Andrew Backhouse
@andrew-backhouse.bsky.social
🇪🇺🇬🇧 Fenman turned Tyke | Based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire 📍 Radio enthusiast 🎙 | Founder of Harrogate Community Radio | Professional web designer // Typography Consultant // MCSD 🌐 Find out more at andrewbackhouse.design/links
If your website is not pulling its weight, that is worth a conversation rather than another year of ignoring it. A free twenty-minute call is enough to find out what is actually holding it back and what fixing it would involve. No obligation, just an honest look.
September 11, 2026 at 10:30 AM
If your website is not pulling its weight, that is worth a conversation rather than another year of ignoring it. A free twenty-minute call is enough to find out what is actually holding it back and what fixing it would involve. No obligation, just an honest look.
Bank holiday Monday. The inbox is quiet, which is rare, so today is for reading rather than replying. If you are doing the same, my blog, Drew a Designer, has posts on typography, accessibility and design thinking that might be worth ten minutes of a slow day.
www.drewadesigner.co.uk
www.drewadesigner.co.uk
August 31, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Bank holiday Monday. The inbox is quiet, which is rare, so today is for reading rather than replying. If you are doing the same, my blog, Drew a Designer, has posts on typography, accessibility and design thinking that might be worth ten minutes of a slow day.
www.drewadesigner.co.uk
www.drewadesigner.co.uk
Julian Varley is an electrician in Harrogate with a strong eye for design, inspired by twentieth century Modernist architecture. I built his site to match that: clean layout, clear information, nothing fussy. It is proof that a trade business can have a site that looks as sharp as any studio.
August 13, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Julian Varley is an electrician in Harrogate with a strong eye for design, inspired by twentieth century Modernist architecture. I built his site to match that: clean layout, clear information, nothing fussy. It is proof that a trade business can have a site that looks as sharp as any studio.
I wear an Apple Watch I can't put away, and that's why it works. Pen & paper never stuck: too many steps between an idea and capturing it. The watch removes the steps. No willpower needed, just less friction.
New post about it: backhouse.tips/nv3
New post about it: backhouse.tips/nv3
August 3, 2026 at 8:59 AM
I wear an Apple Watch I can't put away, and that's why it works. Pen & paper never stuck: too many steps between an idea and capturing it. The watch removes the steps. No willpower needed, just less friction.
New post about it: backhouse.tips/nv3
New post about it: backhouse.tips/nv3
I managed to get 91% in the IxDF Visual Design course; a good course that I really recommend.
July 15, 2026 at 4:59 PM
I managed to get 91% in the IxDF Visual Design course; a good course that I really recommend.
I have tried to give a few tips as to why customers to your small business need to be able to read your site - backhouse.tips/ykf - sounds simple, but this is all part of accessibility and enabling people to use your site.
July 1, 2026 at 4:59 PM
I have tried to give a few tips as to why customers to your small business need to be able to read your site - backhouse.tips/ykf - sounds simple, but this is all part of accessibility and enabling people to use your site.
May 1, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Do you want to receive an email from me every Friday with a break down of the tops things in tech affecting #Harrogate businesses? Head to www.andrewbackhouse.design/news to sign up - in exchange you'll receive a 20-point pdf about how to write for the web.
April 15, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Do you want to receive an email from me every Friday with a break down of the tops things in tech affecting #Harrogate businesses? Head to www.andrewbackhouse.design/news to sign up - in exchange you'll receive a 20-point pdf about how to write for the web.
A quick write up about a book I was given as a birthday gift - a great book about design that is actually a poorly designed book. The writing and the message are fantastic, I am grateful for the gift, but it is a difficult book to read. andrewbackhouse.design/64su
April 10, 2026 at 7:59 AM
A quick write up about a book I was given as a birthday gift - a great book about design that is actually a poorly designed book. The writing and the message are fantastic, I am grateful for the gift, but it is a difficult book to read. andrewbackhouse.design/64su
If you are keen on signing up to my email list, you will receive a 20-point set of tips for writing for the web. It may be preaching to the choir, but it could come in handy. Head to andrewbackhouse.design/news.
April 9, 2026 at 12:59 PM
If you are keen on signing up to my email list, you will receive a 20-point set of tips for writing for the web. It may be preaching to the choir, but it could come in handy. Head to andrewbackhouse.design/news.
In Harrogate, we are often used to reliable connections in the town centre. But go out to the sticks and you will soon see bad connectivity is an accessibility issue. andrewbackhouse.design/blog/accessi...
April 8, 2026 at 4:59 PM
In Harrogate, we are often used to reliable connections in the town centre. But go out to the sticks and you will soon see bad connectivity is an accessibility issue. andrewbackhouse.design/blog/accessi...
A question I often ask myself is "Do I need to be polite to AI?"
andrewbackhouse.design/blog/practic...
andrewbackhouse.design/blog/practic...
March 26, 2026 at 12:59 PM
A question I often ask myself is "Do I need to be polite to AI?"
andrewbackhouse.design/blog/practic...
andrewbackhouse.design/blog/practic...
Safari 26.3 just rolled out with Zstd compression; it’s a boring-sounding update that actually means significantly faster load times for heavier design assets. Good work.
March 9, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Safari 26.3 just rolled out with Zstd compression; it’s a boring-sounding update that actually means significantly faster load times for heavier design assets. Good work.
Built in a text editor - it uses paper.js and a few other resources. You can see it at www.andybackhouse.co.uk
March 6, 2026 at 7:59 AM
Built in a text editor - it uses paper.js and a few other resources. You can see it at www.andybackhouse.co.uk
If you want to sign up to my email list head to andrewbackhouse.design/news - in the short, weekly emails, I mention what has been happening in tech and design. Don't worry, there is the option to unsubscribe in each one.
February 18, 2026 at 4:59 PM
If you want to sign up to my email list head to andrewbackhouse.design/news - in the short, weekly emails, I mention what has been happening in tech and design. Don't worry, there is the option to unsubscribe in each one.
There is a new typeface, designed by me, up on www.sigilofbrass.com - called Cairn it is the most practical of the three fonts on the site.
February 17, 2026 at 9:35 AM
There is a new typeface, designed by me, up on www.sigilofbrass.com - called Cairn it is the most practical of the three fonts on the site.
I created this new artwork for a project I run. "A Sound Map of Harrogate" is a field recording podcast, and available on most podcasting platforms.
February 12, 2026 at 12:59 PM
I created this new artwork for a project I run. "A Sound Map of Harrogate" is a field recording podcast, and available on most podcasting platforms.
Book review: The Enduring Legacy of Weimar graphic design and new typography 1919-1933 - andrewbackhouse.design/blog/book-re... - a great book! One I will keep dipping in to.
Book review: The Enduring Legacy of Weimar graphic design and new typography 1919-1933
"Book review: The Enduring Legacy of Weimar graphic design and new typography 1919-1933" is a blog post written by Andrew Backhouse, a web designer in
andrewbackhouse.design
February 6, 2026 at 7:59 AM
Book review: The Enduring Legacy of Weimar graphic design and new typography 1919-1933 - andrewbackhouse.design/blog/book-re... - a great book! One I will keep dipping in to.
I don't really have a lead magnet other than this is written with all I can muster - andrewbackhouse.design/news - there is an unsubscribe option in each email, but hopefully you will be along for the ride?
Andrew Backhouse Web Design MailerLite
andrewbackhouse.design
February 3, 2026 at 2:08 PM
I don't really have a lead magnet other than this is written with all I can muster - andrewbackhouse.design/news - there is an unsubscribe option in each email, but hopefully you will be along for the ride?
Something I am keen to help fix - a lot of my enquiries revolve around small business websites and how they fail to engage their audience - andrewbackhouse.design/blog/client-...
January 28, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Something I am keen to help fix - a lot of my enquiries revolve around small business websites and how they fail to engage their audience - andrewbackhouse.design/blog/client-...
For short thoughts on web design, technology and running a small business, whilst trying to make technology work for as many people as possible, look for a podcast called "A web designer in Harrogate did what?!" - The trailer is on your favourite platform.
January 23, 2026 at 7:59 AM
For short thoughts on web design, technology and running a small business, whilst trying to make technology work for as many people as possible, look for a podcast called "A web designer in Harrogate did what?!" - The trailer is on your favourite platform.
Most forms fail for small reasons, not big ones.
Tweaks that often lift enquiries:
• Fewer fields, only what you need
• Clear button text that says what happens next
• One short line that reduces worry or doubt
I track clicks and enquiries in Fathom Analytics so I know what changed and why.
Tweaks that often lift enquiries:
• Fewer fields, only what you need
• Clear button text that says what happens next
• One short line that reduces worry or doubt
I track clicks and enquiries in Fathom Analytics so I know what changed and why.
January 21, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Most forms fail for small reasons, not big ones.
Tweaks that often lift enquiries:
• Fewer fields, only what you need
• Clear button text that says what happens next
• One short line that reduces worry or doubt
I track clicks and enquiries in Fathom Analytics so I know what changed and why.
Tweaks that often lift enquiries:
• Fewer fields, only what you need
• Clear button text that says what happens next
• One short line that reduces worry or doubt
I track clicks and enquiries in Fathom Analytics so I know what changed and why.
There may be something that takes your fancy in my weekly email - sign up at www.andrewbackhouse.design/news - if there is nothing in it you like then there is the option to unsubscribe in each one.
January 16, 2026 at 7:59 AM
There may be something that takes your fancy in my weekly email - sign up at www.andrewbackhouse.design/news - if there is nothing in it you like then there is the option to unsubscribe in each one.
Can I send you and email choc full of tech and accessibility news every Friday? Sign up at www.andrewbackhouse.design/news and I will be in touch.
January 9, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Can I send you and email choc full of tech and accessibility news every Friday? Sign up at www.andrewbackhouse.design/news and I will be in touch.
Many Harrogate businesses lose people on their homepage. Most visitors skim and want a clear story fast.
Say what you do, who it is for and why it helps. This simple fix builds trust.
What part of your homepage feels unclear to customers? DM me if you want a free 15 minute fit chat.
Say what you do, who it is for and why it helps. This simple fix builds trust.
What part of your homepage feels unclear to customers? DM me if you want a free 15 minute fit chat.
December 10, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Many Harrogate businesses lose people on their homepage. Most visitors skim and want a clear story fast.
Say what you do, who it is for and why it helps. This simple fix builds trust.
What part of your homepage feels unclear to customers? DM me if you want a free 15 minute fit chat.
Say what you do, who it is for and why it helps. This simple fix builds trust.
What part of your homepage feels unclear to customers? DM me if you want a free 15 minute fit chat.