Blog
Studio updates and observations on design, development, and the platforms they live on — and how we put them to work for people and organizations.
Thoughts, notions, and revelations.
Explore recent writing on design systems, development experiments, search strategy, and practical digital infrastructure.
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Studio Updates
Aether Creative Studio Receives State of California DVBE Certification
John Hansen
February 13, 2026
Aether Creative Studio has been certified as a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) by the State of California, reinforcing its commitment to accountable, compliance-ready digital systems for public-sector partners.
Development
Designing for search when you’re not the expert in the room
John Hansen
February 10, 2026
Design often starts in unfamiliar territory. So I created a small internal tool that turns images into SEO- and AEO-ready text, helping designers and developers stay accurate, accessible, and search-friendly.
Studio Updates
Aether Creative Studio Certified as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
John Hansen
February 3, 2026
Aether Creative Studio has been certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), confirming our eligibility to support federal and partner-led public-sector initiatives.
Insights
PX (Procurement Experience): Designing Digital Systems for Government Contracting
John Hansen
January 29, 2026
PX (Procurement Experience) is UX focused on the realities of government contracting. It centers clarity, credibility, and usability for procurement efforts working under compliance and time constraints.
Studio Updates
Aether Creative Studio Certified as a Los Angeles County Local Small Business Enterprise (LSBE)
John Hansen
January 23, 2026
Aether Creative Studio has been certified as a Los Angeles County Local Small Business Enterprise (LSBE), confirming our standing as a compliant, accountable local partner for public and private digital projects.
Development
The Boring Parts of iOS Apps That Actually Matter
Nikolai Annenkoff
January 21, 2026
Modern iOS development is full of exciting things to talk about: new Swift features, shiny UI frameworks, clever architecture diagrams. But most production issues don’t come from those places.