JOURNAL

Notes on design,
AI, and running a studio.

Written for peers, for clients, for future us. New posts whenever we have something worth saying.

"Just connect these two systems" sounds simple — the real engineering cost of API integration

The most underestimated request I get is "can you just connect system A to system B?" It sounds like 2-3 days of work. It's actually 2-3 weeks. Here's what API integration really involves, and when you should custom-build versus use Zapier.

apiintegrationengineeringdecisions

May 3, 20264 MIN READ

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Is workflow automation worth it? Three scenarios to calculate the payback

Automation is trendy, but not every task should be automated. Three real scenarios that show you exactly when paying for automation pays off — and when you should hold off.

automationengineeringsmall businessroi

May 3, 20264 MIN READ

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Connecting LINE Official Account to Your Website — Three Integration Patterns

Your customers live in LINE, but your website and LINE OA are completely separate systems. Every time a customer has to switch between them, you lose conversion. Here are the three integration approaches, what each one actually involves, and how to choose.

LINEAutomationEngineeringAI assisted

May 1, 20262 MIN READ

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WordPress Maintenance Costs Explained — and When to Walk Away

WordPress powers a huge share of SMB websites across Asia. Maintenance quotes range wildly — from free to $500/month. Here's how to read those numbers, and the three signals that tell you it's time to move on.

WordPressMaintenanceWebsite PlanningAI assisted

May 1, 20262 MIN READ

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Can AI replace human support? Three traps and the design that actually works

Since ChatGPT, every owner wants AI customer service. But 80% of deployments hit the same wall: customers get angry at 'technically correct, practically useless' replies and churn faster. Here's how to actually build one that works.

AIcustomer-serviceautomationengineering-decisions

Apr 26, 20264 MIN READ

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Six things that break in your first month post-launch (and how to prevent them)

Going live isn't the finish line — it's when a different system starts running. Here are the six most common post-launch disasters from sites I've inherited, plus how to prevent each one before they hit.

launchoperationsengineering-practice

Apr 26, 20264 MIN READ

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LINE booking systems done right: a LIFF in-app web engineering guide

Shops want customers to book via LINE, but if you tell them 'click this link to leave LINE and fill out a form,' they won't. LIFF (LINE Front-end Framework) embeds your booking page inside LINE itself. Here's how to build it without falling into the typical traps.

LINELIFFbooking-systemengineering-practice

Apr 26, 20265 MIN READ

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Redesign or rebuild? Five signals to make the right call

Site is slow, hard to update, breaks every time you switch developers — everyone says 'rebuild it.' But 60% of the time, a redesign is what you actually need, saving 3× the budget and four months of timeline.

redesigntech-debtengineering-decisionssmall-business

Apr 26, 20264 MIN READ

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SEO isn't a marketing job — it's an engineering job. But the most important marketing thing isn't SEO either

Every client asks: 'Will my new site rank on Google?' That question has two layers — 80% of what engineering can do for SEO is infrastructure, totally separate from 'keyword research' and 'content writing.' But more importantly, SEO should never be the #1 marketing priority.

SEOmarketingengineering-practicesmall-business

Apr 26, 20265 MIN READ

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What does a website actually cost? Five variables behind every quote

Why does Studio A quote $3K while Agency B quotes $50K for what sounds like the same thing? The gap isn't 'cheap vs. expensive' — it's that the two quotes are pricing entirely different work. Here's how to read what you're really being sold.

pricingbudgetsmall-businessweb-development

Apr 26, 20263 MIN READ

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Marketplace, Shopify, or custom site? An honest cost comparison

Sell on a marketplace, open a Shopify store, or build a custom site? Here's a year of real numbers across all three — plus the hidden costs that decide which one's actually cheapest for you.

ecommerceshopifymarketplacesmall-business

Apr 25, 20265 MIN READ

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Seven traps to avoid when hiring a web agency

From vague quotes to vanishing source code after launch — these are the most common ways clients get burned. Thirty minutes of contract review saves six months of pain.

outsourcingcontractssmall-business

Apr 24, 20265 MIN READ

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