Stewart Sims - coder and other things

I finished my first creative project in a long time It always felt like something was missing after I drastically reduced the amount of time I spent on social media and ditched my smart phone.

Express yourself...

Using the Mudita Kompakt as my on-person device An experiment in digtal minimalism.

Giving the MG TF a spring face-lift Crater-like dents and hazy paint adorn my MG TF's paintwork with the occasional rust patch bubbling up to the surface.

Work update Sharing some news about my career The best part of a decade ago I left the Cambridge tech scene and took a role with a small software company based in Suffolk.

12 months of MG TFing around Around the beginning of March in this part of the world everything seems to become more active: the slowly warming average temperature breaths new life into nature and people seem more lively and a little less weary from the w…

Resilience in software development: Planning for the unknown crisis I recently attended nor(DEV):con - a local software developers' conference.

Exploring solutions for writing and publishing blog content This blog post is something of a test.

How I built a lightweight blog I've been writing this blog for a couple of years now and on the whole I'm pretty pleased with how it works for me.

The web of the (near) future I think I'm forming an idea of what could become of the internet in a post 'rot-economy' world.

Let's talk more about how tech is failing us I'm still stunned by the mental gymnastics required by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen on the most recent 'Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg' show, claiming that now we "have AI" we "don't need coders and don't need to

I haven't written much on here lately.

Writing sustainable code for apps - part 2: Interaction Ever since the React framework came on the scene people started talking about user interfaces being reactive.

Marques and Moments Easing up on the accelerator of my MG Midget to gently reduce its speed, I entered a quaint village by a river.

Writing sustainable code for apps - part 1: The 'View' 'Maybe the real UI framework was the HTML we made along the way' In this series I'm going to discuss ways in which we can write applications to give them a greater chance of being long lasting, more e…

Cooling issues on the MG TF My MG has been overheating - it's got to be the head gasket... or has it?

How we build technology affects user experience In an ideal world: Technology would improve our lives Technology that we pay for we would own Technology would be sustainable Technology would have a long and well understood lifecycle These things aren't ha…

Can better focus and communication fix the tech industry?

6 months of MG TFing around Watching the racing at 'Snetterton Classic' was a good opportunity to reflect on my time with the car so far in good company During a recent weekend of spectating at a classic car racing event, I had a bit of time to reflect on…

The UX of parking payments sucks I've been travelling a bit around the country lately on a thoroughly restorative two weeks of annual leave.

What interests me and what worries me about programming today?

The design of applied AI systems When computers first became commercially available, there was a rush among organisations that could afford to invest in them.

The forgotten contexts of technology use On factory floors, out at sea, in garden offices and cosy cafes, digital devices are used pretty much everywhere you can think.

Most roads are publicly owned and why more of the internet should be too One of the often forgotten benefits of road use (in the UK at least) is that most roads are a network of public access, owned by the state and local authorities.

The growing demand for digital expertise, help and advice The majority of us have to live with technology It is possible to live a life avoiding digital technology in the 21st century, but when you think about it, it's certainly not easy.

Examining one of Facebook's dark patterns It just so happens after many years of having no account on Facebook I decided to join up again to interact with a few specific groups.

Building good technology - Much more than writing code I believe coding itself is entirely joyless... unless you are producing something meaningful to you or others around you.

Picking up a 2004 MG TF The story of my latest vehicular acquisition starts in the midst of domestic DIY destruction.

What's next for AI Where have we come from?

Analysing UK Vehicle Data using AI Own an old car and ever wondered how rare it is?

Design for humans, by humans Even a tiny change to a user interface, to the labelling for example, could give users more time back in their day.

My 2023 When the sun sets on another year, corny as it may be, I can't help thinking in retrospect about what went on in my life during that time.

Mobile Browser Tab Switching and Affordance (part 2) As a follow up to Mobile Browser Tab Switching and Affordance I thought it was worth discussing an important distinction between smaller phone-sized screens and tablets.

Mobile Browser Tab Switching and Affordance Did you know you can switch between open tabs in your mobile browser by swiping left or right on the address bar?

Creative user interface design requires critical thinking (and carets!)

Resurrecting The Website Directory Remember those good old days?

The Search Engine: A product design iteration Designing a decent search interface is a tough nut to crack.

The Search Engine: A product design lifecycle There it is - Google's homepage circa 1998.

Forget the metaverse, you are already living in the meshyverse This metaverse Zucks Mark Zuckerberg so wants people to believe he is creating a new world that he placed a huge bet on it by renaming one of the largest companies in the world to prove it.

Picking apart Samsung Food - a UX Design exercise The 'Whisk' app recently acquired by Samsung has been our go-to app for managing our shopping list and recipes for a number of years.

Why don't I write more about my work I've now been a software engineer for over 15 years, so why haven't I written more about it here?

The Visual MOT app I created is now open source My app for MOT testers to send photos and comments to their customers has now been open sourced!

What makes successful software And why I'm starting my UX journey Note: This article draws my own experiences in my career as inspiration, but the examples given have been modified and don't directly relate to any specific companies or individuals and no…