Better Code

I’m Vania Nettleford, a Senior Software Engineer focused on building maintainable systems and improving code quality at scale.

On this site, I share code reviews, refactoring walkthroughs, and engineering lessons from real projects. My goal is to show how thoughtful architecture and clear code can make teams move faster and systems last longer.

  • When “Correct UI” Isn’t the Best UX: Rethinking a Login Button
    In theory, UI should always reflect the correct state. In practice, that’s not always the best user experience. I recently worked on what seemed like a small issue—a login/logout button flickering between “Log in” and “Log out.” But it turned into a deeper discussion about performance, correctness, and what actually matters in user experience. The…
  • Avoiding JS Code Smells for Layout and Transitions
    In real-world React applications, components often start small but quickly grow into complex beasts that are hard to maintain. One pattern I noticed repeatedly is using useEffect for tasks that could either live elsewhere or be handled more elegantly with CSS. In this post, I’m walking through a refactor of a video carousel component, highlighting:…

Code isn’t just syntax — it’s communication. We’ll explore real projects, I’ll share my thinking, and show you how thoughtful architecture makes teams faster and systems last longer.