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Case study

Building GlassPad

A free browser word processor with a liquid-glass UI — privacy-first by architecture, not by disclaimer.

Flagship project Static web app Privacy-first
Problem

Most online editors push signups and cloud sync before you can write. I wanted a tool people could open and trust immediately.

Constraints

No backend for documents, no account system, and a UI that still felt premium on a static host.

Role

Solo product design, frontend implementation, branding, and deployment under madushka.com.

Approach

Ship a narrow v1: write → format → export. Autosave locally first. Polish the empty state. Cut anything that required a document server.

Implementation

  • Static HTML / CSS / JS app at glasspad.madushka.com
  • Documents persist in browser storage for the core writing loop
  • Import Word (.docx), Markdown, and plain text; export PDF and Word without uploading drafts
  • Storage health cues, Full New reset, keyboard shortcuts, and installable PWA
  • GlassCompress handoff for private image shrink-then-insert
  • Shared liquid-glass visual language with madushka.com

Privacy / data flow

Document bodies are not sent to a madushka.com API for the core editor loop. Users should still export backups — browsers can clear storage. Honesty about that limit is part of the product.

Outcome & lessons

GlassPad is live as a free browser word processor with import, dark mode, export, suite handoff, and PWA install. The lesson: privacy is strongest when the architecture never needs the sensitive data. A longer technical walkthrough lives in the GlassPad guide.