When proposing new web technologies, it is important to manage expectations. Working with someone that has experience in the web standards process can significantly increase the odds of success, but there are no guarantees. That said, I will advise you on odds of success upfront, and if implementation feasibility comes up as an issue, that happens very early in the process so I will help you make an informed decision on whether to invest further.
Many companies see web technologies (CSS, HTML, etc.) as something handed down from the gods on stone tablets. Or, maybe they understand that that is not the case, but the web standards process seems opaque and intimidating. As a result, they invest so much time and effort working around web platform limitations (or perceived limitations) that it would actually be much cheaper to fix the core problem instead.
Why me?
- In 2025, I was awarded Pathfinder for Standards by the OpenJS Foundation, for my overall work and impact on web standards.
- I have a track record of designing, reviewing, and getting web technologies shipped in browsers for 13 years. I have not only designed web technologies that got accepted by the relevant committees, but pushed them to implementation across browsers, often in the face of strong initial opposition.
- As a longtime CSS Working Group member, I co-edit several W3C specifications, and have designed web technologies that have shipped in every browser and are used by millions of developers.
- I have also been an elected W3C TAG member for 4 years, reviewing web technologies across the entire stack for usability and architectural consistency, giving me unique insight into the process.
- In addition to my work in the CSS WG, I am a TC39 (committee that standardizes JavaScript) member, and an invited WHATWG telcon participant, giving me unique insight across all three core web platform areas.
Web Platform Consulting
I will listen to your team’s pain points around a specific area and we’ll take it from there, depending on whether a solution already exists, and what its implementation status is if so.
Often, it turns out that better solutions already exist in the web platform and are widely implemented, but the team is not aware of them. This is not a fault with the team; the web platform moves so fast that no development team can keep up with it. In that case, this will turn into an education session, where I will explain the existing solutions, their tradeoffs, and how to utilize them to address your pain points (which is often non-obvious). Often, this is all that is needed.
Other times, solutions do exist, but they are not implemented in all browsers yet. In these cases, there are options:
- Progressive enhancement: Many web features can add value even before they are implemented in all browsers, through progressive enhancement.
- Polyfills can fill the gap for browsers that do not implement the feature yet, and I can help you find or build one that meets your needs.
- Driving implementation: If you are invested in getting these features implemented across browsers, there are two core avenues:
- Driving developer interest to put pressure on browser vendors through evangelism, polyfills, etc. More affordable, but also slower and less certain.
- Funding implementation work directly. Costlier, but faster and more certain. I can help you navigate options for this and interface with the companies doing that kind of work.
Lastly, sometimes there is no existing solution. In that case, I can use my experience to design and propose a solution that meets your needs, and help you drive it forward. Depending on your case, your budget, and level of investment, it can range from a day of work to months of work.
This type of work is essentially a public service, which can be a great PR opportunity, and I can help you frame it appropriately in your public communications. For the same reason, I charge a reduced hourly rate for this type of work, as I consider it an investment in the web platform and the community.
Demystifying the web standards process
Additionally, many companies whose livelihood depends on the web platform in some way want to get involved in web standards, but the process seems opaque and intimidating. I can help you navigate it and train your team on how to get involved in the future. Through a series of sessions, I can demystify the process with a bias towards action: explain how web standards work, what makes a proposal effective and increases its odds of success, how to get involved, and how to evaluate tradeoffs for your involvement to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.
Understanding how the standards process works and what drives implementations is not only valuable for proposing new features, but also for evaluating the current state of the web platform and strategic planning. I will teach you how to tell the difference between web platform features that are just about to become Baseline and those that are years away.
Web Standards Training
If you are interested in both of the above, this is the perfect combination. After the demystification sessions, we can work on designing new web platform features that address your team’s pain points and writing up proposals for them together, which can serve as an excellent hands-on case study so your team can get first-hand practical experience with how the web sausage is made.
FAQ / Myths
Aren’t web standards only for MAANGs that can play the long game?
When looking at web standards timelines from the outside, it often seems like the process is slow. However, in most cases, work stalls because no-one is driving it forward, not because of inherent resistance or dysfunction.
There are many success stories of major web technologies going from conception to baseline in less than two years (e.g. CSS Cascade Layers), and smaller features in a matter of months. This is shorter than many product development cycles!
Additionally, web standards work delivers a lot of short-term value too:
- Progressive enhancement: Many web features can add value even before they are implemented in all browsers, through polyfills and/or progressive enhancement.
- Strategy: Knowing what the web platform landscape will look like in the near-future can help you make better product decisions today, and give you a leg up over competitors.
- PR: This type of work is a public service, which can be a great PR opportunity.