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I'm Mirko B.

I design interfaces and build open source software: operating systems, developer tools and the occasional desktop app. From Italy, born in '94.

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The long story

Ciao! I'm a UI/UX designer and a proud Linux user from Italy, born in '94.

My journey into the world of computing began when the first PC arrived at home when I was very young. I was fascinated by this "magic" box, not just because it displayed images, but because I could interact with the content on the screen, unlike a TV. From that moment, I knew computers would become an integral part of my life.

I remember spending hours typing texts on the computer for my father. I quickly memorized the keyboard and dedicated a lot of time to formatting the text: colors, fonts (the few that were available).

One day, a family friend brought us a box containing a CD with Debian. My brother and I immediately tried to install it, which took quite some time because we had no idea what we were doing. That was my first experience with a Linux distribution and KDE. Shortly after, I installed Ubuntu 8.04 and started using it more frequently.

A few years later, I received my first personal PC with Windows XP, on which I created my first website.

Over the years, I have nurtured my passion for design and user experience. With each project, my attention to detail grew, to the point where I found existing frameworks too bulky and generic. The interfaces felt repetitive, all using the same frameworks and designs. So, I began to exclude them from my workflow and went back to working from scratch. This approach allowed me to break free from conventional designs and create something unique.

I have had the opportunity to shape the UX of various companies' products over the years. Since 2021, I have been dedicating myself to UI and UX for the products of fabricators.ltd, a company I co-founded with Pietro, a dear friend of mine.

I am a strong advocate of Open Source, and in my spare time, I work on personal projects and contribute to others.

~/Documents/

What I have been thinking about

The part of this site that matters most to me. Long-form thoughts on open source, design and the industry around them.

All articles

More hands, same head

The follow-up to "Yes, I use artificial intelligence": what happens when the mechanical work gets out of the way.

This site now runs on Steno

A friend's static site generator, built the way things should be built: fast, safe, minimal.

Yes, I use artificial intelligence

I have no intention of denying it, and I think it is worth explaining how.

Beyond Community: The Legal and Political Dynamics of Open Source

A reflection on the legal and political dynamics of open source organizations.

~/Projects/

What I am building

Projects I actively work on, with the code out in the open.

See all on GitHub
~/Projects/.archive/

Built and still running

Work from earlier years that found its users and is still out there.

Support the work

Everything I build is free and open source. If it saves you time, you can help me keep it going.

Support