One other 12 months passed by, and it’s time to mirror on the highlights and stay up for some objectives for subsequent 12 months. Like Hidde, I want to not dwell an excessive amount of on the negatives for these end-of-year posts. Suffice to say, in one other pandemic 12 months, there have been loads of lows in addition to highs.
CSS
There hasn’t been one single new CSS function in 2021 that’s captured my consideration above all others. However CSS continues to evolve and maintain tempo with builders’ wants. It’s nice to see browsers coming by with widespread assist for aspect-ratio. I’ve been utilizing min(), max() and clamp() much more now that they’re broadly supported, and discovering them tremendous handy. And there are so much of thrilling new CSS options simply over the horizon — a few of which browsers are already starting to implement. Listed below are some I’m trying ahead to in 2022:
Folks
There are many individuals who have been doing marvellous work with CSS in 2021, so I’d like to attract your consideration to some I’ve been impressed by:
Ahmad Shadeed
Ahmad writes a variety of deep dives into utilizing the newest and best CSS to resolve real-world UI challenges. He’s extremely prolific too!
Adam Argyle
As a Google Dev Rel, it’s sort of Adam’s job to tinker on the slicing fringe of CSS, and I really like absolutely the pleasure with which he goes about it. Certainly one of my favorite article’s this 12 months is his tutorial on creating color schemes with CSS customized properties, and his Open Props venture is fairly cool too.
Stephanie Eckles
Stephanie is one other extremely prolific net educator (I do know, the place do folks discover the time?!), managing to publish a number of initiatives on CSS, accessibility, and static website generator Eleventy. Her initiatives included Trendy CSS, Phrase Wrap podcast and, most just lately, 12 Days of Internet.
George Francis
George has been producing completely wonderful generative SVG paintings this 12 months. Not solely that, however he commonly shares his course of in tutorials on his fantastically designed weblog, together with user-friendly interactive demos.
Amit Sheen
Amit’s Codepen profile is a masterclass within the mind-bending energy of CSS. He continues to amaze, with more and more intricate and elaborate 3D CSS creations, which deliver me pleasure each time they present up in my timeline.
Miriam Suzanne
Miriam is a font of CSS data and has been working onerous on Container queries and the Cascade Layers specification, which we are able to hopefully look ahead to listening to rather more about within the coming 12 months!
Bramus van Damme
Bramus has an superior weblog overlaying tonnes of latest CSS options, and has his finger firmly on the heartbeat. Positively the individual to comply with if you wish to hear in regards to the newest CSS options.
Talks
I attended one occasion in individual this 12 months: State of the Browser in London. It’s all the time certainly one of my favorite conferences, so I’m glad I made the trouble. One the talks that stayed with me probably the most was Tom Greenwood’s speak, A Sustainable Internet For Everybody which impressed me to get extra concerned in elevating consciousness of the online’s carbon footprint and what we are able to do to scale back it.
This was the primary 12 months shortly that I haven’t given any talks myself, and it’s been a welcome break. Little doubt I’ll get again to it sooner or later.
Profession
2021 concerned a few large life adjustments for me: Firstly, I diminished my working hours as an worker to 4 days per week, enabling me to spend a full day every week concentrating on writing. This has meant I’ve been capable of publish articles on Codrops, Smashing Journal and CSS Methods this 12 months, and it’s been nice to commonly receives a commission for doing one thing I really like. The draw back is it’s meant I’ve had much less urge for food for writing and creating demos in my spare time. I’ve definitely spent fewer evenings in entrance of a pc display screen, which on the entire has been a superb factor. However I additionally miss creating playful CSS demos only for the enjoyable of it, in order that’s one thing I’d wish to return to in 2022. Writing for this weblog has all the time been vastly pleasurable, so certainly one of my objectives in 2022 is to put in writing rather less for different publications and a bit extra for my very own.
The opposite large change has been beginning a brand new job. In November I mentioned goodbye to the Atomic Smash group, which I’ve loved being part of for 2 years, and commenced a brand new position as Senior Entrance Finish Developer at Ada Mode, constructing an internet app to assist wind turbine operators to observe and preserve their fleet. Thus far my work has been stuffed with thrilling challenges, offering me with loads of alternatives to study new abilities and stretch my inventive muscle tissues. Extra importantly, I’m thrilled to be working with an organization with environmental values at its core.
Targets for 2022
As I discussed, in 2022 I wish to discover extra time to be playful and inventive with CSS, and to concentrate on this weblog a bit extra. I really feel extra passionate a few topic once I make time to have enjoyable with it, and I believe that reveals in my writing too. I additionally wish to dive extra deeply into information visualisation and D3.js, which I’m studying for my job. Maybe that’ll present up in my penning this 12 months too. However I additionally wish to proceed to set boundaries for myself, preserve an honest work-life steadiness and say “no” to the issues I don’t have the time or vitality for.
I’ll finish this 12 months with a word of appreciation for the great on-line communities that I really feel privileged to be part of round CSS, net requirements and local weather motion. I’m ever grateful for his or her assist and knowledge, and I don’t know the way we’d get by this pandemic with out one another.
