field notes / 001prototype freely keep deliberately

rapid prototyping for expressive JavaScript

Make a mess.
Keep the good parts.

A small protected space beside your project, where ideas can be rough, code can move quickly, and every good accident can become the next iteration.

notebook open / work in progressscroll to investigate ↓
02 / protected space

Exploratory code needs room to breathe.

Polished project code asks for certainty. An experiment asks a better question: what happens if I try this? Sketch Kit lives alongside your project, giving a sketch its own JavaScript and SCSS files so you can test an idea without dragging the whole application into it.

// isolate the question
// follow the interesting result

03 / working method

Iteration is the feature.

Make one thing. Look at it. Copy the version that still has promise, change a single part, and compare. Keep the trail visible.

  1. 01Createstart a sketch
  2. 02Playsee what moves
  3. 03Copysave this state
  4. 04Changepush one idea
  5. 05Comparelook back
  6. 06Keepcarry it forward
04 / under the hood

A sketchbook that runs.

// 01 — beside the project

sketch-kit init creates a dedicated sketch-kit/ workspace alongside your application.

// 02 — one sketch at a time

sketch-kit create motion generates a JavaScript sketch and its SCSS file. Select a sketch to render it in the browser.

// 03 — branch the idea

Copying an existing sketch creates a numbered iteration. The earlier version stays there to compare against.

// 04 — fast feedback

sketch-kit run starts a Vite dev server with hot updates. sketch-kit build produces a static build.

05 / experiment no. 003

One idea, three passes.

Click through a tiny motion study. Each revision keeps the previous thought available while changing the shape of the next one.

// tap a number to compare
Revision 01: one circle. Revision 02: copy and offset it. Revision 03: change the rhythm. Enable JavaScript to compare the illustrations.
06 / take it for a spin

Open a new page.

Install Sketch Kit, initialize a workspace in your project, then start sketching. The repository has the CLI source, usage notes and current roadmap.

terminal / quick start
$ npm install -g sketch-kit
$ sketch-kit init
$ sketch-kit create first-idea
$ sketch-kit run
View Sketch Kit on GitHub

// Sketch Kit is an open-source project. Read the repository before you begin.