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Nik Jeleniauskas

@njeleniauskas.bsky.social
29 followers 91 following 53 posts

Designer, musician, and curious by nature.

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Reposted by Nik Jeleniauskas
Sarah Higley @codingchaos.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Wrote a thing on why we should have interactive lists on the web: sarahmhigley.com/writing/inte... If anyone has their own interactive list use cases that aren't covered, send them to me! I'm putting together an ARIA spec PR this month.
sarahmhigley.com
The web needs interactive lists | Sarah Higley
A plea to developers: if this gets created, let's not fuck it up. This is a slightly more spec-heavy post than usual, but hopefully still useful.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Designers using AI: How can I use this to help me with strategy, research, and prototyping? Me using AI: Let's learn how to build an API and other engineering patterns I was less familiar with.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Cheng Lou wrote an interesting take on text layout on the web. And looking at it my first thought was "how would a user with a screen reader experience this?" Well, every line is a span for one. So you can imagine how much more friction was involved. chenglou.me/pretext/edit...
chenglou.me
Mockup 147 — The Editorial Engine
Editorial pretext demo: animated orbs, live multi-column text flow, and zero DOM measurements.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Over the last few days I’ve been trying to design a color palette that starts from a few behaviors I’d like to see for specific color bands. But the tools I was using weren’t really solving my specific problem easily. So I decided to build one to do just that. codepen.io/wo1fwood/ful...
A screenshot of a color hex to svg gradient generator, showing a flexible number of input colors, the resulting gradients, and flexible number of swatches from that gradient.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
I'm curious, for those of us who've been on @discord.com since year 1, I am already verifiably a legal an adult based on their minimum age requirements. Does that mean I'm also getting this experience too (the answer is probably)? #discord
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
The writing in Frieren continues to impress me. In a somewhat awkward moment, Fern tries to bond with Stark by talking about what a cloud looks like — something that Stark tried to share with her 20 episodes earlier.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
You know it's a good day when Tigran drops a new album randomly. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmLg...
youtube.com
Tigran Hamasyan - Manifeste (Full Album)
YouTube video by TigranHamasyan
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Reposted by Nik Jeleniauskas
Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 19/09/2025
🦊 I’ve decided it’s past time I start describing “artificial intelligence” as a failed technology, and I’d like you to join me. ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/agains...
ethanmarcotte.com
Against the protection of stocking frames. — ethanmarcotte.com
“Artificial intelligence” is a failed technology. It’s time we described it that way.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Finally got to making cardamom buns the traditional way.
a half sheet tray of cardamom buns, made as a twisted knots and garnished with pearl sugar
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Having a little fun with game UX/UI:
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
I've always felt a strong kinship with Superman. And now that I've had some time to sit with my thoughts about the new movie I figured I'd share a few that are the most present for me. #superman #dcu
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Reposted by Nik Jeleniauskas
Sara Soueidan @sarasoueidan.com · 15/05/2025
🧵 (Re)introducing the Practical Accessibility course: ✨ It is a comprehensive, self-paced, online video course designed to demystify web accessibility and to equip you with the knowledge you need to create more accessible websites & apps today 💪🏻 practical-accessibility.today ⤵️ vimeo.com/1082908437
vimeo.com
Introducing the Practical Accessibility course
This is "Introducing the Practical Accessibility course" by Sara Soueidan on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
As a fan of things, there's nothing quite as frustrating as dodging metaphorical bullets on the internet when you don't want to be spoiled by people who have no impulse control. So, product idea? A keyword blacklist for browsers that removes that content from websites so we won't get got.
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Reposted by Nik Jeleniauskas
Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
I know we don't feel like there's much to celebrate this July 4th. It's been a rough several years. So I want to talk about how we're making history right now.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
My inner Star Wars nerd could not help but think of this in light of how establishment Democrats are treating Mamdani at present:
A meme depicting the scene where Darth Vader asks Luke to take his mask of, with the text: "(Establishment Dems as Darth Vader) Mamdani, help me take this mask off. (Mamdani as Luke) Okay.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
In all of the discussions happening around AI, I think I'm most worried about how it's going to affect new folks. www.jeleniauskas.com/writing/the-...
jeleniauskas.com
The Rise of the Professional Charlatan — Nik Jeleniauskas
AI and the effects it may have on us are profound.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
I finally decided I that it would be good to share some of my shorter, less-structured thoughts as a multi-hyphenate creative. And especially in our ever-increasing world of "more", this insight from my work as a composer seemed a good place to start. www.jeleniauskas.com/writing/crea...
jeleniauskas.com
Creativity Thrives in the Unconscious Mind — Nik Jeleniauskas
Thoughts on creativity.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
I see Apple has entered it's "Aero" phase with iOS18. And I'm frankly a little concerned about the accessibility of it all. A few screen grabs showed icons, secondary text, and even primary text failing minimum requirements in some cases.
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Reposted by Nik Jeleniauskas
Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
"reasoning model" is kind of like "gourmet deli" - if it was true you wouldn't need to put it in the name, because it would be self evident. It's only there as a counter argument against the evidence of your eyes.
garymarcus.substack.com
A knockout blow for LLMs?
LLM “reasoning” is so cooked they turned my name into a verb
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
When you see one of my takes on AI, here’s a little context around how I feel. AI is a tool, and tools can be incredibly useful. But It’s also being stewarded by the worst kind of people, and as such is being designed to lay waste to everything that doesn’t directly enrich those same stewards.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
"I should be allowed to make money off your hard work without compensating you" is both a reprehensible, and obvious pov from people in tech. And it's well past time this changed.
theverge.com
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 25/05/2025
Here's a friendly reminder, creativity awards are popularity contests and in no way an objective measure of the quality of something.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
Probably my least favorite gaming trend right now is waiting 15+ minutes for shaders to compile before I can do even one thing with the game.
The loading screen for Dragon Age: Veilguard, showing only 51% progress after 10 minutes of waiting.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
How do different gameplay systems affect an inventory experience? And how do you help players manage that experience when a templated weapon system is in play? These things are really interesting questions that my latest project dives into. www.jeleniauskas.com/design/the-f...
jeleniauskas.com
The First Evil: Cataclysm, a Case Study — Nik Jeleniauskas
Crafting an RPG Inventory Experience .
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Reposted by Nik Jeleniauskas
Alastair Somerville @acuity.design · 01/04/2025
Too much #AI slop today
April fools with the AI of April highlighted along with Fools
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
If AI (particularly of the LLM variety) consistently lies about stuff, doesn't agentic AI risk creating the worst possible version of the telephone game? And given that, shouldn't AI companies fix the "AI lies to us all the time" problem first?
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
So many people in tech who fawn over, and relentlessly push AI remind me of the foaming mouth guy from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
Sometimes I wonder why I do things on hard mode — for example making a skeuomorphic UI despite not having made one in 10+ years. And then I'm reminded that the challenge/friction in learning is part of what I love about it. I think I need help. maybe.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Diving head-first into game design and games UX/UI with a series I love has been so much fun that I'd love to make this a real thing. How about it @eidosmontreal.com ? Wanna help me make Thief 5? #gamedesign #ux #ui #thief www.jeleniauskas.com/design/thief...
jeleniauskas.com
Thief Redesign, a Case Study — Nik Jeleniauskas
A Modern Retelling of a Stealth Classic.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
So much of this. And for my money, NOLF and FEAR are enough for this studio to be remembered as one of the greats. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qywq...
youtube.com
Why Monolith Mattered
YouTube video by Game Maker's Toolkit
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
In another first, I attempted to de- and re-solder new switches onto my mouse. And as a bonus, my mouse still works (as in, I didn't murder the PCB)!
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
While I am certainly no expert after ~3 hours, it feels good to learn a little bit of Blender.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
Yay! My website finally has an RSS feed for my writing. I just needed a minute to figure out how to use Node/Bun to build one. cdn.jeleniauskas.com/feeds/writin...
cdn.jeleniauskas.com
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
When applying to jobs, one of many head-scratching moments I continue to have is being required to fill out a "voluntary self-identification" section.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
As designers, the tools we use can shape our focus and thinking, and bias us toward narrower outputs — especially when it comes to accessibility. So how could a design tool like @figma.com help us better? I have a few thoughts. www.jeleniauskas.com/writing/to-c...
jeleniauskas.com
To Create More Accessible Outcomes, We Need Better Design Tools — Nik Jeleniauskas
Visual design tools can bias designers into less accessible results. So how can these tools help improve these outcomes?
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
There’s something immensely satisfying about baking a truly great sourdough loaf. And a 50% wheat loaf at that!
A sliced whole wheat sourdough loaf, showing a soft crumb and a great crust.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
Given the palpable lack of empathy that's circulating on social media I don't think that I'm alone in thinking that private insurance has been wholly bad for the US, and we needed universal healthcare like, yesterday.
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Reposted by Nik Jeleniauskas
Daniel Martin @fizbin.bsky.social · 22/03/2024
I don't know who needs to know this, but Pro Publica has an online thing that will format a letter to your US health insurance company to demand the records behind a claim denial. (which the insurance is then legally required to provide in most cases) projects.propublica.org/claimfile/
projects.propublica.org
Find Out Why Health Insurance Denied Your Claim
You likely have the right to access records that explain why your insurer denied your claim or prior authorization request. Use ProPublica’s free tool to generate a letter requesting your claim file f...
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
LLM's are in some ways like a beta version of the Matrix — devouring every ounce of our being and eventually supplanting the real world with a (much worse) simulation for us to live in.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
I finally realized why characters in Horizon Forbidden West feel so uncanny sometimes:
in-game images of Aloy's eyes showing the eye shape, plus a diagram of where the iris/pupil should be (recessed inside the eye) compared to how its implemented (on top of the shape).
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
It has not escaped me that the fastest way to open BlueSky via keyboard is by opening a new tab and typing "BS" into the browser's search field.
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Nik Jeleniauskas @njeleniauskas.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
I'm new to this "skying" thing, but I'm supposed to post hot takes here, right? Anyway, here's an accurate depiction of what D.O.G.E will do for governmental efficiency (image via DALL-E):
The "this is fine" meme, but with a Shiba Inu sitting in the chair representing what DOGE headed by Musk/Ramaswamy will do for America.
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