Mike Mai —— Wick­ed pis­sah de­sign­er cø­der

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The art of ba­lance

Great design thrives on the harmonious union of form & function™. When one element eclipses the other, a design’s true communicative power just falls short. Striking this precise equilibrium is a consideration I grapple with every single day.

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What’s new in vibe coding

Here are some awesome stuff I have been working on recently with my coding buddy Cursor.

  1. Rules for AI assistants to code responsively and accessibly
  2. Material Icons as a custom web component
  3. A minimal design system inspired by Matthew Carter fonts

Se­lected Writ­ing

Sometimes I write long-form content.

De­sign Man­uals

Having troubles following guides that are essentially walls of text? These short and sweet design guidelines are perfect for ya then.

  1. A11y Manual
  2. Grid Manual
  3. Typography Manual

Slash Pages

You have heard of SPA (single page app), but what about SFS (single file site)? SFS are minimal websites built in single HTML files. These sites capture random ideas that pop into my head from time to time.

Art­ist State­ment

Mike Mai is wearing sunglasses with a colorful frame and a red t-shirt. He has both hands raised up toward the camera with their palms facing outward, fingers spread wide, as if he is being startled by a monster off screen but in a playful way. Their mouth is open wide saying AHHHH!. The visual has a classic film camera aesthetic with slightly muted, warm tones and soft lighting. The background is a simple off-white wall, which makes Mike and his vibrant red shirt really pop. The whole vibe is super spontaneous and fun, like someone caught him in the middle of goofing around.

As an expert in design systems, web accessibility, HTML/CSS, and typography, my design philosophy is rooted in a fundamental understanding of the web. My passion for typography, cultivated during my BFA in Graphic Design at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, directly informed my decision to pursue web design professionally. I consider typography to be the most critical foundation of any website, given its text-centric nature. Picking typefaces and typesetting are my first order of business on any new projects.

I firmly believe that design is about solving problems, a principle instilled by a wise mentor. This conviction drove my path to specializing in accessible web design. While strong typographic forms and visual hierarchy are important, they must be balanced with robust function and an intuitive user experience for all people. I am committed to ensuring all my designs are usable, useful, and truly inclusive.

For me, HTML and CSS are powerful design tools, every bit as critical as visual design software. Proficiency in these languages provides a clear understanding of web technology limitations, enabling me to rapid prototype designs that faithfully execute the original intent. This combined skillset has been instrumental in architecting numerous style guides and design systems throughout my career, which served as strong, accessible foundations for their respective websites.

Design systems

Press kit