Field Notes publishes long-form writing from walkers, cyclists, and wild campers. We built a reading experience that respects the writing — generous type, zero clutter, and pages that load fast on a hillside signal.
The Challenge
Great writing, cluttered reading
A growing library of long-form stories was trapped in a template that fought the reader with popups, heavy pages, and layouts that stalled on weak trail signal.
The Approach
We designed around the reader and cut everything that got in their way.
- Designed a distraction-free reading experience with generous typography
- Stripped the page down so words and photographs lead
- Built on Astro + Markdown for near-instant loads anywhere
- Added a lightweight map and trail metadata to each story
In short
Designed to disappear. The words and photographs do the talking.
The Results
A reading experience designed to disappear kept people on the page.
- Average read-through up 55%
- Pages load under one second on 3G
- Newsletter signups up 40%
Award Winning Experience Designer + Creative Developer
Designed to disappear. The words and photographs do the talking; the site just holds the map.
FAQ
Project questions
Why Markdown?
Writers publish in plain Markdown, so the workflow stays simple and portable.
Does it work on the trail?
Pages are tiny and cache aggressively, so they hold up on weak signal.
Featured Work
Rahul Miah - Rectangle MakerAward Winning Experience Designer + Creative Developer
Hey, I’m Rahul — an award-winning experience designer and creative developer. Since 2022 I’ve been building websites that win clients, not just compliments: fast, sharp, and with just enough mischief to be remembered.