On not needing an onboarding flow
A short argument that a personal site is the one place on the internet where the welcome mat is the unmade bed.
A welcome modal on a personal site is like leaving an arrow on the floor of your house to show the guest where the kitchen is. Yes, they will find it. No, you should not draw the arrow.
I notice the temptation to write a Welcome — Start Here essay every time I make a new corner of the internet. The temptation is wrong. It is the same instinct that puts a hostess at the door of the restaurant. It is appropriate at the restaurant. It is wrong at home.
The rules I am trying to keep, for this site:
- No “About me” page at the top of the nav. There is a small museum and the museum is the about.
- No banner explaining what you’re looking at. The grid explains it.
- No “this site is a work in progress” line. Everything that ever ships is a work in progress. The line is noise.
- No greeting copy on the homepage. The visitor arrived because they wanted to. They know they arrived.
The exception, in case it comes up: a small honest colophon — what made this thing, who keeps it — is fine. That isn’t a welcome mat. That’s the label on the back of the picture, which is allowed.