Duncan McAlester
mcalester.design
Duncan McAlester
@mcalester.design
Design Technologist
Former Lead Astro UX Design System
2026 Goals
January 11, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Materials have arrived for one of my sillier pursuits. Hoping to get some time to build a prototype this week.
December 15, 2025 at 11:07 PM
text-wrap: pretty to the rescue. I was showing my partner something unrelated to the title, but the response was "The UX of what now‽". Pesky widow was almost typographic fortune telling 🤣
December 12, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Why do only toaster users get to laugh and then enjoy? Also, seriously designers, don’t make your instructions “fun”. It’s 6am – I’m trying to get coffee made, a distracted kid dressed and an unwell spouse some meds. I don’t need to laugh and enjoy. I need heating instructions larger than 11 point
December 5, 2025 at 1:24 AM
I don’t know if there’s a term for the inverse of diagetic music, but if there is listening to the Blade Runner soundtrack walking through Dotonbori is definitely that.

Now off to find some noodles. Four fish and some noodles – though maybe two will do.
November 20, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Three blocks north and a mile south and I get these speeds. I get a very reasonable 150 Mbps down and less reasonable 3 Mbps up, but I’d ditch my cable connection in a heartbeat for these speeds.
October 27, 2025 at 10:12 PM
People always post these immaculate workstation setups and they are amazing and inspiring. Mine is very messy, but I looked down and saw this and it sums up so much. A pocket watercolor kit and sketchbook right next to a case of random Arduino and other circuit boards.
July 24, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Maybe it’s just a coincidence or maybe wholesale cuts at the federal government have left critical services unprepared for real time events like an earthquake.
April 14, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Does Sora understand UX better than some product teams?

Look at Amtrak’s home screen on a mobile phone and compare it to a very simple output from Sora. Amtrak: you get an ad for a credit card and a customer story. Sora gets right to the point. Where are you going? When do you want to go?
March 29, 2025 at 6:52 PM
November 8, 2024 at 10:08 PM