Hi, I’m Tom.
I work where design and code bump into each other, spill their coffee, and somehow make something cool.
If something exists, I want to know how it works.
If it doesn’t
exist, I’m tempted to make it.
I’ve worked in a lot of different environments over the years — from large organizations like Sony, telecom, and government, to smaller agencies and independent projects. Big teams, small teams, messy teams, ambitious teams.
These days I work independently, helping teams design and build digital systems that are clear, fast, and built to last. I care about structure. I care about details. I care about things feeling calm and intentional instead of bloated and chaotic.
I design and build websites, interfaces, and design systems where visual thinking and clean code support each other. Nothing flashy for the sake of it — just thoughtful decisions that hold up over time.
With 25+ years on the web, I’ve seen trends come and go, frameworks rise and disappear, and “the future of frontend” declared at least twelve times. That perspective helps me stay pragmatic. I use modern tools like Vue, Svelte, Astro, and headless CMSs when they make sense — and I avoid complexity when it doesn’t.
I enjoy working at the overlap of design and engineering. Translating ideas into structure. Making things more understandable. Helping teams align when conversations get fuzzy.
Outside of client work, I tinker. Modern CSS, JavaScript experiments, typography, generative visuals. Sometimes it’s serious exploration, sometimes it’s just playful curiosity.
I’m also fond of music, comedy, concerts, the better tv-series and the kind of jokes that are either clever or deeply idiotic — sometimes both. Memes included.
I like building things that work well and feel right. And I’m still genuinely curious about the web, which feels like a small miracle after all these years.
What I Actually Do
I design and build digital work that’s pleasant to use and built to last — websites, interfaces, visual systems, and small experiments. The focus is on clarity, usability, and craftsmanship. Sometimes that takes creativity, but the result I aim for should always solid, accessible, and fast .
When designing I often start with whiteboard, paper or iPad sketches. These get turned into code rather sooner than later. I'm better and faster in the browser and rather iterate than repeat. Designing in a static mock tool is fine. Bringing it in the browser or to a mobile device asap gives better feedback imho.
If you’re looking for keywords::
- HTML, CSS, JavaScript (the nice kind), PHP, ..
- Svelte, Vue, React, ..
- Astro, WordPress, Nuxt, Vite, ..
- Affinity Designer / Figma, Adobe Suite, Glyphs, and way too many artboards
- ... I'm not gonna list everything I worked with, but it's a lot.
A few principles I tend to follow :)
- Good design shouldn't need excessive explanation
- Design and development work best when they inform each other
- “User-centered” means paying attention and making thoughtful choices
- Simple solutions are often the most effective
- Small, testable ideas beat large, theoretical systems
- I’d rather build something small that works and can be tested right away and refined than a huge pages-long make-belief 'thing' in a static mockup tool.
Side Projects & Interests
Outside of work, when I’m not naming variables like poetry, I enjoy:
- Listening to music — from alternative rock to soul, drum & bass, and pop. I deejayed for many years too, now only very occasionally.
- Cooking. Since a few years really started experimenting with
recipes, ingredients, etc..
I think basically what I like is making things. In this case: food. - Exploring new CSS and JavaScript features. Check my Codepen
- Collecting fonts or designing my own, color palettes, and visual references
- Watching YouTube channels. Channels around maths, history, art, technology, mechanics, electronics, people who make things or explain things.
- Creating generative or MIDI-driven visuals
- Fiddling/soldering electronics, e.g. building my own macropad
In Short
Basically, I enjoy making things. I like simplifying complexity, refining details, and occasionally bringing a bit of lightness into serious work.
I like breaking patterns, simplifying chaos, and occasionally adding a joke in a serious discussion.
Skills
main ones
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tom Hermans?
A designer-developer hybrid who works at the intersection of creativity and code. Formerly at Sony and Telenet, or at Miele or Unicef as consultant, now self-employed.
What kind of work do you do?
I design and build digital experiences — websites, interfaces, and interactive experiments. My work blends visual design, front-end development, and motion with a focus on clarity, usability, and personality.
What tools and technologies do you use?
While this is constantly evolving along with the technology available, mainly HTML/CSS/JS, Astro, Nuxt, Svelte, NextJS, and Vite. For design, I use Affinity, Figma and CODE. I also like tinkering with SVG, generative visuals, trained my own generative AI models, modern CSS and typography tools when I can.
What’s your design philosophy?
Keep it simple, honest, and functional. Design should feel human — not bland, not forced. Craftsmanship and clarity matter more to me than trend-chasing or creating a site that looks like all the others. The world has enough grey.
Do you work with agencies or teams?
Yes, both, as long as the collaboration stays grounded. I’ve worked in large corporate settings before and prefer teams that communicate openly, move fast, and skip unnecessary layers of approval.
What kind of projects are you interested in?
Anything that values thoughtful design and solid front-end implementation. I enjoy projects that mix creativity with problem-solving — especially experimental, interactive, or visually driven work.
Do you take on freelance work?
Yes. I’m available for freelance or contract work that aligns with my values: well-crafted, smart, and purposeful. Bonus points if it’s a worthwhile cause, something "different" or slightly weird. Or is cause-driven work, making the world better
What don’t you do?
Buzzword bingo, design-by-committee, or endless revisions to make something look 'more like Apple.' I prefer working with people who trust the process and care about the result.
Where are you based?
Belgium, heart of Europe. But I can work remotely with clients across time zones — communication and async workflows are second nature by now.
What do you do for fun?
Experiment with generative art, make custom fonts, and design things that probably won’t make sense commercially but look great anyway. Also: music, retro design, and occasional pixel therapy. Comedy. Series. YouTube channels where nerds explain stuff. I'll make a blog category for it.
Why does this site look like a comic book?
Because I could, I wanted to, and nobody was standing close enough to stop me.😁
About this site.
This website is built with Astro and MDX, using a modern, custom CSS setup for styling, complemented by utility classes (Tailwind) where they make sense. The focus is on performance, clarity, and long-term maintainability, with as little abstraction as necessary. This is also very much a playground for experimentation.
Typography is set in a custom comic-style typeface designed by myself , Work Sans for body copy alongside Whirly Birdie for headings. The combination reflects both the functional and expressive sides of the work shown here and is specifically chosen to get a sort of a comic book aesthetic..
see blog for more info. Will do a full write-up of every idea or decision I made for this site.
