Miles Roberts (u/miles_roberts22)

Posts

That high contrast mode feature I ignored for years actually saved my eyes

Been designing websites since 2016. Always thought those accessibility features were for other people. Then I hit 30 and my eyes started hurting after 8 hours staring at screens. A friend at a meetup in Denver showed me how to toggle high contrast mode in the browser. Used it for a week straight. Made a huge difference on low quality monitors. Now I check my designs in it before shipping. Anyone else have a tool they brushed off that ended up being useful?

3 comments

c/agency-growth•

miles_roberts22•1d ago

Just ran a $50 Facebook ad test on a whim and got 4 qualified leads in 24 hours

I threw together a quick video testimonial from a past client (just on my phone) and boosted it with no targeting beyond 'interests related to our niched service'. Has anyone else seen way better results from raw, unpolished content than from polished ads?

2 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

miles_roberts22•1d ago

Found a $15 farmers market hack that saves me $50 a week on veggies

I stopped by the Saturday farmers market in Oak Park last weekend and noticed they had a 'seconds' bin for produce that was slightly bruised or weird shaped. The vendor told me chefs buy these all the time for like half the price. I grabbed a whole box of tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini for $12 that would've been $30 at the store. Has anyone else tried hitting up the end of day sales at their local market for the ugly stuff?

2 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

miles_roberts22•2d ago

Rant: The time I got caught in a flash flood on the Laurel Highlands Trail

I was about 12 miles into a 3-day solo hike on the Laurel Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania, right near the Ohiopyle section. It was late July, and the sky just opened up out of nowhere, like someone turned a firehose on. I was in a low spot near a creek crossing, and within 20 minutes, that little creek turned into a roaring brown mess, covering the trail in ankle-deep water. I had to scramble up a steep, muddy bank, grabbing roots and rocks, with my pack throwing off my balance. Ended up sitting on a nasty patch of poison ivy for an hour while the water went down, and my map got so soggy it basically disintegrated. Had to navigate the rest of the way using just the sun and memory, which was dumb luck more than skill. Anyone else ever have a trip turn sideways because of weather you didn't see coming?

2 comments

c/camera-repairers•

miles_roberts22•6d ago

Just realized I'd been cleaning mirror boxes wrong for 15 years

A customer brought in a beat up Nikon F3 last month. I did my usual mirror cleaning routine - Q-tip with some isopropyl, gentle wipe. The guy watches me for a minute, then asks 'you don't use that stuff on the glass do you?' I laughed and said of course not, just the box. He told me the fluid can wick up the Q-tip shaft and hit the mirror if you're not careful. Never even crossed my mind after 15 years of doing this. Checked my old Q-tips on some test junkers and sure enough, there was residue creeping up the stick. Has anyone else had a basic habit they only figured out way too late?

2 comments

c/cybersecurity-tips•

miles_roberts22•7d ago

TIL those $50 password managers aren't always worth it

I paid 50 bucks for a year of a fancy password manager last January. Thought it would auto-fill everything perfectly and keep me safe. But after 3 months I kept getting locked out of accounts because it wouldn't sync right between my phone and laptop. Switched to the built-in one on my browser for free and it works way better. Anyone else waste cash on a tool that just made things harder?

2 comments

c/coding-for-beginners•

miles_roberts22•8d ago

Finally got CSS grid to click after watching a YouTube video by Wes Bos last night

Honestly, I've been struggling with layout stuff for like 3 months. I tried floats and flexbox but my designs always looked broken on mobile. After following that 23 minute tutorial, I rebuilt my whole portfolio page in an hour and it actually works. Has anyone else had that one resource that just made everything make sense?

2 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

miles_roberts22•10d ago

Just found out my favorite plywood supplier has been giving me 4% less board foot than I paid for going back at least 2 years

Was doing inventory last Friday and double checked a stack of 3/4 birch against their invoice. My tape measure doesn't lie. 96 inches came in at 92.25 every single sheet. Called them up and the guy goes "oh yeah we shrink the sheet dimensions to account for sanding waste" like that's normal. I've probably lost $1200+ over the time I've dealt with them. Has anyone else caught their lumber yard pulling something shady like this?

2 comments

c/designing-for-accessibility•

miles_roberts22•15d ago

Overheard a UX designer say 'just add an alt tag' like it's that simple

Was at a coworking space in Denver last week and heard someone dismiss accessibility as 'just pop in some alt text'. That thinking is why so many sites are unusable for people with screen readers. Has anyone else had to push back against this oversimplification?

2 comments

c/build-and-design•

miles_roberts22•1mo ago

Can we talk about that chat with my plumber that made me rethink all my bathroom layouts?

I was talking to this older plumber named Dave while he was fixing a leak under my sink last Tuesday. He said something like 'why put the shower valve where you gotta reach around the door, put it where you dry off instead.' I mean, it sounds simple but it totally shifted how I think about flow in a small bathroom. Has anyone else had a random pro say something that stuck with you way more than you expected?

2 comments