Software
Typora vs Obsidian: Two Different Ways of Thinking About Writing
A writing tool and a thinking tool that get compared constantly, used here for what each one is actually good at.
Systems
My Zero-CMS Publishing Stack
How I combine Typora, Hugo, GitHub and Cloudflare into a fast, low-maintenance publishing system without a traditional CMS.
Essays
AI Does Not Replace Expertise. It Changes Where Expertise Matters.
The value of experience is moving upstream, from producing the first draft to judging it.
About the Lab
About XD Studio Lab
XD Studio Lab is an independent publication exploring the tools, systems and ideas behind modern digital work.
Created by Xiaodong Wang, it documents real workflows across research, design, publishing, AI and digital product creation.
Latest
Recent writing across essays, systems, software and gear.
Lab Notes
Lab Note 031: Testing AI-Generated CSS Refactoring
Asking a model to refactor a stylesheet produced a smaller file and three subtle regressions.
Lab Notes
Lab Note 014: Testing Pagefind With Hugo
Static search that runs after the build, with no service and no API key. Notes from wiring it into a Hugo site.
Software
Typora vs Obsidian: Two Different Ways of Thinking About Writing
A writing tool and a thinking tool that get compared constantly, used here for what each one is actually good at.
Systems
How I Manage Images for Static Publishing
A build-time image pipeline for Hugo: formats, dimensions, lazy loading and alt text without manual resizing.
Essays
AI Does Not Replace Expertise. It Changes Where Expertise Matters.
The value of experience is moving upstream, from producing the first draft to judging it.
Lab Notes
Lab Note 018: Moving an Image Workflow to Cloudflare R2
Testing object storage plus on-demand transformation as a replacement for build-time image processing.
Systems
Practical workflows connecting tools into complete working systems.
Systems
How I Manage Images for Static Publishing
A build-time image pipeline for Hugo: formats, dimensions, lazy loading and alt text without manual resizing.
Systems
How I Build Small Digital Products
From idea to working static application: scoping, building, pricing and delivering a small digital product.
Systems
My AI-Assisted Website Production Workflow
Research, direction, prototype, build, testing and deployment: where AI helps in web production and where it quietly breaks things.
Systems
My Research-to-Article Workflow
How research becomes structured long-form content, from first reading to published article.
Tools I Actually Use
Software and hardware that are part of real working systems.
Typora
My preferred environment for distraction-free Markdown writing.
How I use itHugo
The static site generator that carries this entire publication.
How I use itGitHub
Version history, deployment trigger and safety net for every article.
How I use itCloudflare
Pages for deployment, R2 for assets. Cheap, fast, boring in a good way.
How I use itFigma
Where layout decisions get tested before any code exists.
How I use itFramer
Fast production for design-led marketing sites with real interaction.
How I use itSquarespace
Still the fastest route from content to a credible client site.
How I use itChatGPT
Research companion and editing partner, never the author of record.
How I use itPortable Voice Recorder
Captures interviews and field notes without a laptop in the room.
How I use itDesk Microphone
The microphone I actually use for voice notes and video narration.
How I use itE-Reader
Long-form reading and PDF research away from notifications.
How I use itMechanical Keyboard
Ten hours of writing a week justifies one good keyboard.
How I use itEssays
Notes on design, technology, knowledge and independent work.
01
AI Does Not Replace Expertise. It Changes Where Expertise Matters.
The value of experience is moving upstream, from producing the first draft to judging it.
02
The Cost of Switching Tools
Migration is never just moving files. It is rebuilding the habits that made the old tool work.
03
Knowledge Management Is Really a Publishing Problem
Notes do not become useful because they are stored. They become useful because something forces them out.
Tested & Reviewed
Long-term reviews, comparisons and buying guides grounded in real use.
Software
Typora vs Obsidian: Two Different Ways of Thinking About Writing
A writing tool and a thinking tool that get compared constantly, used here for what each one is actually good at.
Gear
E-Readers for Long-Form Research
Why an e-reader earns its place in a research workflow, and the three features that decide which one to buy.
Software
Framer vs Squarespace for Independent Designers
Two routes to a credible client site, compared on control, speed, handover and what happens in year two.
Gear
The Microphone I Actually Use for Voice Recording
A desk microphone judged on the only three things that matter: how it handles a bad room, how fast it is to use, and whether narration needs editing afterwards.
Lab Notes
Short experiments, setup notes and small discoveries from the lab.
Lab Notes
Lab Note 031: Testing AI-Generated CSS Refactoring
Asking a model to refactor a stylesheet produced a smaller file and three subtle regressions.
Lab Notes
Lab Note 014: Testing Pagefind With Hugo
Static search that runs after the build, with no service and no API key. Notes from wiring it into a Hugo site.
Lab Notes
Lab Note 018: Moving an Image Workflow to Cloudflare R2
Testing object storage plus on-demand transformation as a replacement for build-time image processing.
Watch
Selected videos about tools, workflows and digital experiments.
Books & Things I Make
The work that comes out of these systems, not just opinions about them.
Book
Systems Before Screens
A short book on designing digital products as systems: content model, templates, workflow and maintenance, before any visual work begins.
View Book
Book
Field Notes on Digital Work
Essays and observations on research, AI, publishing systems and independent professional practice.
View Book
Editorial Hugo Starter
A Hugo starter theme for independent publications: editorial homepage, long-form article template, Pagefind search and SEO defaults.
Service Pricing Calculator
A single-page calculator for scoping and pricing design and web projects, built as a static web application with no backend.
Publishing Ops Kit
Templates and checklists for running a one-person publication: editorial calendar, article brief, SEO checklist and launch routine.
Explore
Topics that run across the publication.