week 12 - studying how our code matters in decolonialisation.
published by Thoriso Samson on
When thinking about how our code matters in decolonialism, I’ve realised in my own practice how much of coding is tied to English. Even though I speak English often, it’s not my first language, and yet, all my comments, all the syntax, and all the structure of code are in English. It’s not just the language itself, but the way HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and even documentation are built around a Western way of thinking. It makes it hard to imagine coding in a way that feels more personal or local, because the tools themselves aren’t built with that flexibility in mind. Even our website aesthetics here in South Africa tend to follow Western design, clean, minimalistic, very focused on whitespace, rather than something more culturally specific. Meanwhile, when I look at some Asian websites, they often have a completely different design logic: more packed, more vibrant, and shaped by their own language and cultural systems. It shows that having your alphabet and digital culture gives you more space to break from Western norms.
In terms of my development process, the changes I made to incorporate JavaScript were pretty simple, but meaningful. I added a back-to-top button, which helps with navigation on longer pages. I also included a slight animation for the drop-down menu to make things feel smoother and a filter button for my blog section, making it easier for people to find what they’re looking for. These small features made the interaction feel more dynamic and less static. It also gave me more control over how users move through the site, rather than just relying on static links or traditional scroll behavior. Even if it’s a small touch, it helps me shape a more fluid, intentional experience for the user, and that, in a way, is part of reclaiming some creative control. Not to mention it does help declutter the website in a way that doesn't feel too intrusive given the fact that the user still has the option to manually scroll to these sections, and this instead works as an optional functionality on the website that they can utilise should they so choose.