Pen and ink drawing of a gorilla by James Benavides

James Benavides — Web Designer & Developer in Austin, TX

Every time I redesign my website, it marks a new chapter — not just in how things look, but in how I work, what I focus on, and what I want to build next. This site is no different. Think of this post as a starting line, not a finish line.

Why This Website Exists

This website is a home base for my work as a web designer and developer. Over the years, I’ve worked on everything from small brochure sites to large custom WordPress builds, but I’ve never loved treating my personal site like a static portfolio.

Instead, I want this space to reflect how I actually work — problem-solving, refining, learning, and improving over time. This site will evolve, just like the projects and ideas behind it.

What I’m Working On

My day-to-day work lives at the intersection of design, development, and performance. I focus heavily on WordPress — building fast, flexible, and maintainable sites that are easy for clients to manage and scale.

I care about things like clean layouts, thoughtful typography, page speed, accessibility, and long-term maintainability. If it feels solid, intentional, and not over-engineered, that’s usually by design.

What You’ll Find Here

This site will continue to grow, but here’s what you can expect to see over time:

  • Selected projects and case studies
  • Thoughts on web design, WordPress, and performance
  • Practical notes, tips, and lessons learned along the way
  • Experiments, refinements, and occasional rebuilds

Some posts will be polished, others more informal. The common thread is that they’re all grounded in real work — things I’m actively building, fixing, or improving.

Looking Ahead

I don’t expect this site to ever feel “done,” and that’s intentional. The web changes. Tools evolve. Skills sharpen. This site is a place to document that process and share what I’ve learned along the way.

If you’re here to explore my work, learn something useful, or see how I approach building websites, you’re in the right place.

Welcome — and thanks for stopping by.

Want to see how this thinking translates into real projects?

Take a look at my recent work.