Navigating Uncertainty
What helps (and what doesn't) when the organisation around you is changing and you can't do much about it.
Ian Thomas
Articles about software, technology, and Staff+ engineering.
Latest posts
Your AI Agent Has a Code Quality Problem
Research shows AI coding agents break 15-30% more often on messy code. The same complexity that slows human developers trips up LLMs, and the fixes are the ones we've been applying for years.
What it's actually like to host a track at QCon
A look behind the scenes at how QCon tracks are curated, from designing the narrative and recruiting speakers to supporting them through to the day itself.
Vibe-uary, or how I found time for side projects again
How async AI workflows helped me resurrect a decade-old side project without being glued to my laptop.
QCon New York 2023
Another QCon event, the first back in New York since 2019, and my first time as a conference Co-Chair
Safer Programming With Types
As a dynamic programming language with a preference for coercion, JavaScript has a reputation for allowing us to do some odd things with unintended consequences. Some people introduce static types to help combat some of these issues but there's also another way.
Social Media and its Impact on the Future of Online Businesses
Social Media has proven its longevity and now is starting to demonstrate its ability to change the way we live and work. I look at how it may affect tech businesses in the future.
A Sassy Approach To Theming Components
At Ticket Arena I have been helping to create a unified UI Library using React and while the component based approach is brilliant for building websites, it som...
Custom PropType validation with React (part 1 - a basic checker)
React offers many features to assist developers, including a great suite of validators for checking the props set for a component are as expected. The full deta...
The Shape of UI Engineering
Notes on what UI Engineering might look like from my time leading the Bet Tribe UI Engineering team at Sky Bet
Time for some new adventures (part 2)
Perhaps “New Adventures” is the wrong phrase as I’m now well into my third month of this particular endeavour, but sticking with the theme I’m pleased to announ...
Time for some New Adventures (part 1)
Yesterday saw the second New Adventures in Web Design, organised by Simon Collison (Colly) and Greg Wood. In his editorial piece in the conference newspaper, Co...
A Focus On The Web Design Process
If you are anything like me you often find yourself pondering the best way to get something done. That something could be how to grow the nicest lawn, ride the...
A better way of making contact
As part of an upcoming pitch I have been working away from my computer to remove internet distractions and open myself up to more creative thinking. So, armed...
How I made the artwork for Supatronix using Flash, AS3 and the HYPE Framework
Supatronix celebrated 7 years of broken beats and bass this year and for their birthday artwork they wanted something special. Here's how I made it.
Big swooping circle things!!
After playing some more with a particle engine I'd written, I started to wonder what would happen if I drew using the particles as anchor points.
Some special artwork produced using Flash, AS3 and the HYPE framework
Above is some artwork that I've been creating using Flash, AS3 and the HYPE Framework. It's a one-off piece and it's the first print I will have ever had professionally printed.
Should digital designers learn to love coding?
My job title at [Coolpink](http://www.coolpink.net/ "Coolpink") is 'Web Designer' and though my role has developed over time to incorporate Flash design and dev...
What does Apple Vs. Adobe mean for new professional Flash designers and developers?
The iPhone started it, the iPad carried it on and now it seems that the revised T's & C's from Apple have really fired the whole Apple vs. Adobe argument. From...
Christmas is coming!! Sneak peek of an Augmented Reality Christmas Tree
A proof of concept for an Augmented Reality Christmas Tree, built with FLARManager and Papervision3D.
Is the best framework no framework?
Next week marks my first full year in a digital agency and also my first full year working with Flash. Prior to 2008 I'd never really touched Actionscript, twee...