About.

Pharos (/ˈfɛərɒs/, as in Pharos of Alexandria), is simplified Greek for lighthouse - something that stands out and guides the way. Metaphorically speaking, Pharos intends to become a brand that is known for shining light into the void, revealing the dark patterns of today's web and leading people to a save haven.

The Pharos Manifesto.

These are the Pharos principles for holistic design and development. There is no strict order as the focus might shift depending on project requirements.

• Purpose - Driven by the desire to create a better world.
• Ethics - Free from deception, manipulation, and harm.
• Minimalism - As lean as possible; only meaningful additions.
• Joy - Beautiful and calm design for a distraction-free experience.
• Improvement - Keep an open mind; embrace change; keep learning.
• Independence - Power to the people; rely on open source; no vendor lock-ins.
• Ecology - Preserving resources; minimizing carbon footprint.
• Accessibility - Make sure there are no barriers for anyone.
• Performance - Optimize speed for immediate responses to user input and SEO.
• Security - Version control; backups; encryption; minimize attack surface.
• Privacy - Gain trust by respecting users; no to cookies, tracking, ads, and popups.
• Immediacy - Everything is done by me. No AI or auto-generated stuff, no outsourcing.

Behind Pharos.

Hi! My name is Marvin and I am a 37 year old former digital nomad who achieved his dream of settling down in rural Norway.

Building websites and generally tinkering with everything digital has been fun since my teenage years so I when I got tired of my corporate job I decided to do it professionally while traveling around SE Asia.

Now I'm looking back at 10 years of experience in development ranging from small non-profit to large enterprise. Add to that 20 years of IT project management and Quality Assurance. Besides that I focus on building strong relationships with my clients.

I am introverted, highly-sensitive, and vegan 🌱. My most important values are love, freedom, and growth.

My friends describe me as attentive, reliable, and thoughtful with a lot of foresight and patience as well as a let's-get-this-done attitude. Additionally I have an eye for detail while still keeping the big picture in mind.

I love playing with food cooking and classic rock (mostly British; my favorites are Marillion, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, and Genesis) although on a daily basis I usually listen to metalcore and symphonic metal.

My brain is constantly asking for fresh input so I try to keep up with that desire by picking up new topics to learn about and creating interesting (and sometimes useful!) things.

The most recent example is 3D modeling which comes in handy to visualize and plan DIY projects such as a market trailer to sell produce or a travel van to work on (and off) the road.

Woodworking is a fun way to achieve balance between digital and analogue life while turning scrap wood into something of practical use.

In elementary school I aspired to be a writer which - combined with my enthusiasm for Unix and open source - lead to starting the Pharos blog where I publish articles about open source, digital competence, privacy, and development. My goal is to help non-profits that can't afford a developer to maximize their websites' impact. I also try to raise awareness of the technical and ethical issues most websites and apps have and how to prevent them.

Last but not least, I put together a little overview of some personal coding projects I've built.