A quiet place for thinking out loud about the things we make.

My name is Elena Vasquez. I'm a Product designer & writer based in Lisbon, and Margin Notes is where I write about the craft of software — the texture of interfaces, the philosophy of tools, and the small decisions that accumulate into the things we use every day.

I started this journal in 2024 because I missed the early web: personal sites with real opinions, RSS feeds you actually wanted to read, pages that loaded instantly and said something specific. There's no algorithm here, no engagement metrics, no popups asking you to subscribe before you've read a paragraph. Just essays, published when they're ready.

What I write about

Mostly design and technology, with occasional detours into writing, print, and the philosophy of making things. I'm interested in the texture of software — not just how it looks, but how it feels, how it behaves, and what it values. I tend to write long, think slowly, and revise constantly.

I publish roughly twice a month. Sometimes less. The archive grows when it grows.

How to read

The simplest way is to bookmark the site and check back. If you prefer a feed, there's an RSS link in the footer. And if you'd like to say something about a piece — agreement, disagreement, a connection I missed — you can always reach me by email. I read everything, and I reply to most of it.

The zine

Every few months I also print a small risograph zine — sixteen pages, thirty copies, mailed by hand. It's a different kind of writing: slower, more personal, edited harder. If you'd like to receive a copy, write to me and ask. There's no form. There's no automation. Just an envelope with your name on it, eventually.