by Dan Cederholm with Ethan Marcotte



About the Book
Seemingly non-obvious details can often separate good web design from great web design. You might not appreciate the quality of a well-designed website until you start using it, looking under the hood, putting it through tests, etc.
Handcrafted CSS: More Bulletproof Web Design is an attempt to share some of these details that matter most. By encouraging “progressive enrichment” to utilize advanced CSS and CSS3 properties that work in browsers today, to reevaluating past methods and best practices. This book will show how craftsmanship can be applied to flexible, bulletproof, highly efficient and adaptable interfaces that make up a solid user experience.
✅ Advantages of Handcrafted CSS
1) Lightweight and Fast Performance
Since Handcrafted CSS includes only the styles you intentionally write, it avoids the excess code that comes with frameworks.
This results in:
- Faster page load times
- Improved SEO performance
- Better mobile user experience
2) Full Creative and Brand Control
Unlike frameworks with predefined styles, Handcrafted CSS gives developers complete freedom to implement any design exactly as intended.
This is ideal for brands where visual identity is critical—colors, spacing, layout, curves, animations, etc.
3) Minimal Code Conflicts and Cleaner Structure
Because everything is intentionally crafted, you’re less likely to encounter conflicts between default framework styles and custom code.
A handcrafted approach often results in:
- Cleaner architecture
- More predictable behavior
- Easier long-term maintenance
4) Precise Browser Compatibility Management
Handcrafted CSS allows the developer to directly control how elements behave across different browsers:
- Modern browsers get enhanced effects
- Older browsers receive safe fallback styling
This aligns perfectly with the Progressive Enhancement philosophy.
5) Rich, Detail-Oriented User Experience
Small design details greatly influence the overall UX.
Handcrafted CSS enables fine-tuned adjustments such as:
- Micro-spacing and typography precision
- Smooth animations and transitions
- Optimized touch areas
- Tailored responsive layouts
These are difficult to achieve perfectly with a generic framework.
6) Better Skill Development and Reusability
Writing CSS manually forces deeper understanding of:
- Layout systems
- Responsive behavior
- CSS architecture patterns
- Component design
You end up with reusable knowledge instead of relying heavily on external tools.
Example
Which CSS Approach Is Best for the 토닥이 Website?
For 토닥이, the best approach is Handcrafted CSS as the core, combined with limited, purposeful use of utilities or frameworks only where needed.
1. Understanding the Goals of the 토닥이 Website
토닥이 is not a generic service website—it is a premium, women-only wellness brand.
The website must clearly communicate:
- Trust and safety
- Emotional comfort and care
- Premium service quality
- Sensitivity toward female users
- Strong brand differentiation
To achieve this, the website needs:
- A visually distinctive design compared to typical massage or service sites
- A soft, calm, and carefully crafted UI, not a template-based look
- Excellent mobile performance and usability
2. Why Handcrafted CSS Is the Best Fit for 토닥이 site
✅ 1) Complete Brand and Visual Control
Handcrafted CSS allows full control over:
- Colors and gradients
- Spacing and layout rhythm
- Typography and readability
- Buttons, cards, and micro-interactions
For a brand like 토닥이, where trust and emotional reassurance are critical,
small UI details strongly influence user perception.
Framework-based designs often feel generic or familiar.
✅ 2) Superior Performance for Mobile-First Users
Most users will access the website via mobile devices.
Handcrafted CSS:
- Loads only the styles that are actually needed
- Eliminates unused CSS
- Improves page speed and SEO
- Reduces bounce rates
Frameworks often ship with many unused components that negatively affect performance.
✅ 3) Emotional UX Through Fine Details
토닥이’s messaging is emotional and trust-driven.
Handcrafted CSS supports subtle but important details such as:
- Gentle hover effects
- Soft scroll-based transitions
- Balanced white space
- Carefully tuned typography
These details help create a sense of calm, safety, and professionalism, which is essential for a women-only service.
3. A Practical Hybrid Strategy (Recommended)
Using Handcrafted CSS does not mean avoiding frameworks entirely.
The most efficient approach is a role-based hybrid strategy.
🔹 (1) Public-Facing Pages (Main Website, Landing Pages)
→ Handcrafted CSS–first approach
Use Handcrafted CSS for:
- Homepage and brand introduction
- Service explanation pages
- Regional pages (Gangnam, Suwon, Incheon, etc.)
- Reviews and testimonials
- Safety, privacy, and trust sections
- Call-to-action and booking guidance
🔹 (2) Internal Tools and Admin Pages
→ Frameworks are appropriate and recommended here
For:
- Admin dashboards
- Booking and schedule management
- Data tables and internal forms
Using Bootstrap or Tailwind improves:
- Development speed
- Consistency
- Long-term maintenance
Brand expression is less important since customers never see these interfaces.
4. Recommended Implementation Process
Step 1: Define a 토닥이’s Design System
Before writing CSS, clearly define:
- Brand color palette
- Typography hierarchy
- Button styles
- Card layouts
- Spacing rules
This becomes the foundation CSS layer for the 토닥이 website.
Step 2: Build Custom Handcrafted Components
Create custom components such as:
- Hero sections
- Feature and benefit blocks
- Manager profile cards
- Review/testimonial cards
- Booking call-to-action banners
Each component should reflect 토닥이’s premium and emotionally comforting tone.
Step 3: Mobile-First Responsive Design
- Start with mobile layouts
- Expand to tablet and desktop
- Focus on readability, touch comfort, and spacing
Step 4: Use Utilities Sparingly
Instead of importing a large framework:
- Create small custom utility classes
- Use modern CSS features (Grid, Flexbox, CSS variables)
- Keep the stylesheet lean, readable, and scalable