Brandon writes articles.

I write articles about the web industry, mental health, and social justice issues, including both professional articles and self-published ones.


Professional Articles

Defeating Workplace Drama with Emotional Intelligence

Workplace drama, coworker and client irrationality: these seem like forces of nature that we have no way to prevent or control. Brandon Gregory shows us the emotional calculus at the heart of the tempest. Try this formula on any behavior that makes no sense, and it will help you understand what’s going on and what you can do to help.

Published March 1, 2016 on A List Apart

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The Foundation of Technical Leadership

Technical leadership starts with technical expertise, but also requires a passion for training, an ability to plan out team success, a clear head and constant readiness to help. Brandon Gregory spells out some of the soft skills a tech lead needs in order to show true leadership.

Published June 28, 2016 on A List Apart

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Managing Ego

Any of us can be that irrational colleague who makes for an interesting day at work. All it takes is low confidence and high anxiety—and that comes with the territory. Brandon Gregory shows us how we can bolster and validate our coworkers and strengthen our own emotional resilience so we can avoid unnecessary drama and produce happier relationships.

Published December 13, 2016 on A List Apart

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Conducting the Technical Interview

Hiring for technical roles can be unnerving. Does your interview plan cover the vital questions? Have you clearly defined the role? Will you recognize the right candidate? Brandon Gregory shares experiences and tips to help you make the right hiring decision.

Published September 5, 2017 on A List Apart

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Be a Mentor

Your knowledge and experience is valuable, no matter where you are in your career; you should share that knowledge with others. The web is what it is today because we shared our code and learned from each other. Be a part of that legacy. Brandon Gregory will show you the way.

Published October 5, 2017 on A List Apart

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Coding with Clarity

Always writing the clearest possible code is what helps separate the great developers from the merely good. It cuts confusion, reduces headaches for current and future developers, and saves everybody time in the long run. And though not always as easy as it sounds, with good forward planning, a logical approach to code structure, and adherence to a few guiding principles, coding with greater clarity is something all developers can achieve.

Published October 26, 2017 on A List Apart

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Making CSS Animations Feel More Natural

It used to be that designers designed and coders coded. There was no crossover, and that’s the way it was. But with the advent of CSS transitions and animations, those lines are blurring a bit. It’s no longer as simple as the designer dictating the design and the coder transcribing—designers must now know something about code, and coders must know something about design in order to effectively collaborate.

Published January 9, 2018 on CSS Tricks

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Mental Illness in the Web Industry

In the midst of a seemingly endless stream of harassment and discrimination exposés throughout the tech industry, A List Apart thinks we should also be talking about mental health. In this article, we feature the stories of five web professionals who were willing to share their struggles in the workplace.

Published January 18, 2018 on A List Apart

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Want to increase your worth as a developer? Learn to impact the business.

A great way to increase your worth to your employer is to learn to impact the business side of things as well as the technical. Our work doesn’t happen in a vacuum anymore. Developers can contribute a lot of unique and valuable insights to the discussion by speaking the language of business, learning to sell, and seeking to improve efficiency.

Published March 14, 2018 on LogRocket

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So You Want to Write an Article?

Ready to write a professional article? Make sure your submission is the best it can be! ALA editor Brandon Gregory gives some advice on common pitfalls the editorial team sees in article submissions, including advice for picking your topic, writing intros, and adding authority to your ideas.

Published May 10, 2018 on A List Apart

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Fixing Variable Scope Issues with ECMAScript 6

Variable scope in JavaScript has always had its problems. ECMAScript 6 has some features to help developers deal with this and give them more control over their variables. Brandon Gregory gives the low-down on these features and when to use them.

Published August 2, 2018 on A List Apart

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Coding with Clarity: part II

Coding with clarity sets great developers apart from the rest. Brandon Gregory shares some principles for organizing objects and functions in JavaScript that will improve clarity, making your code easier to read, understand, and extend.

Published August 23, 2018 on A List Apart

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Designing for Cognitive Differences

Accessible design is often reduced to adding alt text and avoiding colors imperceptible by colorblindness. While physical differences are an important component of accessible design, cognitive differences are often ignored entirely. Brandon Gregory considers three common types—inattention, anxiety, and depression—and how they impact their users, patterns that trigger those conditions, and how designers can be more conscientious when design for them.

Published October 16, 2018 on A List Apart

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Self-Published Articles

The Christian Call to Love Gays

Published July 25, 2016

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What It’s Like Being a Bipolar Professional

Published July 30, 2016

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Songs That Got Me Through College

Published August 19, 2016

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7 Things You’re Really Saying to Your Depressed Friend

Published November 3, 2016

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What I Learned from Reverse-Spamming Aggressive Subscription Popups

Published November 4, 2016

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I interview web developers. Here’s how to impress me.

Published November 8, 2016

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The Biggest Blunders I’ve Seen in Tech Interviews

Published January 20, 2017

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I’m Only Happy When it Rains

Published February 2, 2017

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7 Bipolar Fairy Tales

Published February 3, 2017

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Can We Stop Blaming Mental Illness?

Published February 18, 2017

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6 Things You Need to Stop Asking Your Bipolar Friends

Published March 23, 2017

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How to Save a Life

Published December 23, 2017

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Bipolar Depression: A Day in the Life

Published April 10, 2018

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On Gratitude and Depression

Published June 10, 2018

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