The Brief
Most blog starters come with too much — heavy frameworks, complex setups, and styling opinions baked so deep they’re impossible to change. I wanted something that got out of the way. A starting point that was genuinely minimal, genuinely fast, and opinionated only where it counts: the reading experience.
What I Built
A lean Astro-based blog starter with everything needed to write and nothing extra.
- MDX support with component embedding
- RSS feed included by default
- Dark mode with no flash on load
- Responsive, well-spaced typography tuned for reading
- Sitemap and SEO meta tags out of the box
- Zero client-side JavaScript on static pages
Typography & Reading Experience
The reading experience was the primary constraint. Every decision — from line length to spacing to code block contrast — was made to keep the reader focused on the content. Body text is set at a comfortable measure, headings are restrained, and the layout collapses cleanly on small screens without losing hierarchy.
Results
Used as a starting point for several client projects and available as a free open-source template. Feedback from developers has been consistent: it’s easy to understand, easy to extend, and doesn’t fight back.