Gemma Croad
@gemmacroad.bsky.social
Lead Engineer, front-end specialist, a11y and user advocate, creative coder
We don't talk about the fact that every time you ask ChatGPT to write a poem about your cat, you're contributing to a climate crisis we all claim to care about solving.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The impact of AI nobody’s counting
What clicking ‘generate’ costs the planet
medium.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:17 AM
We don't talk about the fact that every time you ask ChatGPT to write a poem about your cat, you're contributing to a climate crisis we all claim to care about solving.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Technical interviews filter for people who are good at technical interviews, not people who are good at engineering.
We all know this, but we keep doing it anyway.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
We all know this, but we keep doing it anyway.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The technical interview problem in engineering
Why we keep using a hiring process we know doesn’t work
medium.com
November 5, 2025 at 6:03 AM
Technical interviews filter for people who are good at technical interviews, not people who are good at engineering.
We all know this, but we keep doing it anyway.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
We all know this, but we keep doing it anyway.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
This is very cool!!! It's a CSS terrain generator that leverages stacked grids and 3D transforms. Apparently inspired by Transport Tycoon, Sim City and other '90s isometrics classics, it's built with Vue and Nuxt 😍 terra.layoutit.com
Layoutit Terra - CSS Terrain Generator
An interactive CSS terrain generator. Define a grid and generate your terrain!
terra.layoutit.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:04 AM
This is very cool!!! It's a CSS terrain generator that leverages stacked grids and 3D transforms. Apparently inspired by Transport Tycoon, Sim City and other '90s isometrics classics, it's built with Vue and Nuxt 😍 terra.layoutit.com
A little bit of fun for this weeks @codepen.io challenge using CSS shape() and corner-shape, a random kaleidoscope generator... 🥰 💠
codepen.io/GemmaCroad/p...
codepen.io/GemmaCroad/p...
CodePen Challenge: CSS Shape
...
codepen.io
November 4, 2025 at 6:02 AM
A little bit of fun for this weeks @codepen.io challenge using CSS shape() and corner-shape, a random kaleidoscope generator... 🥰 💠
codepen.io/GemmaCroad/p...
codepen.io/GemmaCroad/p...
We tell ourselves we're optimising. Making things more efficient, more scalable. But what we're actually doing is quietly redesigning human work to fit AI's limitations one "optimisation" at a time.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Are we adapting AI to humans, or humans to AI?
Why we’re bending ourselves to fit the machine instead of the other way around
medium.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:54 AM
We tell ourselves we're optimising. Making things more efficient, more scalable. But what we're actually doing is quietly redesigning human work to fit AI's limitations one "optimisation" at a time.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Measuring productivity makes everyone less productive. We optimise for what gets counted, and the work becomes producing metrics.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The productivity problem in engineering
Why measuring productivity makes everyone less productive
medium.com
October 26, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Measuring productivity makes everyone less productive. We optimise for what gets counted, and the work becomes producing metrics.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
When you start with "we need to use AI" and work backwards to find problems, you're not solving technical challenges. You're avoiding uncomfortable conversations about what you're actually trying to accomplish.
The hard part isn't building AI, it's knowing when not to.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The hard part isn't building AI, it's knowing when not to.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Why AI is a people problem, not a technical problem
We keep looking for problems to fit our AI solutions into, then wondering why nobody uses what we build
medium.com
October 23, 2025 at 4:35 AM
When you start with "we need to use AI" and work backwards to find problems, you're not solving technical challenges. You're avoiding uncomfortable conversations about what you're actually trying to accomplish.
The hard part isn't building AI, it's knowing when not to.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The hard part isn't building AI, it's knowing when not to.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
We're practising how to talk to something that never challenges us, never misunderstands us, never requires us to deal with messy human communication.
The more we practice that, the worse we get at the real thing.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The more we practice that, the worse we get at the real thing.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Why talking to AI might be making us lonelier
How AI conversations are replacing human connection without us noticing
medium.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:52 AM
We're practising how to talk to something that never challenges us, never misunderstands us, never requires us to deal with messy human communication.
The more we practice that, the worse we get at the real thing.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The more we practice that, the worse we get at the real thing.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
AI uses more confident language when it's making things up than when it's actually right.
We're dealing with pattern-matching systems that don't know when they don't know something.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
We're dealing with pattern-matching systems that don't know when they don't know something.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Are we too quick to trust the output of AI?
Why the most convincing AI outputs might be the most dangerous
medium.com
October 7, 2025 at 3:54 AM
AI uses more confident language when it's making things up than when it's actually right.
We're dealing with pattern-matching systems that don't know when they don't know something.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
We're dealing with pattern-matching systems that don't know when they don't know something.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Reposted by Gemma Croad
💥 did a small drawing explaining the JS execution model including the event loop. I hope it’s helpful to folks. Debugging is always easier when the underlying implementations are understood.
October 6, 2025 at 12:23 PM
💥 did a small drawing explaining the JS execution model including the event loop. I hope it’s helpful to folks. Debugging is always easier when the underlying implementations are understood.
I created this vintage colour theory poster for this weeks @codepen.io challenge! It's a loving tribute to those beautiful scientific colour wheel prints I was obsessed with as a child (and honestly still am)... 🥰 🌈
codepen.io/GemmaCroad/p...
codepen.io/GemmaCroad/p...
CodePen Challenge: Color Wheel
A bit of a nod to the vintage style colour wheels I used to love as a child, and still do....
codepen.io
September 25, 2025 at 6:51 AM
I created this vintage colour theory poster for this weeks @codepen.io challenge! It's a loving tribute to those beautiful scientific colour wheel prints I was obsessed with as a child (and honestly still am)... 🥰 🌈
codepen.io/GemmaCroad/p...
codepen.io/GemmaCroad/p...
"Culture fit" in tech hiring often means "doesn't make us uncomfortable by questioning how we do things."
But what if the person who doesn't quite fit is exactly what your team needs?
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
But what if the person who doesn't quite fit is exactly what your team needs?
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The culture fit problem in engineering
Why the person who doesn’t quite fit is exactly what your team needs
medium.com
September 24, 2025 at 5:12 AM
"Culture fit" in tech hiring often means "doesn't make us uncomfortable by questioning how we do things."
But what if the person who doesn't quite fit is exactly what your team needs?
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
But what if the person who doesn't quite fit is exactly what your team needs?
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
There's something bothering me about engineering promotions. We assume good coders automatically make good leaders. Spoiler: it doesn't work that way.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The promotion problem in engineering
Why technical excellence doesn’t automatically make someone a good leader, and what happens when we pretend it does
medium.com
September 16, 2025 at 5:06 AM
There's something bothering me about engineering promotions. We assume good coders automatically make good leaders. Spoiler: it doesn't work that way.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Searched for banana bread recipes lately?
You'll find "The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Banana Bread: 15 Amazing Variations" written by a system that can't actually taste, touch, or try anything.
This is AI slop. And it's breaking how we learn from each other.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
You'll find "The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Banana Bread: 15 Amazing Variations" written by a system that can't actually taste, touch, or try anything.
This is AI slop. And it's breaking how we learn from each other.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Why AI slop matters more than you think
How generated content is drowning out human voices online
medium.com
September 11, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Searched for banana bread recipes lately?
You'll find "The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Banana Bread: 15 Amazing Variations" written by a system that can't actually taste, touch, or try anything.
This is AI slop. And it's breaking how we learn from each other.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
You'll find "The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Banana Bread: 15 Amazing Variations" written by a system that can't actually taste, touch, or try anything.
This is AI slop. And it's breaking how we learn from each other.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
This is a bit of a stroll down memory lane bradfrost.com/blog/post/th...
The History of Themeable User Interfaces
A full-ish history of user interfaces that can be themed to meet the opportunities and constraints of the time
bradfrost.com
September 9, 2025 at 11:48 PM
This is a bit of a stroll down memory lane bradfrost.com/blog/post/th...
“Why do we need all these engineers when AI can just… write the code for us?”
Because engineering is mostly not coding. It's figuring out what you're actually trying to build and why.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Because engineering is mostly not coding. It's figuring out what you're actually trying to build and why.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Why engineering isn’t just coding (and AI won’t change that)
Why business leaders misunderstand what engineers actually do, and how that impacts AI adoption
medium.com
September 9, 2025 at 12:38 AM
“Why do we need all these engineers when AI can just… write the code for us?”
Because engineering is mostly not coding. It's figuring out what you're actually trying to build and why.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Because engineering is mostly not coding. It's figuring out what you're actually trying to build and why.
medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The tech industry promises AI will free us up for more creative work. But what happens when we outsource creativity itself? I’m curious to hear your thoughts, especially if you work in a creative field. How are you thinking about this balance? medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The human spark and why we shouldn’t outsource our creativity
Creativity is at the heart of what it means to be human, yet many in the tech industry are trying to convince us to outsource that spark to…
medium.com
September 4, 2025 at 5:57 AM
The tech industry promises AI will free us up for more creative work. But what happens when we outsource creativity itself? I’m curious to hear your thoughts, especially if you work in a creative field. How are you thinking about this balance? medium.com/@gemma.croad...
How is your organisation thinking about the intersection of design systems and AI? I've been thinking about this a lot recently, and I'd love to chat if this is the space you're working in 🙂 medium.com/@gemma.croad...
The Future of Design Systems: Shipping Intelligence Rather Than Code
Are traditional design systems becoming AI constraint systems? Maybe the real value isn’t in pre-built components anymore, maybe it’s in…
medium.com
August 7, 2025 at 10:56 PM
How is your organisation thinking about the intersection of design systems and AI? I've been thinking about this a lot recently, and I'd love to chat if this is the space you're working in 🙂 medium.com/@gemma.croad...
Thought for the afternoon: Are traditional design systems becoming AI constraint systems? Potentially the real value isn't in pre-built components anymore, maybe it's in the systematic knowledge about how things should work together? 🤔
August 7, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Thought for the afternoon: Are traditional design systems becoming AI constraint systems? Potentially the real value isn't in pre-built components anymore, maybe it's in the systematic knowledge about how things should work together? 🤔
I just read “In Praise of Normal Engineers” by Charity Majors' and it’s a refreshing take on the “10x engineer” myth. TL;DR: It’s not about unicorn individuals, it’s about building 10x teams where normal, everyday engineers can thrive, ship, and make real impact... 🙌 charity.wtf/2025/06/19/i...
In Praise of “Normal” Engineers
This article was originally commissioned by Luca Rossi (paywalled) for refactoring.fm, on February 11th, 2025. Luca edited a version of it that emphasized the importance of building “10x engi…
charity.wtf
July 11, 2025 at 2:24 AM
I just read “In Praise of Normal Engineers” by Charity Majors' and it’s a refreshing take on the “10x engineer” myth. TL;DR: It’s not about unicorn individuals, it’s about building 10x teams where normal, everyday engineers can thrive, ship, and make real impact... 🙌 charity.wtf/2025/06/19/i...
CSS is advancing to become a more intelligent language, driven by emerging features such as container queries and the if() function. Gabriel Shoyombo explores this, considers the increasing complexity, and examines how developers are responding... 🤔 www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/07/css-...
CSS Intelligence: Speculating On The Future Of A Smarter Language — Smashing Magazine
CSS has evolved from a purely presentational language into one with growing logical powers — thanks to features like container queries, relational pseudo-classes, and the `if()` function. Is it still ...
www.smashingmagazine.com
July 10, 2025 at 6:54 AM
CSS is advancing to become a more intelligent language, driven by emerging features such as container queries and the if() function. Gabriel Shoyombo explores this, considers the increasing complexity, and examines how developers are responding... 🤔 www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/07/css-...
Continuing with the CodePen challenges... 😁 codepen.io/GemmaCroad/p...
CodePen Challenge: Spheres
...
codepen.io
June 18, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Continuing with the CodePen challenges... 😁 codepen.io/GemmaCroad/p...
JavaScript turns 30 this year! It's gone from a tiny, quirky scripting language made in 10 days to the hottest programming language out there. Here are some big moments in its history that show how JavaScript has grown and where it's going next... 🎂 deno.com/blog/history...
A brief history of JavaScript | Deno
In 30 years, JavaScript went from being a little scripting language to one of the world's most popular. Here are key moments to show how it has evolved and where it is headed.
deno.com
June 18, 2025 at 6:05 AM
JavaScript turns 30 this year! It's gone from a tiny, quirky scripting language made in 10 days to the hottest programming language out there. Here are some big moments in its history that show how JavaScript has grown and where it's going next... 🎂 deno.com/blog/history...
Designing for neurodiversity means understanding that these folks aren’t just exceptions but have unique ways of thinking and engaging online. So, how can we make experiences that are more inclusive and work better for everyone? www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/06/desi...
Designing For Neurodiversity — Smashing Magazine
Designing for neurodiversity means recognizing that people aren’t edge cases but individuals with varied ways of thinking and navigating the web. So, how can we create more inclusive experiences that ...
www.smashingmagazine.com
June 18, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Designing for neurodiversity means understanding that these folks aren’t just exceptions but have unique ways of thinking and engaging online. So, how can we make experiences that are more inclusive and work better for everyone? www.smashingmagazine.com/2025/06/desi...
The People’s Graphic Design Archive is a truly special project. Its aim is to create a virtual, crowdsourced archive that helps preserve the history of graphic design. You can explore it by collection or topic, or simply scroll through the homepage to discover some gold... 🫶 peoplesgdarchive.org
June 3, 2025 at 6:59 AM
The People’s Graphic Design Archive is a truly special project. Its aim is to create a virtual, crowdsourced archive that helps preserve the history of graphic design. You can explore it by collection or topic, or simply scroll through the homepage to discover some gold... 🫶 peoplesgdarchive.org