintech development studio: what to vet on KYC, PSD3 and DORA

DORA applies since January 2025, the EU AML rulebook from July 2027, EUDI wallet acceptance from 2027. What to check before hiring a fintech build partner.
Close-up of antique wooden letterpress type blocksProduct Design · Aug 24, 2026

Optical alignment in UI: 7 spacing fixes math gets wrong

Round letters overshoot flat ones by 1% to 3% of cap height, and UI inherits the same problem. Seven optical fixes, and what CSS now handles for you.
A hand pulls a card from the library's card catalogInfrastructure and SEO · Aug 23, 2026

GEO vs AEO: what actually differs, and what changes in 2026

AEO grew out of featured snippets. GEO came from a Princeton paper at KDD 2024. The mechanics, the crawlers and the reporting split. The checklist does not.
Green computer code text scrolling on a dark screen during a software installationWeb Design and Engineering · Aug 22, 2026

Next.js Agent DevTools: the AI debugging setup in 2026

Next.js 16.3 gives coding agents terminal access to build errors, routes and the React tree. The MCP and agent-browser setup, in five steps.
Railroad tracks cross each otherAI and Automation · Aug 21, 2026

MCP governance in 2026: what the Linux Foundation handoff changed

Anthropic donated MCP to the Linux Foundation in December 2025. Who decides the spec now, what the 2026-07-28 release removed, and what to check.

All articles

2026

  1. SaaS design agency in Spain: what to check before you sign

    Product Design · 8 min read
  2. Visual hierarchy without color: 7 tools that replace the accent

    Product Design · 8 min read
  3. Empty state design: the 4 states every screen needs

    Product Design · 9 min read
  4. Website photography for software: the 7-step shot list

    Product Design · 9 min read
  5. Manufacturing software development partner: a 2026 buyer's brief

    Business and Scale · 8 min read
  6. SaaS development agency in Italy: how to choose one in 2026

    Business and Scale · 9 min read
  7. When to hire an agency for a design system (and when to wait)

    Product Design · 7 min read
  8. Fintech development studio: what to vet on KYC, PSD3 and DORA

    Business and Scale · 9 min read
  9. Optical alignment in UI: 7 spacing fixes math gets wrong

    Product Design · 8 min read
  10. GEO vs AEO: what actually differs, and what changes in 2026

    Infrastructure and SEO · 8 min read
  11. Next.js Agent DevTools: the AI debugging setup in 2026

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  12. MCP governance in 2026: what the Linux Foundation handoff changed

    AI and Automation · 8 min read
  13. Cloudflare AI Gateway: what it does and when to route through it

    Infrastructure and SEO · 7 min read
  14. SaaS pricing page design: 6 fixes that stop losing deals

    Product Design · 8 min read
  15. How to run a design system audit in 5 days: a checklist

    Product Design · 7 min read
  16. SaaS Art Direction: How a Product Stops Looking Like a Template

    Product Design · 7 min read
  17. SOW vs MSA: which contract structure protects your SaaS build

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  18. Typographic scale for product UI: sizes that hold on every screen

    Product Design · 7 min read
  19. Next.js Server Actions in production: patterns we use and avoid

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  20. SaaS onboarding UX patterns that cut first-week churn

    Product Design · 7 min read
  21. AI feature token cost: budget it before it eats your margin

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  22. Software agency contract red flags: 8 clauses to check in 2026

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  23. llms-full.txt vs llms.txt: what each does and when to add it

    Infrastructure and SEO · 6 min read
  24. TypeScript 7's Go compiler: what the 10x speedup changes

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  25. Harden an MCP server for enterprise: SSO, audit, gateway

    AI and Automation · 8 min read
  26. In-house vs agency for a design system: when each wins

    Product Design · 7 min read
  27. Agency vs freelancer for MVP: a 2026 decision framework

    Business and Scale · 6 min read
  28. How to brief a software development agency for a SaaS build

    Business and Scale · 6 min read
  29. 10 mistakes founders make hiring a SaaS studio in 2026

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  30. AI search traffic converts 4.4x better: the SaaS capture playbook

    Infrastructure and SEO · 7 min read
  31. What a discovery phase delivers (and what it should not)

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  32. Partial Prerendering is stable in Next.js 16: how to structure routes

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  33. Hybrid craft: the AI-and-human design workflow in 2026

    Product Design · 6 min read
  34. Claude Code context window: manage it like a token budget

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  35. AI Overviews vs AI Mode: why they cite different sources in 2026

    Infrastructure and SEO · 7 min read
  36. SaaS activation metric: Slack's 2,000-message rule

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  37. npm dependency sprawl: the real cost and how to cut it in 2026

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  38. Product design retainer pricing in 2026: the real monthly ranges

    Product Design · 8 min read
  39. Anthropic API in Next.js: streaming, caching, and cost control

    AI and Automation · 8 min read
  40. Brand mentions vs backlinks: what predicts AI citations in 2026

    Infrastructure and SEO · 7 min read
  41. Next.js i18n without a library: the App Router pattern we ship

    Web Design and Engineering · 9 min read
  42. Google's scaled content abuse policy: the AI pipeline that survives

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  43. Discovery phase cost in 2026: what to pay and what to refuse

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  44. Stripe Checkout vs Customer Portal: which does what (2026)

    Infrastructure and SEO · 6 min read
  45. TanStack in 2026: Query, Router, Start, and what each one solves

    Web Design and Engineering · 6 min read
  46. Sitemap strategy for a large content site: split, index, lastmod

    Infrastructure and SEO · 7 min read
  47. AI integration cost for a SaaS in 2026: real ranges

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  48. Stripe integration cost and timeline for a SaaS in 2026

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  49. SaaS website design cost in 2026: a founder's pricing guide

    Product Design · 7 min read
  50. Design system pricing in 2026: project, retainer, or shared ownership

    Product Design · 7 min read
  51. Design system ROI: measure it as a P&L line item

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  52. WebGL vs CSS animation: when to use each (2026)

    Web Design and Engineering · 6 min read
  53. SaaS dashboard design: show data without drowning users

    Product Design · 7 min read
  54. How to write a CLAUDE.md file that steers Claude Code reliably

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  55. How to add JSON-LD to a blog article the right way in 2026

    Infrastructure and SEO · 7 min read
  56. Web font performance in 2026: subset, self-host, swap

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  57. Design token naming conventions: a 3-tier system that scales

    Product Design · 6 min read
  58. Designing for AI agents: building a UI the non-human user can read

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  59. MVP development cost in 2026: ranges by scope and stack

    Business and Scale · 5 min read
  60. Technical SEO checklist for a B2B SaaS launch in 2026

    Infrastructure and SEO · 7 min read
  61. 6 frontend mistakes that tank your Lighthouse score in 2026

    Web Design and Engineering · 6 min read
  62. Component drift: how design systems decay and how to catch it

    Product Design · 7 min read
  63. Docker vs Vercel for Next.js: self-host when it pays off

    Infrastructure and SEO · 5 min read
  64. How to hire a product engineering studio in 2026

    Business and Scale · 8 min read
  65. Type-safe RPC with Next.js Server Actions: skip the API layer

    Web Design and Engineering · 6 min read
  66. Design system structure: the 7 categories and the build order

    Product Design · 7 min read
  67. Content freshness in 2026: the 90-day rule for SEO and GEO

    Infrastructure and SEO · 7 min read
  68. How much does it cost to build a SaaS in 2026? Real ranges by scope

    Business and Scale · 6 min read
  69. AI consulting firm vs AI studio: which fits your stage in 2026

    AI and Automation · 8 min read
  70. What is a Claude Code studio in 2026 (and how to pick one)

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  71. How to hire a product engineering studio in 2026: a buyer's playbook

    Business and Scale · 10 min read
  72. Website architecture in 2026: SPA homepage, static for the rest

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  73. Why we kill components instead of adding them: the design system diet

    Product Design · 8 min read
  74. Short-lived MCP server URLs: the TTL pattern for AI agents in 2026

    AI and Automation · 6 min read
  75. GEO KPIs in 2026: Citation Rate, Mention Rate, Position

    Infrastructure and SEO · 8 min read
  76. How to write an RFP for software that attracts the right vendors

    Business and Scale · 8 min read
  77. Core Web Vitals on Next.js in 2026: how to ship green

    Web Design and Engineering · 8 min read
  78. Functional UI animation in 2026: the checklist before it ships

    Product Design · 7 min read
  79. Claude Code skills: when to use them, when they cost tokens

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  80. Where to find a SaaS design partner in 2026: 6 places that work

    Business and Scale · 8 min read
  81. Cloudflare R2 vs Supabase Storage: when to add R2 in 2026

    Infrastructure and SEO · 10 min read
  82. Immersive web stack in 2026: Lenis, GSAP, and what to skip

    Web Design and Engineering · 8 min read
  83. Upstash Redis: 5 patterns for rate limiting, sessions, locks

    Infrastructure and SEO · 8 min read
  84. TypeScript strict mode: the 8 settings we never turn off

    Web Design and Engineering · 8 min read
  85. AI integration agency in 2026: what their pitch should actually contain

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  86. 12 mistakes we see teams make building their first multi-agent ops system

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  87. Cloudflare R2 vs Supabase Storage vs S3 (2026): which to pick

    Infrastructure and SEO · 7 min read
  88. Supabase Supavisor: when the connection pooler adds 80ms

    Infrastructure and SEO · 8 min read
  89. Next.js development agency vs in-house: when each one wins in 2026

    Web Design and Engineering · 8 min read
  90. Design system as a service: 6 agency models compared in 2026

    Product Design · 8 min read
  91. Claude integration partner: what to look for before you sign

    AI and Automation · 6 min read
  92. How to choose a B2B SaaS design agency in 2026

    Product Design · 8 min read
  93. Stripe integration partner vs DIY: when each one wins in 2026

    Business and Scale · 8 min read
  94. MVP development agency in 2026: how to pick one that ships

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  95. Best SaaS design agencies in 2026: how to actually compare them

    Product Design · 9 min read
  96. What an AI-native studio actually means in 2026

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  97. Next.js Server Actions security: 13 advisories and 2026 fixes

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  98. Dark mode is not a toggle: context-aware theming in 2026

    Product Design · 7 min read
  99. Multi-agent system design patterns that survive production

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  100. Supabase RLS at scale: 7 patterns that stop the 11x slowdown

    Infrastructure and SEO · 9 min read
  101. Post-launch rot: why your site falls apart 6 months after handover

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  102. Edge runtime vs Node runtime: Next.js 16 moved the default

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  103. Accessibility-first design after the EU Accessibility Act

    Product Design · 7 min read
  104. Claude Code hooks: PreToolUse, PostToolUse, and patterns that scale

    AI and Automation · 9 min read
  105. Cloudflare blocks AI crawlers: allow GPTBot and ClaudeBot

    Infrastructure and SEO · 11 min read
  106. Multi-tenant from day one: why single-tenant SaaS is a 5-year mistake

    Business and Scale · 8 min read
  107. Why we removed Tailwind from production: a CSS-only design system

    Web Design and Engineering · 8 min read
  108. Calm UI in 2026: the shift away from animation theatrics

    Product Design · 6 min read
  109. AI-native vs AI bolted-on: how to tell in 60 seconds

    AI and Automation · 8 min read
  110. The 7 schema markup types every blog needs in 2026

    Infrastructure and SEO · 8 min read
  111. RevenueCat vs Stripe Billing in 2026: 1% vs 0.7% fees

    Business and Scale · 9 min read
  112. Modern CSS 2026: cascade layers, container queries, :has()

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  113. How to govern a design system across 10+ consumer projects

    Product Design · 8 min read
  114. Claude Code workflow patterns we use to ship production code daily

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  115. llms.txt: what it is, what to put in it, and if you need one

    Infrastructure and SEO · 7 min read
  116. SaaS usage metering and billing: the 6-step Stripe setup

    Business and Scale · 8 min read
  117. Why we still pick Next.js over Astro for most SaaS in 2026

    Web Design and Engineering · 8 min read
  118. 10 design system mistakes that wreck consistency at scale

    Product Design · 8 min read
  119. Managed vs self-hosted MCP server: 6 axes that decide it

    AI and Automation · 10 min read
  120. How to write the first 200 tokens so AI engines cite your article

    Infrastructure and SEO · 6 min read
  121. One team, one invoice: why founders stop stacking SaaS vendors

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  122. React Compiler 1.0: when you still need useMemo and useCallback

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  123. Design tokens vs CSS variables vs Tailwind, explained (2026)

    Product Design · 9 min read
  124. How to build a Next.js MCP server on an existing SaaS (2026)

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  125. The 12 GEO best practices that actually move citation rates in 2026

    Infrastructure and SEO · 8 min read
  126. Studio vs freelancer vs agency in 2026: who fits which budget

    Business and Scale · 8 min read
  127. Server Components vs Client Components: the decision tree we follow

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  128. Third-party component libraries: an expensive shortcut

    Product Design · 6 min read
  129. What is MCP and why your SaaS needs an MCP server in 2026

    AI and Automation · 7 min read
  130. What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) vs SEO

    Infrastructure and SEO · 6 min read
  131. The agency tax: why mid-market companies overpay for digital work

    Business and Scale · 7 min read
  132. Next.js 16 + React 19: the 3 changes that break old SaaS code

    Web Design and Engineering · 7 min read
  133. What is a design system audit and when you need one

    Product Design · 12 min read
  134. 7 Claude app mistakes that cost tokens, money, or the company

    AI and Automation · 5 min read

Field notes from the studio.