This is the fourth episode in our ongoing series about the different components that make up a website, and today we’re diving deep into the world of testimonials, block quotes, pull quotes, and the cite element, and why so many of us are probably coding them all wrong.

Nathan and David take a look at how these quote elements are handled from technical, design, accessibility, and SEO perspectives. Inspired by resources like Kevin Powell’s “Is HTML the Hardest Language?” and the work of Hayden Pickering, they set out to demystify the (often confusing) specifics of semantic HTML, particularly around quotes and citations.

We start with the basics: where quotes show up, be it testimonials for credibility, comments for engagement, or pull quotes for stylistic flair, and debate what pull quotes really are. Then, they walk through the evolution of HTML specifications, the ongoing confusion around the best markup for quotations, and how expert voices like Hayden Pickering and Adrian Roselli suggest different, sometimes contradictory approaches to structuring quotes, citations, and testimonials.

You’ll learn why using blockquote for pull quotes isn’t recommended, and why the cite element doesn’t always do what you think, or anything useful at all. David and Nathan talk through common patterns for testimonials (with author images, company names, and more), how to structure them for maximum meaning and accessibility, and why major platforms like WordPress often stray from the specification.

The episode also covers the practicalities: how to rationalise your code, how to use article and aside elements when appropriate, and even touches on the perennial pull quote debate, are they worth the trouble (especially for screen readers and responsive layouts)?

If you’ve ever wondered how to properly mark up quotes and testimonials in your HTML, and how to future-proof your work for accessibility and SEO, this episode is for you.

This is the third episode in the series exploring the different components that make up a website, and today’s focus is on the often-overlooked but vitally important head element in HTML.

Nathan and David kick things off by admitting that, like many web professionals, they haven’t thought deeply about the head for quite some time, despite its massive impact on performance, accessibility, and SEO. Drawing from their own experiences as CMS users and enthusiasts, they dig into what the head is, the key tags you can (and must) use, and which practices are still essential in modern web development.

They cover everything from the basic meta tags you need for setting character encoding, viewport scaling, and page titles, to why the order of scripts and styles in your head can dramatically affect site speed and user experience. David explains some of the technical nuances, like choosing between inline styles and external stylesheets and recent updates that now allow for SVG favicons with light and dark mode support, thanks to the latest version of Safari.

They also discuss SEO considerations, such as canonical tags, language declarations, and social sharing metadata, along with hands-on tips to help you validate your sites and avoid common mistakes, like using special characters in titles that may trip up screen readers or search engines.

If you build or maintain websites and haven’t recently double-checked your head element, this episode is well worth your time.

By the end, Nathan and David will have you rethinking and refreshing your approach to the head of your HTML, ensuring you’re setting up your sites for the best possible technical, SEO, and accessibility outcomes.

On the podcast today, we’re joined by Paul Lacey.

Paul has been working in web design and development since 1999, and in that time he’s witnessed the evolution of the industry from the early days without CSS, through the dot-com boom, to the modern era of design systems. He’s put together his own design systems for professional and client work, and brings first-hand, practical experience to our chat. Paul joins our regular hosts, Nathan Wrigley and David Waumsley, to help demystify what “design systems” actually are, and why they might matter to all of us, not just the largest organisations.

We kick things off by uncovering the surprisingly varied definitions of design systems, including perspectives from the Nielsen Norman Group and Figma. The conversation quickly turns to what design systems look like in real-world settings: are they just libraries of reusable components, or do they go deeper than the visual layer to include things like code, documentation, and accessibility?

Paul, David, and Nathan talk through the differences between style guides, design tokens, component libraries, and pattern libraries, and where the lines between them blur. We touch on how design systems operate in organisations of all sizes, from solo freelancers to giant institutions like the UK government, and how the goal of a design system isn’t just making things look good, but improving collaboration, maintaining consistency, and supporting accessibility.

If you’ve ever wondered how to get started with a design system, whether to build your own or adapt an off-the-shelf solution, or why some systems succeed while others become overly complex, this episode is for you. We also talk about the long-term benefits and pitfalls: does consistency stifle creativity? How do design systems need to evolve alongside technology? And how do they stay resilient in an ever-changing industry?

If you’re curious about design systems—or want to build more efficient, accessible, and lasting websites—this episode is packed with insights, practical tips, and plenty of honest stories about what happens when theory meets practice.