Mastering Web Design Fundamentals with Kevin Geary

Kevin Geary is one of the most opinionated people in the WordPress design space, and I mean that as a compliment. Our conversation covered the fundamentals that most web designers skip.

The Problem With Modern Web Design

Kevin's core argument: most web designers are decorators, not designers. They know how to make things look nice, but they don't understand the principles behind why something works.

Typography hierarchy, spacing rhythm, visual weight, content flow — these fundamentals determine whether a website converts or just looks pretty.

Practical Design Principles

Kevin shared his approach: - **Typography first**: Choose fonts and establish a scale before anything else. Everything flows from type. - **Spacing is design**: The space between elements communicates as much as the elements themselves. - **Hierarchy or chaos**: If everything is emphasized, nothing is. Guide the eye deliberately. - **Mobile is not "shrink desktop"**: Design for mobile first, then expand. The constraints of mobile force better design decisions.

The CSS Argument

We got into a healthy debate about CSS methodologies. Kevin is a proponent of writing clean, maintainable CSS over relying on utility frameworks. His argument: if you understand CSS deeply, you write less of it and it's more maintainable.

Whether you agree or not, the fundamentals he teaches are solid. Watch the episode for the full conversation and examples.