About this site
About Stephen
Hey there — I’m Stephen Dixon.
I’m an independent developer, product designer, and writer exploring what it means to build AI-native apps with Swift, web technologies, and the OpenAI stack.
My journey started in 1998 when I taught myself to build websites at 11 years old. Since then, I’ve spent 25+ years designing and shipping software — from early web design days to mobile apps used by millions at places like Buffer, Strong, and Glowing.
Today, I focus on building smarter, more contextual software — blending Apple frameworks, foundation models, and thoughtful design to craft tools that feel 10× more intuitive.
Why This Blog?
stphndxn.com is my home base for writing, reflecting, and sharing what I learn as I push into the future of app development.
Here, I explore topics like:
- Model Context Protocol (MCP) and context-first app design
- Foundation Models on-device and what they mean for privacy, latency, and UX
- Swift, SwiftUI, SwiftData, and the Apple ecosystem
- Modern web development and AI integrations across platforms
- What it means to build in public in the age of AI
My goal? To help other builders — whether you’re indie or working at scale — think clearly about the systems we're creating and how we can design software that feels smarter and more human.
What You’ll Find Here
🧠 AI-Native Architecture: From context patterns to foundation model workflows
📱 Swift & Apple Development: iOS, SwiftUI, SwiftData, concurrency, previews
🌐 Web & OpenAI: Prompt design, API workflows, full-stack context shaping
📐 UI/UX Design: Building apps that feel alive — not robotic
🚢 Indie Building & Philosophy: My own journey shipping products like AteIQ and Sparka
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find something useful, surprising, or motivating.
If you're working in this space too — reach out. I'd love to connect.
— Stephen
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