The One That Started It All

This is where it began. Signal Ventures was my first real production site, and still one of my favorites.

The brief was unusual: build a website for a crypto VC firm that looks like Windows 95. Not "inspired by" in a subtle way. Full commitment. Beveled borders, 3D button states, a Start menu, the whole thing. I remember reading the brief and thinking this is going to be fun.

The Design

The entire UI is built around the Windows 95 aesthetic. Buttons have that classic pressed/unpressed 3D effect with border swaps on click. The color palette is magenta, deep purple, and black. There's a toolbar at the top, a Start button, and a live date display just like the old taskbar.

It sounds like it shouldn't work for a venture capital firm. But that's exactly why it works. Every other crypto site has the same clean gradients, dark backgrounds, and stock photos. Signal Ventures went the opposite direction and became the one people actually remember.

How It Works

Under the retro skin, the site is a content platform. Signal Ventures publishes analysis on their portfolio companies. DeFi protocols, metaverse infrastructure, play-to-earn gaming, social trading. The content pulls in through an RSS feed from Medium.

The structure is straightforward. Header navigation, blog feed, and portfolio content. Nothing complicated, but the presentation makes it feel like something completely different.

Getting the Details Right

Building a retro UI that actually feels authentic takes more work than you'd expect. Every element needs the right border treatment, the right shadow direction, the right color inversion on interaction. One pixel off and it feels like a parody instead of a tribute.

I spent a good amount of time looking at old Windows 95 screenshots, getting the bevels just right. The kind of detail work that nobody notices when it's done well, but everyone catches when it's wrong.

Looking Back

This project holds a special place for me. It was the first time I shipped something real, with actual users and a client counting on it. I still remember the moment it went live.

The technical side taught me plenty. But the bigger lesson was knowing I could take an idea, build it, and put it out into the world. That quiet confidence stuck with me for every project after.

It's still live, still looks good. I check on it sometimes. Still makes me smile.