Published in Prototypr·Dec 14, 2020How to build Google login into a React app and Node/Express APILet’s make an React app and API that lets us log in with Google. We’ll show a “Log in with Google” button on our homepage, and rely on Google‘s servers to tell us some facts about the user (like their email address), which we’ll then store and use to authenticate…Web Development6 min readWeb Development6 min read
Published in FutureGov·Oct 28, 2020How to build a service directory with data standardsThis post was co-written with Dom Freeman, Senior Software Developer at FutureGov. — Recently, we’ve supported a few councils on developing their service directories. We’ve learned that while it’s fairly straightforward to make a service directory, making a good one can be difficult. It’s not enough to show people the services near them, Google Maps can do that. To make a directory effective…Tech5 min readTech5 min read
Published in FutureGov·Oct 12, 2020Toward the minimum viable decoupled websiteDecoupled websites can be pretty great. The idea is simple: make pre-rendered static webpages ahead of time and put them on a web server. The result is speedy, secure and trendy. The advantages come from doing the hardest, slowest work at build time rather than request time. In a traditional…Tech3 min readTech3 min read
Sep 10, 2020I’m looking for mentees!Hello! I’m a non-binary designer and web developer, and I’m looking to start mentoring one (or a small number of) junior folks. I’ve got six-ish years experience and work mostly with local government and charities in the UK. I was a bit of a career changer too — I started…1 min read1 min read
Published in FutureGov·Aug 5, 2020Connecting residents with their communities through location-based search platformsMuch of our lives, and the lives of people we create services for, revolve around the unique context of our places. Our communities and neighbourhoods, perhaps now more than we ever realised before, are more than where we live but also where people work, socialise and learn. A common need…Tech5 min readTech5 min read
Published in FutureGov·Jun 30, 2020Supercharge your content management with custom WordPress editor blocksEnterprise content management tools have traditionally been a bit rubbish. The experience for content authors was often particularly awkward: writing pseudo-HTML by hand and hoping that the results might bear some resemblance to the intended design. The new WordPress block editor can help us change that. It’s an experience more…Word Press7 min readWord Press7 min read
Published in FutureGov·Jun 22, 2020How to add a Google Docs-style edit history feature to a Rails appThe revision history feature in Google Docs is pretty useful. With the ability to intuitively see how versions differ from each other and restore old versions in a couple of clicks, it’s a big enabler of collaborative work. The legacy apps we’re used to replacing might include a rudimentary edit…Rails6 min readRails6 min read
Published in FutureGov·Jun 8, 2020How to add an accessible opening times feature to a Rails appA common problem in directory-style apps is representing the opening hours of a business or service. It’s easy to provide a simple text input and move on. But, if we want to power a Google Maps-style “open now” feature, we need to use a more structured format. In this example…Rails5 min readRails5 min read
Mar 8, 2020Consider using Figma for your next public sector design projectThere’s seemingly a new design tool out every week, but Figma has some unique features that put it above the rest, and make it a particularly good fit given the restrictions of the public sector. First, I’m not associated with Figma, I just like it. My go-to design tool used…Design3 min readDesign3 min read
Feb 7, 2020Four things from Front End NorthI just got back from Front End North, a weirdly affordable (but still very good!) front-end conference. It’s rare for me to get a chance to do something career-related in Sheffield when I’m so used to travelling back and forth to London, so with the time I saved, here’s some…Design3 min readDesign3 min read
