How we built this

Va Va Voom was made by a few Godalming people and Claude, in spare evenings and early mornings. It's a test of what citizens can build for themselves with the tools we have today.

Started 20 October. Now on Release Godalming.

13.3hours of Kev's time

12days since it started

5hours on this release (Godalming)

£21a year to run (just the web address)

6named releases

14versions of the page

6people let in so far

3real user tests

Real user tests: Carl (Better Men, 24 October), Tim and Reiks. We also test with pretend personas: a guide, not evidence. As of 31 October.

Five looks we tried

Same idea, five different coats of paint. Tap one to see it.

The originalSticker logo, punky, "psst, pass it on"

PinkSoft pink with a typewriter voice

GroundedCalm serif and a sunrise, after Carl's test

TonghamGrounded, made local with its own badge

Busbridge, now liveBold pink question, the look we went with

What should we build next?

This is our feature backlog, opened up. Tap I'd use this on anything you'd actually use, and we'll build the most wanted first. Something missing? Tell us.

Near me: what's closest to home comes first
Browse by feeling, not just topic: play, connect, get inspired
A reminder the day before, and a reply from a real person
Log in with an email link, so your picks follow you to any phone
See your card before it goes live when you share something
Quick posts: "walking Saturday, who's coming?"
Project pages with a lead and simple ways to help
Ways to take part with less screen time
An archive of past events, and how they went
A sauna as a meeting place, for about ten
Good human badges you earn by joining in
A simple membership with credits for paid things

Votes go to our private sheet with the release you saw. No name needed.

Who's on the team

Kev founder, with Tim and Carl
Claude building AI
Margot shaping AI
James build and design AI
Sam testing AI
Grain style AI
Bee curator AI
Rowan stories AI
the Watcher the board AI

AI = one of Kev's AI team, played by Claude. The people are real.

Where the hours went

Kev's time is measured from when he was actually in the chat, plus ten minutes a sitting. Claude does the building in between, so the making took longer than this.

20 October	2.5h	20 to 23 October, Kev's own figure: first invitation page and logos, the other versions, compass, portals, Simple2 live, What's happening, the catcher, the Watcher, the gate and feedback
24 October	0.25h	PostHog, floating header and menu, lighter Next up, Grain's style sheet, Margot, James and Sam's proposals
25 October	1.9h	Trimmed the main page, Carl's write-up, three style branches, Tongham, Share a project, contact consent, The Human Bit, login polish, two-step welcome, this build log
26 October	0.1h	Safe in the Garden: a 15-minute safeguarding micro-course for Therapy Garden volunteers, shaped for Reiks (garden/)
26 October	0.1h	Safe in the Garden: asks before recording (shared choice with the main site), lesson-by-lesson PostHog events and replay with typed fields hidden
28 October	0.1h	Release Busbridge: hello.html, the Saturday MLP (welcome and where's home, what's on with I'm in, interest list, Show me more of, who's behind it, Three words and a wand feedback), privacy page, QR codes and print sheet (qr.html)
29 October	3.4h	Releases Eashing and Farncombe: policies and processes index, join in any way, near you for Tongham, simplify review with James and Sam's panel (page from 6½ to about 4 screens), I'm in always offers details, graffiti stickers, photos on coloured backgrounds, Ilona's Power Hour, About this experiment, this page's looks and vote
30 October	4.1h	Release Godalming, day 1: the Pulse (who's visiting, counts only), secret animal names for neighbours who help, Verified commits, consent tracker, design patterns, link check, invites and consent messages, Kev's bio, a quiet link to Stories
31 October	0.9h	Release Godalming, day 2: My picks (hidden): local events from The Burrow, Trinkfluss and New House, score For me / Maybe / Not for me, learns what you like, distance and when filters, preference model write-up

Every version of the page

First version, punky 20 October
Quiet, one colour 20 October
Earthier sister 21 October
Lifted earth, compass and portals 21 October
Zing plus stickers 21 October
Curious, show, invite 21 October
Simple2 (the main page until 28 October) 21 October
Buzzy (Rabbit Hole guide) 25 October
Pink (soft pink guide) 25 October
Grounded (after Carl) 25 October
Tongham, made local 25 October
Hello: the live page (Busbridge to Farncombe) 28 October
Tongham on the hello look 28 October
Mockup: a topic or an experience 29 October

Releases

Each release is named after a local place, A to Z.

31 October Godalming · 5h: The Pulse and secret names, consent tracking, design rules and link checks, My picks: a hidden page that learns what you like
29 October Farncombe · 3.4h: Simpler page, details after I'm in, stickers, About this experiment, trust fixes
29 October Eashing: Join in any way you like, Near you for Tongham, policies
28 October Coldharbour: Theme colours, learn from a neighbour, share something
28 October Busbridge: The new front page: welcome, what's on, I'm in, feedback, privacy, QR codes
26 October Abinger: First mockups: front page and rabbit hole

Every small change is on GitHub, for the curious.