Carl Barenbrug RSS...
On running
Never did I imagine myself getting into running, especially as a middle-aged man. It always seemed a...
2nd Aug 2026
Never did I imagine myself getting into running, especially as a middle-aged man. It always seemed a bit boring to me. Cycling is what I thought I‘d inevitably venture into, especially because I love watching that sport. But here I am, roped in by a couple of friends, fully...
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The end of the indie hacker playbook
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, it feels like the end of an era. Or at least the end of the...
4th Jul 2026
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, it feels like the end of an era. Or at least the end of the familiar formula that indie businesses relied on to build, launch, and grow over the past decade. Something has quietly changed. It’s probably been happening for a couple of years,...
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Bimodal by design
I've worked with Photoshop for an age. Back in 2022, I created a small business called 099, offering...
2nd May 2026
I've worked with Photoshop for an age. Back in 2022, I created a small business called 099, offering a focused collection of minimal PSD mockups and web tools for creatives.
Although I still appreciate the demand for PSDs, especially among seasoned designers, I wanted to explore...
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Local Log
It recently dawned on me that, as a digital designer, I had yet to make a macOS or iOS app. So I...
3rd Mar 2026
It recently dawned on me that, as a digital designer, I had yet to make a macOS or iOS app. So I wanted to give the former a try while also experimenting with a coding agent to bring it to life.
While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant stream of AI tools and...
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A random list of silly things I love
Another blogger challenge, but this time one I’m initiating. I previously wrote about a list of...
2nd Feb 2026
Another blogger challenge, but this time one I’m initiating. I previously wrote about a list of silly things I hate. So to balance this, I’ve decided to write a more positive list of some random things I like, because it’s good to smile at the world now and...
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Friction by Design
What gets lost when everything is effortless?
For years, good digital design has been framed as the...
2nd Dec 2025
What gets lost when everything is effortless?
For years, good digital design has been framed as the removal of friction. Faster flows. Fewer steps. Instant feedback. Smooth, seamless interactions that disappear into the background. If something slows a user down, it’s treated as...
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10 Pointless Facts About Me
This topic has been doing the rounds on the indie web recently, initially prompted by David and...
6th Nov 2025
This topic has been doing the rounds on the indie web recently, initially prompted by David and subsequently by Manu. But instead of using the original template of questions, as many others have done, I’ve decided to create my own pointless series of questions and answers to give...
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Memory > Blog
I’ve always appreciated the word blog. It feels honest and informal; a small, functional word from...
3rd Oct 2025
I’ve always appreciated the word blog. It feels honest and informal; a small, functional word from the early web. Blogs were, and still are, places to share links, notes, ideas, and to find others doing the same. That spirit of exchange still matters. [See blogroll.org]
Lately...
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Why Taste Matters More
Us designers love to talk about tools, processes, and skills. We debate software, trade shortcuts,...
6th Sep 2025
Us designers love to talk about tools, processes, and skills. We debate software, trade shortcuts, and show off case studies filled with research frameworks and clever flows. All useful things. But what rarely gets talked about and showcased in portfolios is the one thing that...
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People I Want to Work With
This is an evolved thought of my post about my favourite designers ever.
Since I opened my creative...
5th Aug 2025
This is an evolved thought of my post about my favourite designers ever.
Since I opened my creative lab FormFeelingFunction®, I’ve also opened my mind to connecting with more creative people. The reason is simple: to make unexpected objects in both digital and analogue form...
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