Using an LLM to avoid looking like I'm using an LLM

I mentioned that I want to avoid the “Claude aesthetic” in this blog’s design. It’s not that I have anything against it, really, or against AI-built websites as a concept. My hope, though, is that this AI frenzy provokes a renewed appreciation for handcrafted things, and I want this site to be a vote for that in some small way. And so, with a heaping megadose of irony, I used an LLM to help me make this blog look less LLM-generated. The choices, for now First, I went for the paper-on-desk look. I deployed it a week or two ago. If you noticed … how nice of you! But it felt a little stuffy, or boring, or something. So I explored some different colors and textures. I tried a dot-grid texture on the background and liked it, but I realized it was almost exactly what Kev currently has, so I moved on. I tried a “wool felt desk” look, but it was too cold, and the texture was a bit too fine, almost unnoticeable. I tried some higher-contrast options, but the background was too dark for light…