General Musings with Kevin Powell

This one has nothing to do with front-end! Rather, I ramble a lot about how I might be doing too much, and spend quite a bit of time talking about what I wanted to do, and what I might be doing with my HTML & CSS Tip of the Week. 🔗 Links ✅ HTML & CSS Tip of the Week: https://html-css-tip-of-the-week.netlify.app/ ✅ DevTools for Beginners: https://devtoolsforbeginners.kevinpowell.co/ ✅ C...

Why is CSS so weird? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHUtMbJw8iA HTML & CSS Tip of the Week: https://html-css-tip-of-the-week.netlify.app/ The Ben Schwarz post on Bluesky I mentioned: https://bsky.app/profile/benschwarz.bsky.social/post/3lulxryudjs2t   My primary YouTube channel where I teach frontend development, with a strong focus on CSS: https://youtube.com/@kevinpowell   ✉ The written ver...

Been having a hard time getting anything done the last few weeks, and as I pull out of it, I talk about some of the issues around productivity culture in general, and how sometimes it seems like we are less productive than we might have realized. 

The livestream I mentioned: https://youtube.com/live/r7m3Ka2LmPM State of CSS Survey: https://survey.devographics.com/en-US/survey/state-of-css/2025?source=kevin_powell The gap decoration demos by Edge: https://microsoftedge.github.io/Demos/css-gap-decorations/ In this episode I discuss CSS features I wish existed, like custom media queries, gap in block elements, and the color contrast function.

The articles I read in this episode: The promise that wasn’t kept & Ensloppification In this episode, I read through 'The Promise that wasn't Kept' by Salma Alam-Naylor and 'Ensloppification' by David Bushell, and give my thoughts on what they're writing, examining the hype, flaws, and environmental concerns surrounding AI tools in the software industry and discuss the need for a more responsi...

Today I'm tackling a topic that's been on my mind: the perception that Flexbox is easier than Grid. I share my frustrations and insights while revamping my CSS Demystified course .

My upcoming in-person workshop: https://smashingconf.com/workshops/workshops/ny/kevin-j-powell-css/ My courses can all be found here: https://kevinpowell.co/courses In this episode of General Musings, I dive deep into learning and teaching frontend development. I share my personal experiences, why teaching is the best way to learn, and the importance of addressing roadblocks in learning. I also ge...

Welcome to this week's episode of General Musings, where I talk about how, when I'm struggling to do something, I try to find the easiest path to getting started. It can be hard just diving in, and if something is hard, even if you start, you might not want to continue!

My upcoming workshop: https://smashingconf.com/workshops/workshops/ny/kevin-j-powell-css/ My video on Figma Sites: https://youtu.be/ZsFIvULxkHI The full live stream: https://youtube.com/live/JBz68wD9dU8?feature=share Nobody Saves the World: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1432050/Nobody_Saves_the_World/ Teja's talk from Smashing Conf last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiZ6dwmVtYU In thi...

The survey link (I lied, it's 3 questions, but they're all super short!): https://3g5kprf8905.typeform.com/to/laWyvkB6 In this episode, I talk about why I think we should appreciate browser defaults more when writing CSS, and ended up having a mini lightbulb moment about teaching CSS - maybe we shouldn't introduce width and height properties right away to beginners? It seems like that just creates...

🔗 Links ✅ Piccalilli: https://piccalil.li/ ✅ Complete CSS (use KEVIN at checkout for 25% off): https://piccalil.li/complete-css/ ✅ Every Layout: https://every-layout.dev/ ✅ Follow Andy on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bell.bz ✅ Follow Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-bell-347971255 I'm really excited to be joined by none other than Andy Bell. We dive deep into the world...

Josh’s article: https://www.joshwcomeau.com/blog/the-post-developer-era/ In this episode of General Musings, I’m reading Josh Comeau's most recent article “The Post-Developer Era” and sharing my thoughts on what Josh writes. I discuss whether AI tools are making human developers redundant or simply serving as valuable aids. From adoption rates at companies like Google to the nuanced effectiveness...

Miriam's CSS Layout Workshop: https://www.oddbird.net/workshops/cascading-layouts/   This week, is a slight detour from our usual frontend development discussions, I exploring how finding enjoyable activities, like bouldering, can make less pleasant tasks more manageable. I also share strategies to integrate exercise into your routine and relate these concepts back to web development. From organiz...

The article: https://webkit.org/blog/16587/item-flow-part-1-a-new-unified-concept-for-layout/ Working Group issue on item-slack/item-tolerence: https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/10884#issuecomment-2764325410 Working group issue on the unified properties: https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/11480 Rachel's talk on layout and reading order: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6azWrtHS-k...

Inspired by recent articles from Andy Bell and Alex Riviere, I explore a bit of my own dicision making process when deciding between Flexbox and Grid. This leads to a discussion on content-first layouts, and the idea of intrinsic layouts. Alex's article: https://alex.party/posts/2025-03-23-grid-first-flex-third/ Andy's article: https://piccalil.li/blog/if-it-works-its-right/ Every Layout: https://...

In this episode I delve into my personal journey of becoming a teacher and the unexpected paths that led me to where I am today. From my love of CSS to the joys and challenges of teaching, I explore how both elements have shaped my career. I also talk a bit about the boring bits of what I do, and how some of the worst parts can be the best parts, as well as the importance of community support, and...

🔗 Links: ✅ Oddbird: https://oddbird.net ✅ Follow Miriam on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/miriam.codes ✅ Follow Miriam on Mastodon: https://front-end.social/@mia In this conversation with Miriam Suzanne, we discuss getting involved in CSS specifications, including her journey of becoming a spec author, and the importance of community feedback in shaping web standards. Miriam shares her expe...

✅ Josh's blog: https://www.joshwcomeau.com ✅ CSS for JS devs: https://css-for-js.dev/   ✅ The Joy of React: https://www.joyofreact.com/ ✅ Get the bundle: https://www.joyforjs.com/ ✅ Give Josh a follow: https://bsky.app/profile/joshwcomeau.com   In this conversation, Kevin and Josh Comeau delve into the intricacies of front-end development, focusing on the challenges and joys of working with C...

The interview with Salma: https://youtu.be/QYkjgd6_s4o Practical Accessibility: https://practical-accessibility.today/ In this episode, I discuss the challenges and importance of accessibility in web development, drawing from a personal conversation with Salma Alam-Naylor. O emphasize the need for firsthand experience in advocating for accessibility, the complexities involved in making websites ac...

In this episode, Kevin discusses the complexities of using AI tools for learning, particularly in the context of front-end development. He emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and careful vetting of information provided by AI, highlighting both the potential benefits and significant pitfalls of over-reliance on these technologies. Kevin shares personal experiences and insights on how to...

In this episode, I discuss the concept of selective learning, emphasizing the importance of focusing on foundational skills rather than getting distracted by the latest trends. I explore the impact of social media on learning choices, the significance of understanding job market demands, and the role of documentation and community support in the learning process. I also critique the limitations of...

The article I mentioned: https://www.kevinpowell.co/article/unexpected-achievements/ In this episode, I discuss the challenges of keeping up with front-end development, the feelings of imposter syndrome that many developers face, and the importance of focused learning in a rapidly changing tech landscape. I emphasize that it's not necessary to know everything and that developers should focus on a...

HTML & CSS for absolute beginners: https://learn.kevinpowell.co HTML & CSS tip of the week: https://html-css-tip-of-the-week.netlify.app   In this podcast episode, I discuss the complexities of motivation and productivity, emphasizing the importance of not feeling demotivated by the perceived productivity of others. I explore the illusion of productivity, the impact of social media on self...

CSS Wrapped 2024: https://chrome.dev/css-wrapped-2024/ Adam's carousel gallery (requires Chrome Canary): https://css-carousel-gallery.netlify.app/ Adam's website: https://nerdy.dev/ Follow Adam on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nerdy.dev In this engaging conversation, Kevin and Adam Argyle delve into the exciting new features of CSS for 2024, discussing innovations such as scroll-driven animati...

ADHD FTW: https://adhdftw.com/kevin-powell Getting shit done with ADHD: https://adhdftw.com/getting-shit-done In this conversation, Chris Ferdinandi shares his personal journey with ADHD, discussing its impact on his life and career as a developer. He explores the prevalence of ADHD in the developer community, signs and symptoms of the condition, and the importance of diagnosis and self-awareness....