Pebble
The Challenge
Designers who write HTML have a problem: once the site is built, editing content means touching code. Full CMSes like WordPress are overkill — they replace your markup with a database schema and force you into a template system you didn't design. Page builders are worse.
The gap: a simple tool that makes HTML content editable without taking over the site. Something you could drop into any existing project in under two minutes, with no server requirements beyond PHP and no database to manage.
The Approach
Pebble is built as an inline editing layer, not a CMS. Designers add data-pebble attributes to any HTML element they want to make editable. That's the entire integration — no schema changes, no template system, no markup restructuring.
The backend uses flat-file JSON storage, so there's no database to configure or back up. A single PHP installer file handles the full setup. Authentication uses BCrypt password hashing with rate limiting and session-based IP tracking. Image uploads include auto-optimization via PHP's GD extension.
The constraint was discipline: every feature had to earn its place. If it made HTML harder to write, it didn't ship. The result is a tool with a single, focused job — edit content, keep your HTML.
The Result
Pebble launched as v1.0.0 — a fully self-contained, open source inline editor available at hellopebble.io. Free for unlimited personal and commercial use. No MySQL, no Node, no build process.
The installer takes under two minutes. The editing interface is immediate — click any pebble-marked element and type. Backups, activity logs, and security settings live in a minimal control panel that stays out of the way.
Built for designers who care about markup. Ignored by designers who don't.