CSSBattle’s Battle #37 – Height has officially wrapped up, and this round felt special.
After four weeks, eight black-and-white themed challenges, and over a thousand players worldwide,
I managed to finish at Rank #22 — up from Rank #45 in the previous battle.
It’s not just a number; it’s proof that consistent, focused practice pays off.
From #45 → #22: What Changed
This time, I took a more analytical and minimal approach.
Instead of jumping straight into shapes, I spent more time understanding layouts — how the reference was built, where symmetry existed, and how it could be reused.
Every target became a small puzzle in efficiency.
Here’s what made the difference:
- Refactoring over restarting: I stopped rewriting solutions and started refining them for brevity after hitting 100%.
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Creative CSS tricks:
border,box-shadow,clip-path,-webkit-reflect, and layered gradients became second nature. - Reusability: In some cases, instead of relying solely on pseudo-elements or shadows, I reused the same styled element multiple times — cleaner and often shorter.
- Focus and speed: Most challenges were solved within 30–40 minutes, with many hitting 100% match on the first submission — a huge step up from before, where few battles still fell short of that perfect score.
The Code Golf Mindset
CSSBattle isn’t just a design game — it’s a mental gym for front-end developers.
You’re not just drawing shapes; you’re optimizing every line, every space, every property.
It teaches you to see geometry in code:
- Circles hiding inside borders
- Triangles emerging from
clip-path - Shadows doubling as new elements
It’s addictive in the best way — a balance of logic, creativity, and compression.
What I Learned
Every battle reinforces one truth:
Simplicity is power.
- Validation matters — a 100% match doesn’t always mean an efficient solution.
- Repetition builds intuition — layouts start to “click” faster over time.
- Creativity comes from constraint — the tighter the rules, the smarter your solutions become.
- Iteration refines mastery — I created multiple versions for some challenges just to test which felt most elegant.
The best solutions often look effortless — but getting there takes effort.
My Solutions
All my solutions for Battle #37 – Height are available on GitHub:
👉 CSSBattle Solutions Repository
Each includes:
- The full HTML + CSS code
- A preview image of the recreated target
- A link to the original CSSBattle challenge
- My performance metrics — match %, score, and character count
Looking Ahead
Next goal: Top 10 in Battle #38.
I’m focusing on refining my compression techniques, mastering symmetry, and finding new creative layout shortcuts.
But more than rankings, CSSBattle has become a creative habit — a space where logic meets art and constraint sparks innovation.
Final Thoughts
Climbing from Rank 45 → 22 wasn’t just about numbers.
It’s about compounding improvement — in precision, patience, and pattern recognition.
CSSBattle has taught me to write less, think more, and appreciate elegance in code.
If you enjoy creative coding or front-end problem-solving, give it a try — it’ll reshape how you think about CSS.
🎨 CSS isn’t just styling. It’s structure, math, and art — all in one.
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