Stupid HTML Tricks
A growing gallery of one-off front-end experiments — small, self-aware homages and interface tells, each built in a single file. No 3D, no frameworks. Just canvas, CSS, and a point to make.
The Effort Slider
This is a faithful emulation of Claude Code’s “Effort” slider — the little popover that lets you dial how hard the model should think. In the real thing, the pixel field only ignites when you push the handle all the way to Max: a tiny reward cue that fires precisely at the most token-expensive setting. The interface gamifies full burn. The sparks are a dopamine hit for spending the most compute.
This version keeps the exact visual grammar but flips the axis. Left is analogy, right is contradiction; the reward fires at maximum conceptual tensioninstead of maximum compute. Drag it back even slightly and the field goes dormant — neutral grey, no colour, no motion — exactly as the original withholds its payoff below Max. The animation isn’t decoration. It’s a tell about what the interface wants you to want. Built with canvas, no libraries.