CSS doesn't start chaotic. It ends up that way - one override at a time, one “just for this page” hack at a time, until nobody wants to touch the stylesheet and every change feels like defusing a bomb.
This talk is about why that happens when there's no shared plan and no buy-in from the team, what the principles behind good CSS actually are, and what maintainable CSS should feel like when it's working. Real examples, a clear mental model (layers, components, states, conditions, context, modifiers), and practical steps to start making things better - with a brief look at LSCSS (Layered Semantic CSS) as one way to put those ideas into practice.
What's in the talk?
How CSS descends into chaos over time - and why “we'll tidy it later” rarely happens
Why you need a plan and everyone on board (not just one person who “gets CSS”)
The principles behind good CSS - predictability, boundaries, and boring in the right way
What good CSS should feel like: safe to change, easy to read, hard to break by accident
Examples from real codebases - the patterns that help and the ones that haunt you
A practical overview: layers, components, states, conditions and context, modifiers
How to start making things better without a six-month rewrite
A brief introduction to LSCSS - Layered Semantic CSS - and where to go next.
Who's it for?
Front-end developers - especially if you've inherited a stylesheet and felt your soul leave your body
Designers and UX folk who work in the browser and want CSS that matches how components actually work
Tech leads and engineering managers - when “it works” isn't the same as “we can maintain it”
Agencies and in-house teams who've shipped fast and are now paying the specificity tax
Anyone who's ever said “don't touch that file” and meant it
Open to all experience levels. Especially useful if your CSS “strategy” is hope, !important, or a framework you no longer understand.
Book me
Remote or in-person. Roughly 45-60 minutes plus Q&A - adjust to your slot.
Yorkshire-based but I'll travel if the event feels right and the location is do-able. And if there's good pizza/burgers and a captive audience.