Businesses rarely decide they need new software because they want more technology. They need invoices processed more reliably. They need information to stop disappearing between emails. They need staff to spend less time copying the same details into multiple documents. They need forms that are easier for customers to complete, records that are easier to […]

Many software projects are planned around a finish line. Requirements are gathered. A budget is approved. The software is designed, developed, tested, and launched. Once it goes live, the project is considered complete and attention moves elsewhere. The software, however, has only just begun its working life. Users will find needs that were not obvious […]

One of the biggest mistakes developers make is believing that adding a feature is free. It isn’t. Every feature has a cost. Sometimes that cost is obvious. Sometimes it isn’t. As developers, it’s our responsibility to understand both. Software Isn’t Free Every line of code you write costs something. It might consume more memory. It […]

One of the most important skills a software developer can develop isn’t writing code. It’s analysis. Before writing a single line of code, we should be asking questions. Software is constantly evolving. Today’s “final requirement” often becomes tomorrow’s change request. Planning Without Over-Engineering Years ago, I was working on a project when a product manager […]

Building upon what was discussed in a previous article, https://highland-software.com/build-for-the-next-developer-not-just-yourself/, we further discuss the need for clean code. “The compiler only needs correct syntax. The next developer needs understanding.” One sentence has influenced the way I write software more than almost any other: Code is read far more often than it’s written. Every developer knows […]

“Good software should never depend on the original developer being available to explain it.” Several years ago I accepted a contract to replace a developer who was leaving a company. The website was built on Drupal. At least… that’s what everyone thought. What I actually inherited wasn’t really Drupal at all. The login system had […]

“The best websites aren’t designed for the average user. They’re designed so everyone has the opportunity to become one.” When accessibility comes up in web development, the conversation usually starts in the same place. WCAG. ADA. AODA. Government regulations. Compliance audits. Legal requirements. Those things are important, and if you’re building websites professionally, understanding them […]

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned over the years has nothing to do with WordPress. It has everything to do with restraint. As developers, we’re surrounded by incredible tools. Themes with hundreds of customization options. Page builders capable of creating almost any layout imaginable. Plugins that […]

One of the most common conversations I have with clients begins with a familiar complaint. Their website feels slow. Pages take too long to load. Mobile performance scores are poor. Visitors are dropping off. And almost immediately, the search for solutions begins. Install a caching plugin. Install an image optimization plugin. Install a CDN plugin. […]

Over the years, I have worked on many WordPress projects where the original solution to every problem was simply installing another plugin. In many cases, I spend more time untangling dependency chains and correcting architectural decisions than building new functionality. One of the biggest problems in modern WordPress development is the belief that every problem […]